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As IB results were announced on Saturday, some UAE students achieved scores that rank them among the top 0.1 per cent of IB Diploma candidates globally.
But when asked what got them there, rather than long hours of last-minute cramming, most spoke of purpose, curiosity, and staying true to themselves, even when things were unpredictable.
Aanya Khandelwal, a student of GEMS Modern Academy (GMA) and part of the Rahhal programme, was one of the few to achieve the perfect score of 45. But her journey through the IB wasn’t typical. While others were in classrooms, Aanya was often representing youth voices at the United Nations.
“I actually worked for the United Nations (UN),” she shared with Khaleej Times, describing a demanding schedule where she regularly missed school. “Very often I would miss school because, nearly every Thursday, I would have UN calls that I needed to attend. And at least for a month, every semester or so, I would have a UN conference to attend elsewhere.”
Balancing global diplomacy and academics might seem overwhelming, but Aanya found a rhythm that worked for her. “Consistency with many hours of studies is not something that I’d pride myself on… I generally used to study close to test dates,” she admitted. “I think consistency is something that’s more integral with something that is more content based, like biology.”
Taking four Higher Level subjects while being on Rahhal pushed her limits, but Aanya said the IB gave her space to grow intellectually and emotionally. “Subjects like English, literature, politics, economics; a lot of them were interpretive. I was really lucky that my exposure with the UN gave me a deeper understanding. I didn’t have to push myself as much when it came to politics, for example, because I already had context.”
For Melis Yilmaz, another perfect scorer from Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills, the challenge was more traditional — but no less personal. She is now preparing to study medicine at Imperial College London.
“I took Biology HL, Chemistry HL; those were the hardest subjects for me, yet, I enjoyed them the most and felt less pressure,” she said.
Melis wasn’t someone who studied endlessly throughout the year. During regular terms, it was a couple of hours a day. “But four to six weeks before exams, I started studying five to six hours a day,” she said.
What helped her most was staying present in the classroom. “I would emphasise the importance of giving a 100 per cent of your effort during class, because then you have less to revise over in exam times since you understood everything properly the first time around. Also, I had the best teachers who always answered my excessive questions, and made time for me whenever I asked for it,” added the Turkish expat.
Unlike many others, Melis found coursework like the Internal Assessments, the Theory of Knowledge essay and the Extended Essay more stressful than the final exams.
“But again, what helped was selecting topics for my coursework which I actually felt interested in,” she said. “Academic excellence is only possible when you like your subjects and feel passionate about the fact that there is so much knowledge in the world and you want to get to know as much as you can.”
At DIA Al Barsha, Kanishka Kesharwani topped her school with 44 points and is headed to Durham University to study law. For her, success came from a deep sense of self-awareness — combined with a little fear.
“I believe my motivation was largely self-driven, and a big part of that came from the supportive environment my family provided — they never imposed any academic pressure on me,” she said. “I’ve always seen potential in myself, but I’m also deeply aware of how overconfidence can lead to missed opportunities. That awareness kept me grounded and motivated.”
After underwhelming mock results, she turned to structure for comfort. “I immediately created a color-coded Excel sheet to track my revision progress out of fear. But watching topics shift from red to green gave me a unique sense of fulfillment,” she added.
To her peers and juniors, she offered a simple piece of advice, “don’t let go of opportunities just because they require extra effort.”
Kanishka also made it a point to plan ahead. “College applications took up most of my time until October, followed by internal assessments through December. Between December and the February mock exams, I made it a point to spend time with friends and family. Those memories are just as valuable as the academic milestones.”
© Khaleej Times
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