IB Graduates in UAE Achieve High Results Despite Examination System Disruptions

Al Husseiny emphasized the support from her teachers: 'My teachers always supported me, no matter how many times I came for feedback; they were always patient and supportive.' She also mentioned home support: 'I had a great support system at home from my parents and family. I always had a good environment while growing up, and that helped me focus on my studies.'

During the final period of the programme, sacrificing sleep to meet academic requirements was common. 'Usually, after school, especially during Internal Assessments (IA), I worked many overtime hours, sometimes until 2 AM. The coursework required enormous effort, so I had to work for hours,' she added.

Reaction to Exam Cancellations

Like many IB candidates in the region, she experienced mixed feelings after the exam cancellations. 'It was a bittersweet moment when the exams in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries were cancelled. On one hand, we didn't have to study anymore, but at the same time, I was very disappointed because I had put so much effort into the last two years.' However, she concluded: 'But in the end, it didn't matter because my hard work paid off.'

Besides academics, Al Husseiny balanced numerous activities, including studying Mandarin for ten years, participating in the school's design team, and publishing a meditation book, 'From Dragons to Dunes,' inspired by Emirati and Chinese cultures. In the future, she plans to study mechanical engineering at Beirut American University and then pursue a Master's in Biomedical Engineering.

Perfect Score After Overcoming Burnout

At DIA Emirates Hills, Australian expat Kane Simpson achieved a perfect score of 45. He described this result as almost unbelievable. Simpson noted that he was initially aware of the IB programme's reputation for being academically rigorous and consciously tried to maintain balance across all subjects.

He shared: 'I knew IB would be difficult even when I enrolled. So, I put my best effort into all subjects, not trying to focus too heavily on one, but rather distributing my efforts among them and not overloading myself.'

Despite this approach, he experienced burnout in Grade 12, causing his performance to decline. He then began revising his study methods, and his grades started improving again in Grade 13. One of the toughest aspects of the programme was managing overlapping submission deadlines, such as Internal Assessments (IA), Extended Essay, and TOK (Theory of Knowledge), which accumulated towards the end, and submitting all of it within one month was a difficult task.

When the results came out, the reaction was immediate. 'I definitely expected a range in the 40s, but this is absolutely incredible. I was shocked when I first saw the results. I almost screamed and thought it was madness.' He added that he knows how difficult it is and that only a few students achieve such a result, and immediately thanked all the teachers.

Simpson, who attended the school since kindergarten, noted that the Diploma Programme changed his view on education. 'Academic achievement wasn't my priority, but immersing myself in the challenging IBDP environment showed me what I should focus on. So later I shifted my perspective more towards academics.'

This future student intends to study philosophy, politics, and economics at University College London. Regarding the exam cancellations, he admitted it was quite stressful because no one knew what result the IB would predict. He described it as a mixed feeling: 'Good, I don't have to study... yay! But how will this affect my academic performance?'

Transitioning from CBSE to IB

At Ambassador Academy, Anusha Talwalkar scored 42, successfully transitioning from the CBSE curriculum to the IB structure. Having started her IB journey in Grade 8, she said that initially adapting to the demands of the Diploma Programme was daunting.

'I think the biggest challenge was my initial unfamiliarity with the curriculum, as I came from CBSE,' stated Talwalkar. The breadth of the programme and its multiple assessment components required careful planning and discipline. She noted that the DP was a big step up from the MYP (Middle Years Programme).

'Even if two years seems like a long time, we work continuously, so it is hard to find the time and manage it to complete everything on schedule set by the school and IB.'

Over time, she developed stronger organizational skills and established a routine that often included several hours of studying after classes. 'I studied five hours a day after returning from school. I also had many sleepless nights during the year.'

The cancellation of exams was particularly disappointing after many years of preparation. 'One hundred percent... I was extremely disappointed because I worked continuously, and I really wanted all my hard work to count.' Nevertheless, she believes her result is a reflection of all the work she put in over those two years.

Outside of academics, Talwalkar also designed covers for two internationally published books. Planning her future, she intends to study project design at the University of Leeds after receiving offers from five universities in the UK. 'I want to study project design. So I applied to five universities in the UK and got accepted into all of them, but decided to go to the University of Leeds.'