World’s best IGCSE Mathematics student Tolulope Israel Adekimi and Akota Chika-Serena, who achieved the same feat in English Language, have described the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) as slightly more challenging than the Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) examination.
Israel, a student of Caleb British International School, Lekki, said this during an interview on Channels Television after emerging as the world’s highest-scoring candidate in IGCSE Mathematics and receiving the Outstanding Cambridge Learners Award.
“So for Mathematics, I would say that IGCSE Mathematics is somewhat easier, well, for me,” Israel said.
He said, ‘For IGCSE, it’s not like they just give you a question like ‘solve this’ or ‘find X’. Usually, there’s like a little story attached.”
Expressing his excitement over the achievement, Israel, who spoke on Friday’s edition of Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, said he was “grateful to God for the recognition”.
“Once you solve a lot of past questions and you notice the patterns that they use in certain questions, it becomes easier to notice trends and patterns,” Israel said.
He explained that becoming the world’s best had always been his goal, adding that he remained committed to working hard throughout his preparation. According to him, the support of his family, friends, and the learning structures provided by his school contributed significantly to his success.
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‘Really Amazing’
Reacting to her achievement, Chika-Serena described the experience as “really, really amazing”, saying she never imagined she could attain such a feat.
A student of Caleb British International School, Magodo, Lagos, credited her success to the support of her parents and school, noting that preparations began when she was 10 before becoming more intensive in Year 11.
“Her study routine involved solving past examination questions daily, making use of online learning resources and engaging in constant practice,” Chika said.
Comparing WASSCE and IGCSE, Chika said she “found the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) more challenging than the IGCSE”.
She explained that while both examinations require adequate preparation, the WASSCE English paper demanded more from her.
