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Oand A-level exams results announced

By Haneen Rafi 2015-08-12
KARACHI: It was once again a day of extreme highs and lows. A solemn atmosphere of anticipation and fear shared among thousands of students waiting for their Cambridge Oand Alevel exams results, announced early Tuesday morning.

At many schools around the city, school administrations and faculty mem-bers had to deal with a range of emotions. Some students were overjoyed and content with their results, some could be found in a state of denial, while a few utterly dejected faces said it all.

Huma Afaq, mother of two, spoke about the type of environment she had to provide both her children to prepare for the highly competitive exams. `An environment where intelligence, hard work and attention to detail are encouraged along with a strong connection to God is the recipe to success,` she said.

Her younger son, Abbas, appeared for his Pakistan Studies and Islamiat 0-level exams and secured an A and A* grade, respectively. Her elder daughter did not disappoint either.

`My daughter wanted to take 5 sub-jects at A-levels even though I, and other family members, tried to dissuade her.

However, she decided to take up the challenge herself and succeeded with flying colours.

What most students, however, are afraid of is the reaction they get from home. Misha, content with securing B grades, shared her concerns before the results were announced in a lighthearted manner. `The fear of violence from my parents is not what scares me, she quipped. `I just don`t want to see disappointment in their eyes.

Another recurring story is the onslaught from extended family inquiring about their grades. The pressure, most students reveal, gets too overwhelming.One prevalent trend is of students opting for extra help from tuition centres.

Adeel Paperwala, who runs his own tuition centre as well as teaching A-level Accounts at different schools, said his `overall results were outstanding. One of my students had a U grade in his Accounts AS exam. After appearing for accelerated Accounts, he has improved the grade and secured an A.

He also shared plans on how he and his students would celebrate. `Many have been coming over with cakes and sweets. We have also planned a get together soon.

However, the cost of appearing for Cambridge examinations is becoming a matter of concern for many parents.

Fees run into the thousands, and aremuch higher for subjects which have a practical paper, such as chemistry. This is just one of the many expenses that combine together with the overwhelming fee structures at most schools.

Parents are also openly complaining of the inconsistencies found in results, and the pressure of reappearing for the same exam in a bid to improve the grade.

This has become unavoidable for most, especially for those wanting to get admission to reputed universities, local or foreign.

Though the Cambridge exams have become a popular choice for a large number of students for allowing access to universities around the world, the path is not quite simple. And result season is a testament to this fact.