Top IGCSE Results: Avenor Students Build Their Own Path Step by Step

For a 14 or 15-year-old, choosing an academic direction can sometimes feel like a decision that is simply too big for their age. Which subjects do they really enjoy? What are they good at? What would they like to study next? And, most importantly, how can they know all this before they have had enough time to discover it?

In the British system, students have more time to find these answers.

The results achieved by Avenor students in this year’s Cambridge IGCSE examinations provide a good opportunity to talk not only about their academic performance, but also about the journey that leads them to these examinations and the choices they can make afterwards.

This year, many Avenor students stood out with excellent results. In Grade 10, Teodora achieved 7 A* and 2 A grades, while Sara Maria and Sarah-Alexandra each achieved 6 A* and 3 A grades. Andrei-Mircea also achieved excellent results, with 5 A* and 4 A grades, followed by Mara Olivia with 5 A*, 3 A and 1 B, Eva-Miruna with 4 A* and 5 A, Edith Maria with 4 A*, 4 A and 1 B, and Alessia-Mara with 4 A*, 4 A and 1 B.

They were joined by Mara, who achieved 3 A*, 5 A and 1 B, Maria Teodora, with 3 A*, 5 A and 1 B, Mara Ioana, with 1 A* and 8 A, David Robert, with 1 A*, 7 A and 1 B, Raisa Olga, with 2 A*, 5 A and 2 B, Radu-Gabriel, with 1 A*, 6 A and 2 B, and Teodora, with 1 A*, 6 A and 2 B.

In Grade 9, Alexandru, Andrei, Maria-Alecsandra and Stefania-Alexandra achieved 100 PUM in IGCSE English as a Second Language, the highest possible score on the Percentage Uniform Mark scale used by Cambridge. In practice, this result confirms an exceptional level of English language proficiency: the students can understand and use the language with a very high degree of accuracy and fluency, both in written and spoken communication. PUM does not represent the percentage of correct answers in the examination; rather, it is the standardised score Cambridge uses to express a student’s level of performance, and our students achieved the highest possible level.

IGCSE: The End of an Educational Stage

Cambridge IGCSE represents one of the key stages of the British curriculum. Students study a broad range of subjects and are rigorously assessed at the end of this stage, typically around the age of 16.

But perhaps the most interesting thing about this stage is what it does not ask students to do.

It does not ask them to decide very early on what their definitive academic direction will be.

In the British system, the years of study leading up to IGCSE give students the opportunity to explore subjects from different fields. After this stage, at the age of 16, they can gradually narrow down their options and choose the subjects they want to study in greater depth at AS and A Level.

This is an important difference from the educational path many Romanian parents are familiar with. In the Romanian system, students typically choose a high school specialisation at the beginning of upper secondary education, around the age of 14–15, opting for a specialisation such as sciences or humanities.

In the British curriculum, this specialisation comes later. Students have two more years in which they can explore, test and compare subjects before making important academic decisions.

And at 16, a choice made after having had time to discover what you enjoy and what you are good at can be a more conscious and informed choice.

What are IGCSEs, actually?

The International General Certificate of Secondary Education, or IGCSE, is the Cambridge international qualification generally designed for students aged 14 to 16.

Throughout Grades 9 and 10, students study several subjects and sit examinations in each of them. The system is rigorous, and assessment focuses not only on the acquisition of knowledge, but also on students’ ability to understand, apply, analyse and use what they have learned.

One advantage of this model is that it preserves a diversity of subjects at a stage when students are still discovering their interests. A student can continue to study Mathematics and Physics while also maintaining an interest in Economics, English, Geography, Biology, Art or other fields.

This period of exploration is important because a teenager’s interests and strengths are not always obvious at the age of 14.

Two extra years to discover what suits you

Choosing an academic direction should not be only about “which subjects do you get good grades in?” It is also about curiosity, motivation, the way you think and what you imagine you might want to do in the future.

That is why the period between starting high school and making AS and A Level choices can become a time for exploration.

During these two years, students may discover that a subject they once found difficult becomes interesting, that a field they had never considered is a good fit for them or, conversely, that a subject in which they achieve very good results is not necessarily the direction they want to pursue.

At the end of Grade 10, these experiences help students build a more intentional academic profile and choose the subjects they want to study in greater depth at the next stage.

Academic achievement leaves room for exploration

The excellent results achieved by Avenor students at IGCSE show that this period of exploration does not mean lower expectations. On the contrary, Cambridge examinations require rigorous preparation and a high academic standard.

At the same time, the results are not seen as an endpoint, but as part of a broader journey.

For students, the next question is not only “What grade did I get?” but also “What do I want to do next with what I have discovered about myself?”

This is the point at which they begin choosing their subjects for AS and A Level, developing a clearer understanding of their academic interests and taking their first steps towards the fields they might go on to study at university.