JOHN McGrath, a Guyanese student of the School of the Nations made history when he scored 99 out of 100 at the Cambridge International June 2021 English Language examinations, surpassing more than one million students from 136 countries worldwide to be the top Cambridge International Advanced Subsidiary (AS) student.

McGrath noted that the news caught him by surprise stating, “Dad was leaning against the door frame with a humongous smile on his face; I was baffled. He started by saying the Director of the School (Dr. Brian O’Toole) had called him. Those are very daunting and puzzling words to hear as a high school student. Luckily, dad was still smiling, which gave me hope. Dad unfolded the news that I gained the “Outstanding Cambridge Learner’s Award” for topping the world in AS English at last year’s May/June examinations,” the young man noted in a press release issued by School of the Nations.

AS level exams are sat at the end of the first year of Sixth Form.
He noted that while he knew his grade was “very high” he never expected that he would be the person who topped the world, stating that he feels elated that a Guyanese has proven their ability to the world.

McGrath noted that his family, and especially his English Language teacher, Mr. Mark Boodie, his Karate family, and his friends were all instrumental in his achievement, noting that it would have been impossible without their constant support and guidance.

When asked if he had any advice to share with students preparing to write the upcoming May/June 2022 exams, McGrath, the release noted, suggested that students work smart, keep their heads up, and shoot for the stars, whether academically or just in life in general.

“Never limit yourself to what you can do, and one way or another, you will be on top of the world.”
McGrath’s English teacher, Boodie, noted that the award is exceptional for many reasons.

“All this was new to the students and to me, and there were no past papers that could be used for practice or mark schemes for this new style of responding to the questions. I had to rely on specimen papers and a specimen mark scheme and made-up questions so that the students could have enough practice before entering the exam.”

He noted that McGrath’s achievement is truly remarkable since he obtained the highest marks in the world of all the students writing the new AS English Language exams for the first time.