FOR the 20 pupils who secured places at the top of Guyana’s record-breaking 2026 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), Friday’s announcement was a moment filled with excitement, pride and, for some, complete surprise.

Although each pupil’s journey was different, one message echoed throughout their reflections: consistent preparation and hard work made the difference.

Asiera Mohamed of Graham’s Hall Primary described her achievement as overwhelming.

“Well, I was expecting to get one of the top five schools, but I didn’t expect to be get first in the country along with the nineteen others,” she said.

Mohamed explained that her preparation began long before Grade Six. She said she built a strong foundation in the lower grades before intensifying her studies through past papers and working to understand topics from different perspectives.

Yasira Mohamed of Aurora Primary School, who received recognition for the Best Narrative in the English Language assessment, said she was both proud and grateful.

“I’m feeling very proud, very happy that I got the school that I wanted,” she said.

Although she did not expect to receive the special award, Yasira credited her success to attending extra lessons and revising consistently throughout the year.

For Giana De Silva of Better Hope Primary, one of the country’s top performers, the announcement brought mixed emotions.

While she admitted she was not expecting the outcome, Giana said her success came from remaining disciplined throughout the school year.

She explained that she stayed consistent with her studies and rarely took breaks. Offering advice to next year’s candidates, she urged them to take their time during the examinations and remain committed to their preparation.

Looking ahead, Giana shared that she hopes to become an aesthetician.

Success Elementary’s Gaurav Deonarine was equally thrilled by his performance.

“For the preparations I studied. I took extra lessons and I worked all the past-papers ever since Grade Five and Six,” he said.

Despite celebrating his own achievement, Gaurav said he was also happy for pupilss whose names were not among the top performers.

Region Seven’s top pupil, Shristi Hardeo, who earned a place at St Stanislaus College, said she was proud of what she had accomplished.

With the examinations now behind her, she said she intends to enjoy the remainder of the school holidays before beginning secondary school in September.

Leonora Primary’s Ieon Fredericks admitted that while he expected to perform well, making the country’s Top 20 came as a surprise.

“I feel very happy about my results,” he said.

He encouraged next year’s NGSA candidates to study hard and remain focused throughout the school year.

Divya Persaud of New Guyana School, another member of this year’s Top 20, said there was no secret to her success.

According to Persaud, the months leading up to the examinations were dedicated almost entirely to studying, with consistency being the key to her performance.

The top performers will all attend Queen’s College when the new school year begins in September.

This year, more than 15,000 pupils wrote the NGSA, with 20 emerging as the country’s top performers in what Minister of Education Sonia Parag described as the results “record-breaking” and the strongest ever achieved in Guyana.

She reminded learners that while the NGSA marks an important milestone, it does not define their future.

“The NGSA is an important milestone, but it does not define who you are, nor does it determine the limits of what you can achieve. Your future will be shaped by your character, your discipline, your willingness to learn, and the effort you continue to invest in yourselves. It doesn’t stop here,” the minister said.

>>>>Photo saved as:  Top Twenty

Caption- The Top 20 performers at the 2026 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) will all attend Queen’s College when the new school year begins in September.

>>>Photo saved as: Divya Persaud

Caption: Divya Persaud of the New Guyana School, one of the Top 20 performers at the 2026 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) (Sachin Persaud photo)