Lionel Messi fan from UAE wakes up at 4am and scores 1,200/1,200 in Kerala Plus Two exams — Here’s how he did it

Abu Dhabi: Scoring a centum – 100 out of 100 – in all subjects of a school board exam is a dream come true for any student. For Mohammed Mursil, that dream became a reality when he aced the Kerala Board Plus Two (Class 12) Higher Secondary Examination (HSE) with a perfect score.
“I am happy. But I wasn’t expecting full marks in all subjects,” Mursil told Gulf News over the phone from Kerala.
A science stream student at Model Private School in Abu Dhabi, Mursil scored 100 in English, Malayalam, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Mathematics – achieving an incredible total of 1,200 out of 1,200, making him the UAE topper.

What makes this milestone even more special is the fact that only 77.81 per cent of students passed the Kerala Board exam this year – a decline from last year’s pass rate of 78.69 per cent. Meanwhile, the pass rate in the UAE was higher at 84.4 per cent.
“To be honest, all the subjects were relatively tougher than last year. I was expecting to score well in the language papers, Malayalam and English.”

Flanked by his parents, Mursil checked his results from his home in his native village in Kerala’s Thrissur district, where he had recently flown in.
“They were really happy to see the results. They never put pressure on me. I just went with the flow, and they always supported me.”
His father works in Abu Dhabi, his mother is a homemaker, and his two elder brothers are based in Chennai and Dubai, respectively.

“I usually study in the morning. It’s when I feel more comfortable and efficient. Closer to the exams, I would wake up at 4am. On a normal day, I start around 7am, as my school hours are from 12:30 pm to 5:30 pm, so I have free time in the mornings.”

“Actually, there’s no particular strategy. I just revise all the notes given in class. I follow some YouTube channels for more depth. I practice previous years’ question papers. Also, our school conducts a lot of exams that others don’t, like revision tests, pre-boards, and pre-model exams. All of that helped me learn,” said Mursil, who had also scored A+ grades in all subjects in his Grade 10 SSLC exams.

Despite his academic focus, Mursil wasn’t all books and no play. He was part of the school football team.

“I play as a wing-back,” he said, noting Argentine football legend Lionel Messi is his favourite player.

“I think my mother will make some special food.”

But what’s the dish he wants?

“I don't have many favourites. I’ll be happy with whatever she makes,” he smiled.

Mursil is now preparing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET), the entrance exam for undergraduate medical education in India.

“I aim to become a doctor. Once I complete my MBBS, I plan to return and serve in Abu Dhabi,” Mursil underlined