British-Pakistani student breaks global record in A-level

ISLAMABAD: Mahnoor Cheema, a British-Pakistani student, has achieved a record 24 A grades in her A-level examinations, following her earlier remarkable success in GCSEs.

The 18-year-old has been offered admission to the prestigious Exeter College at Oxford University, where she will pursue her lifelong dream of studying medicine.

Mahnoor has set multiple global records at both the GCSE and A-level stages.

Speaking to Geo News, her father, Barrister Usman Cheema, said that Mahnoor broke four world records in her A-level examinations. “Becoming a doctor was her dream, and she has worked tirelessly for it,” he said.

At the age of 16, she had already made headlines by scoring 99 per cent A grades in 34 subjects in her GCSEs.

At the time, she told BBC Urdu that she always felt different from her peers because her interests were not the same as other children’s.

“I was obsessed with reading and learning new things, while my peers had different goals and hobbies,” she said.

Traditionally, students would retake subjects to improve their overall grades. However, Mahnoor achieved 19 As and As without repetition, setting a high standard of academic excellence. Her second record came from obtaining the most A and A grades in A-levels, while the third was for achieving the highest number of A grades across GCSEs, O-level, and A-levels combined. Her fourth record was for opting for 58 subjects overall—34 at GCSE and 24 at A-level.

Speaking about her Oxford admission offer, Mahnoor said:

“I am overjoyed to receive an offer to study medicine at Oxford University. It feels like my childhood dream is finally coming true. I feel like I am on the moon. I will join Oxford in October, and I am thrilled to start a new chapter in life.”

In the Cambridge system, most students sit for no more than 11 subjects. Mahnoor, however, went far beyond—excelling in diverse fields ranging from astronomy and mathematics to English and Latin.

Her academic journey, however, was not always smooth. She often found classroom learning unchallenging. “I would already know what was being taught in class and wanted to go beyond that,” she explained.

Though she had initially aimed to take 50 subjects, British education rules allowed her to study 10 subjects formally in school, while she sat as a private candidate for the rest. In two years, she passed 34 subjects with outstanding results.

Her parents say raising her was a unique experience. Her mother, Tayyaba Cheema, told BBC Urdu: “Mahnoor was always different from my other two children. She had an extraordinary passion for reading. Whatever she read, she would instantly remember. She could finish an entire book series in two days and then ask for more.”

She recalled that even during breaks, Mahnoor would continue reading. “A highly intelligent child thinks beyond their age. They ask questions and express opinions. You can’t distract such a child with words alone—you must explain with logic, otherwise they will not be satisfied,” she said.

Her father moved the family to the UK in 2016 so the children could receive quality education. Tayyaba shared that after arriving, Mahnoor completed in three months a course that usually takes two years, and within six months, she had mastered the dictionary as well.