Five students from the Cambridge A Level programme at Methodist College Kuala Lumpur (MCKL) were recognised as outstanding performing learners in Malaysia, and globally, in the June 2022 examination series. In announcing the results, the students were honoured at the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards ceremony, hosted by the Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) in Subang Jaya recently.
Alexander Tan, Anitej Palur, Lee Cheng Zhen, and Pearlynn Khoo achieved Top in the World award for Mathematics and their classmate Tan Zhen Mei scored High Achievement in the German Language syllabus. According to the CAIE, being Top in the World means the learner gained the highest standard mark in the world for a single subject and anyone else achieving the same mark will be recognised for the same award. Students attaining High Achievement received outstanding results in subjects which are not widely taken.
“I am deeply humbled by the honour,” said aspiring doctor, Anitej. “I will take this as a sign to continue working harder to achieve my goals. While preparing for my AS paper, I have learned to become more independent in my studies and now have a clearer path ahead for my future.”
Anitej’s course mate, Alexander shared the same sentiment, “Securing a top spot in the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards helped reassure me that I could reach new heights. Receiving support from my lecturer gave me the push to excel, as well as giving solid advice whenever I was stuck. What’s more, my parents showing support throughout by making my life outside of academics easier allowed me to perform as such.”
Of course, such an accolade did not come without its challenges, “The biggest challenge in obtaining this award was the amount of meticulousness and rigour required to obtain this award. It was an aspect I was particularly not strong at to begin with but through my lecturer’s coaching I was able to sharpen my skills which allowed me to obtain this award,” recalled Alexander.
As with most students, Pearlynn experienced some anxiety when preparing for her exams, “The programme is also fast paced, which taught me to have better time management, and the help I received from the lecturers, who were always ready to help and listen to our challenges in their studies, encouraged me to keep working hard, and it paid off.”
When asked about his decision to join MCKL, Cheng Zhen shared that, “I believe that the Cambridge A Level gives me more opportunities to pursue further studies internationally, and MCKL is a great college with high standards and affordable tuition fees. In my experience, I quickly realised that the environment on campus is close-knit and there was never a moment where I felt uncomfortable.”
Mentor to the top Cambridge A Level students, Wong Munn Kitt, Mathematics Coordinator and senior lecturer, was extremely pleased with their students’ achievements, “They were serious students who paid a lot of attention to their studies. They put in maximum effort in understanding the syllabus and completing their work,” he said. “I’m incredibly happy for them to have achieved a result that is best in the world. I am optimistic for them and what they can accomplish in society in the future. I am immensely proud to have taught them, these students were incredibly talented and intelligent.” In addition to his students and their parents, other mentors and lecturers involved in the same programme, Samuel Lim, Aw Yeong Zhi Sheng, Chong You Juan and Lim Keng Miao share in his pride.
Although the students worked hard in their studies, Munn Kitt added that there was a need for students to be curious and playful during their learning process as well. “They were more curious than their peers in that they asked questions beyond the syllabus. They also had a playful spirit towards learning and life. They had many other interests outside of the classroom. I firmly believe that hobbies outside-of-classroom and academic studies are closely interrelated in helping a person feel fulfilled and grow holistically, and when that happens, they will do well in both.” Students at MCKL are routinely awarded this accolade, with a total of 137 students receiving Top in the World, Top in the Country, or High Achievement for their AS and A2 papers since 2013.
CAIE celebrates the success of students taking the Cambridge examination in over 40 countries worldwide. While only five of the students received the highest recognition at MCKL, it bears reminding that there were many students that did just as well, seeing that the June 2022 examination series had 220 candidates sitting for their respective papers, out of which 112 outstanding scholars scored 3As and above.