UAE students score near-perfect CBSE results despite most exams being cancelled - here's how they did it

Dubai: India's Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) released Class 12 results on Wednesday for millions of students, including those in UAE-based CBSE schools, under circumstances unlike any previous year. 

Regional tensions stemming from the US-Israel-Iran conflict forced the cancellation of exams scheduled for mid-March and early April, prompting the board to introduce an alternative assessment scheme, determining final grades through practical exams, project work, and internal assessments including pre-boards, class tests, and academic records. 

Despite the abrupt disruption to one of the most pivotal milestones in a student's school life, many CBSE schools celebrated 100 per cent pass rates. Gulf News spoke to top-scorers across several schools to find out how they achieved standout results under the new grading system, with most of their written papers never having taken place.

Veeva Nilesh Thanki, from Credence High School who scored 97.20 per cent in the science stream, was only able to sit three exams before the remainder were cancelled but she never doubted her standing. Crediting her school teachers and her daily study routine, she focused primarily on NCERT books and maintained consistency across all her internal assessments.

"I made sure to prepare for my exams throughout the whole academic year because consistency in internal exams and assessments does result in better performance for the board exams,” she said. “I was not apprehensive about the new assessment policy because the pre-boards that the school conducts tend to be harder, and I did pretty well in them.”

With her results now in hand, Thanki has her sights firmly set on medicine in India, a lifelong ambition shaped by her parents, both of whom are doctors. She is currently preparing for her NEET entrance exams.

Liz Ajith, also from Credence High School, scored 97.20 per cent despite weeks of uncertainty. "Prior to the cancellation, there was a lot of confusion because the exams kept getting postponed. Once we were told they were cancelled, I felt a little reassured but was still unsure about the new grading system."

What settled her nerves was knowing she had put in the work all year. "I made sure to take every exam, project, test and pre-board seriously and kept my grades consistent, so I wasn't too worried about the subjects that were cancelled."

Ajith has received conditional offers from universities in the US, Singapore and Australia, has since submitted her results, and plans to study psychology.

Adithi Pramod of GEMS Our Own Indian School, Dubai sat just one exam before her remaining four papers were cancelled. Yet the experience, while stressful, ultimately validated the work she had put in all year. She scored an impressive 99.6 per cent.

"I think the key was keeping my grades consistent throughout the year and preparing and scoring well in the pre-boards. The internal assessments did end up working in my favour,"  said Pramod, who is now focused on college applications in India, with ambitions in marketing and communications and her eye on Flame University, Pune.

Her schoolmate Apurva Ranjith had a similar experience, one exam sat, the rest assessed entirely on internal work and walked away with 99.8 per cent. “From 11th grade I've been consistently preparing. My marks were proportional to my board scores and I wanted to maintain that," she said.

Ranjith did, however, flag one source of nerves that was unique to this year: a new on-screen marking system introduced by CBSE, which replaced the traditional physical checking process with a digital assessment platform. “Since it was a new grading scheme and examiners had to put a tick mark, on that basis were graded,” she noted. She plans to stay in the UAE for university and has already received one offer, with psychology as her intended major.

Deron Lawrance, who topped his school at Bright Riders School, Abu Dhabi, and led its science stream with 99.4 per cent, also put his success down to revision, past papers, and consistent grades throughout the year, alongside the support of his parents, teachers, principal and friends.

Far from unsettled by the new computer-based grading system, Lawrance welcomed it. "I am pleased with the new computer-based grading system implemented by CBSE, which would have definitely reduced the possibility of errors," he said.

His advice to younger students was characteristically measured: "A fresh mind learns better than a tired one. One must schedule their time suitably so that academics and other activities all fit into the day."

At Indian High School (IHS), students expressed relief that their year-long efforts had been accurately reflected in the final outcome and that the wait was finally over.

"Now that the CBSE scores are out, we've finally been able to speed up our college applications. Many of us were waiting because universities couldn't confirm scholarships without the final marks. With the results now declared, we can confidently choose which offer to accept and move ahead without uncertainty," said Devarshi Chaube.

Fellow IHS student Aditya Prakash echoed the sentiment. "The assessment was fair, justified, and truly reflected our year-long hard work. All of us are happy with the results because they match our expectations. This outcome has brought back our confidence after months of worry about how the cancelled exams would affect us."

Perhaps the most striking perspective came from Joshua Sunny Stanley, IHS's commerce topper with 99.8 per cent, who was quick to push back against the idea that exceptional grades demand total sacrifice.

Thanking his teachers, who he said "cleared my doubts, pushed me to do better and encouraged me during difficult times,” as well as his parents and friends, Stanley was candid about how he actually spent his final year.

"A common misconception is that scoring high marks means dedicating your entire life only to studies. My experience taught me otherwise. Alongside academics, I made time for sports, music, outings, and spending meaningful time with friends. Those moments kept me balanced, motivated, and reminded me that success does not have to come at the cost of enjoying life," he said.

And despite his outstanding grades, Stanley was equally clear on one final point: the numbers, however impressive, don't define everything. "It doesn't dictate your whole life," he said.

Punit MK Vasu, CEO of the Indian High Group of Schools (IHS), said the sudden cancellation of certain examinations created an unprecedented academic scenario, but students expressed relief that the assessment policy recognised their year-long hard work and consistent effort.

"CBSE implemented a fair, transparent, and structured framework for the disrupted subjects. Given the importance of these marks for university admissions, the Board's equitable approach ensured no child was disadvantaged. By combining the best-performing completed papers with comprehensive internal assessments, the final results offer a holistic reflection of each student's sustained effort."

Lalitha Suresh, Principal/CEO of GEMS Our Own Indian School, Dubai, said the cancellation of several examinations due to regional tensions had placed students in a difficult position, yet they performed well despite the circumstances.

"The results are commendable, though they may not fully reflect our students' true potential. Under normal conditions, I am confident they would have achieved even more. Regardless, our students, teachers, and families stood together with remarkable resilience."