Pakistani Student Breaks World Record with 23 A-Levels

Ali Moeen Warraich Nawazish from Rawalpindi broke a world record when he passed 23 A-levels in subjects including pure mathematics, travel and tourism, and sociology. The 18 year old also became the world record holder for achieving 21 A’s, in his A and AS level exams. Ali sat all the exams within 12 months at Rawalpindi’s Roots College International and will be a part of the Guinness Book of World Records for his achievement.

The interesting thing is that Ali is not even sure why he took up so many extra subjects. “To be honest I don’t really know. I am sure it wasn’t academic interest. It was more about ‘trying’ to achieve something. Studying was more or less hap-hazard to be honest. I don’t know how I pulled it off.”

Ali, who has a “thirst for knowledge”, studied for up to ten hours a day. Yet amazingly he still found time to PLAY the guitar, CHAIR his music club, EDIT the school newspaper and ATTEND a leadership conference at US University Harvard. He said: “I didn’t find it stressful — I enjoyed it. Some subjects were trickier than others, such as psychology.

“I began studying three days before the exam so there was a lot to get in.”

Although he describes himself as a mediocre student when he was younger, he told news agencies, “Then one day it all clicked. I needed to prove to myself, and to others, that I could do it.” Ali told The News, “I had no set study plans and at one point I found myself studying one subject for five minutes before switching to the other and then the next and so on.” The Daily Mail added, “Ali also achieved a top score in the U.S. admissions test and was accepted by most Ivy League institutions, including Harvard and Yale. Apart from core science subjects he is almost entirely self-taught. He studied for up to 12 hours a day, using energy drinks to help concentrate.”

He now studies computer science at Trinity Hall. Ali, whose parents and sister are medics, added: “I’m doing my current degree as I love it. But I want to be a doctor so I hope to study medicine.”
Regarding his choice of Cambridge as opposed to an Ivy League University in the States, Ali waxes lyrical, “To walk the same halls as the world’s most prominent scientists such as Newton, Rutherford, Cavendish, and Babbage, etc have was too good an opportunity to let go off. It is an amazing place and I am extremely for this amazing opportunity.

So in a country that has been marred by terrorism, violence, economic problems, and political dissidence, it’s really wonderful to read stories about Pakistanis that highlight the positives in the country. Congratulations Ali!