ISLAMABAD: Mahnoor Cheema, an 18-year-old British-Pakistani student, has achieved an exceptional academic milestone by securing top distinctions in 24 A-Level subjects, setting four world records.
The teen set a world record by passing 24 individual A-Level subjects with distinction, along with an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)—all completed in a single exam session, Arab news reported on Friday.
She also holds a second record for achieving the highest number of A* and A grades in A-Levels, earning 19 top grades.
Her third record is a combined achievement: 11 A* grades in A-Levels, added to her previous 34 A* grades in the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) or O-Levels, bringing her total to 45 A* grades—the most ever awarded to a student in secondary education globally.
Cheema’s fourth record is for the highest number of individual subjects passed with distinction: a total of 58, including 24 A-Levels and 34 GCSEs.
“I say more than mine, this is my parents’ achievement, entirely. It is a huge step that you leave your country, your family behind to come to another country to establish yourself just because your children may get a better future and a chance to pursue better education,” she said in an interview.
“It’s the biggest sacrifice anyone could make, so I am very, very thankful to my parents.”
The 18-year-old, who regularly takes part in extracurricular activities and volunteers at a hospital once a week, has been admitted to the prestigious Oxford University.
“My place in Oxford [University] is confirmed. I am joining Oxford in October to study medicine,” she said, describing it as a childhood dream come true.
“It has been my childhood dream; I had never pictured any other university for myself.”
