KARACHI: The Aga Khan University Examination Board (AKU-EB) on Monday announced both overall and group-wise positions for its April/

May 2018 Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) examinations, with the top three overall positions for both sets of examinations having been secured by female students.

The overall pass rate for SSC students was 95.1 per cent, with 73.8pc of students scoring a B grade or higher.

Maya Ahmed of Maryam Siddiqa Girls Higher Secondary School, Punjab, obtained the first position overall for SSC examinations, with an impressive 1,033 out of 1,100 (94.27pc) marks.

“This is a day of great joy and exultation for me,” she said. “I would like to thank my parents, my sister, school principal and my teachers for being so

supportive, and am also extremely thankful to AKU-EB for making us realise the importance of ‘understanding’ and ‘learning’!”

In addition to her overall first position, Ms Ahmed also came second as part of the SSC science group high achievers, obtaining a total of 436 out of 450 marks.

Yumna Khabir of PECHS Girls’ School, Karachi, came in second overall for SSC examinations scoring 1,019 out of 1,100 marks (92.64pc), followed by Zehra Abbas of Al-Murtaza School, Karachi, who scored 1,010 out of 1,100 marks (91.82pc) and came in third overall.

Director, AKU-EB, Dr Shehzad Jeeva, extended his congratulations to all AKU-EB students. “As an indigenous board dedicated to uplifting national educational standards and offering quality assessment, the success of our students endorses our mission,” he said. “Our Matric and Intermediate qualifications reinstate confidence in Pakistan’s own education system.”

Maryam Ihsan of Nusrat Jahan College, Punjab, obtained first position overall for HSSC examinations, scoring 1,018 out of 1,100 (92.55pc) marks.

“The prayers of my parents and the dedicated support of my school played a vital role in this success,” said Ms Ihsan. “As is befitting my status as a pre-medical HSSC student, I aim to become a doctor one day and excel in the field of medicine.”

In addition to her overall position, Ms Ihsan also came in first as part of the HSSC pre-medical group high achievers, obtaining a total of 579 out of 600 marks.

Fareeha Hashmi and Alina Fatima, both students of Aga Khan Higher Secondary School, Karachi, obtained 1,013 and 1,010 marks out of 1,100, coming in at second and third position overall, respectively. Ms Fatima also came in third as part of the HSSC pre-medical group high achievers, obtaining a total of 570 out of 600 marks.

Associate director, assessment, AKU-EB, Dr Naveed Yousuf, noted that the examination results were a triumph in multiple aspects. “The sheer diversity of high scoring students across Pakistan exemplifies the standards students across the nation hold themselves to,” he said. “From the coasts of Karachi to the mountains of Gilgit-Baltistan, I can safely say that all of you have proven yourselves.”

Published in Dawn, July 31st, 2018