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On behalf of The British School Beijing (BSB) Shunyi, we proudly congratulate our incoming Year 12 students on their exceptional IGCSE results. The students have demonstrated remarkable achievement, surpassed national averages and achieved outstanding grades across the board.
Our students achieved an impressive number of A and A* grades, far exceeding national averages. An outstanding 40% of the examinations taken resulted in top grades, reflecting the dedication and academic prowess of our students and the personalised support provided by our teachers. This achievement is particularly noteworthy in light of the recent recalibration of grade boundaries to pre-pandemic levels. This means that the number of As and A*s achieved worldwide decreased whereas our school saw a notable increase.
Thank you to our students who were willing to share their study tips and experiences so that other students who are preparing for their examinations can gain some insights.
Hanna Cheng
IGCSE 10 A* / A
At BSB since Year 6
1. What IGCSE subjects did you take?
I took English Language A, English Literature, Maths, Additional Maths, Mandarin A, Physics, Economics, Chemistry, Music, and Art - 10 subjects in total.
2. What do you think are some of the reasons you did well in your exams?
First and foremost is my effort. I had spent a significant amount of time doing past papers to improve from my mock results. Also, luck played a role as some of the questions in the actual exams were familiar to me.
3. What Is your favourite subject and why?
Probably Economics? I found it interesting to study how economic factors influence people’s decisions. Also, understanding market trends has helped me make more efficient financial decisions.
4. Are there any teachers in particular who have helped you along the way?
Yes, definitely. Especially Ms Zhang from the Chemistry department. I initially received a C in chemistry during the mock exams, but she patiently taught and guided me until I grasped all the concepts.
5. What’s your advice for current Y11 students on how to prepare for their exams?
An effective revision method I used was to write down detailed knowledge points (from memory) based on the syllabus or the content from the course outline. But it only works for non-mathematical subjects like Economics or Chemistry. For subjects like Math and Physics, the key to improvement is practicing past paper questions and topic-specific exercises.
6. What are some of the CCA you enjoyed?
I played flute and participated in the orchestra since I came here. I do enjoy the sense of being part of a harmonious musical ensemble.
7. What are 2 of your best memories at BSB?
The first is when I just came to the school in Year 6. I can still recall my excitement and nervousness on that first day. The second I will say, was the day when most people had finished their last IGCSE exam. We were running with wild excitement and relief on the field in the evening when the sun was setting. It was really a gorgeous moment.
8. What subjects are you doing for IB Diploma?
I chose Economics, Business Management and Mathematics AA for HL. For SL, it is English A, Mandarin A and Physics.
9. Do you know which University you'd like to go to?
I don’t have a specific dream university right now, but I am aiming for the top 50. As for my future major, I guess it will be something related to either business or finance.
Daphne Fong
IGCSE 8 A*/ A & 1B
At BSB since Year 5
1. What IGCSE subjects did you take?
9 IGCSE subjects including Physics, Economics, Literature in English, Mathematics, First Language English, Biology, First Language Chinese, Chemistry, and Design and Technology.
2. What do you think are some of the reasons you did well in your exams?
Supportive parents! I also worked through many past papers; I wasn’t shy to ask questions, and I alternated work with rest.
3. What’s your advice for current Y11 students on how to prepare for their exams?
I assert that tidy class notes are fundamental for achieving high marks in IGCSE. Meanwhile, relaxation is also key throughout the exam months.
4. What are some of the CCA you enjoyed?
I joined the volleyball team nearly every year because I really enjoyed the sport. We all contributed to the game and did the best we could. I also enjoyed playing the flute for the band and was in the orchestra for our school production “Legally Blonde”.
5. What Is your favourite subject and why?
Chemistry was my favorite subject because I really liked the teacher. I also enjoyed doing all kinds of experiments.
6. Are there any teachers in particular who have helped you along the way?
My Chinese teacher, Ms. Li, has helped me a lot. She would spend all her break time with me to practice my writing skills, which have really progressed.
7. What are two of your best memories at BSB?
The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award trips were really fun. Since most people in my year group participated in the trip, through this experience I learned more about my friends. We all encountered the same challenges when we were hiking, and we all helped each other throughout the hike. Residentials were great fun for my year group as well. All the new activities we had to explore were challenging but we made it through and created wonderful memories.
8. What subjects are you doing for the IB Diploma?
HL: Economics, Physics, Math AA
SL: Chinese, English A, Chemistry
9. Do you know which university you want to go to?
I've been looking forward to going to a university in the UK. I would like to study anything related to engineering.
Inyeong Kim
IGCSE 7 A* / A & 1B
At BSB since Year 10
1. What IGCSE subjects did you take?
I took Mathematics, Additional Mathematics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, English as a Second Language, Mandarin, and Physics.
2. What do you think are some of the reasons you did well in your exams?
I actively utilized syllabuses. I compared the knowledge that I know with the syllabus. Using the syllabus was really helpful because I could know which part I was confident in or not. I crossed out the concepts on my syllabus while I took notes. After notetaking, I started to solve past papers. I tried to solve all the papers from 2019. I made a new note about the topics that I got wrong frequently and memorized them.
3. Are there any teachers in particular who have helped you along the way?
Every teacher was enthusiastic about helping us when we had questions. Also, they gave us many resources to look at it.
4. What are 2 of your best memories at BSB?
Y11 residential - My first residential in BSB was more exciting than I thought. Anji was extremely hot and there were too many bugs, but I could experience many things and do many physical activities. Also, during our free time after the evening activity, me and my friends played many board games. That was really fun.
International award at HwangHuaCheng – the first day, we slept at a hostel and hiked on the second day. Since we had to bring things in our rucksack, our bag was really heavy. We were already exhausted while going to the hostel, so we decided we should make our rucksack lighter for the next day’s hike. After the first day of dinner, we tried to eat as many snacks as possible to make our hiking less exhausting. The hiking was still exhausting but I like the memory of our IA bags.
5. What Is your favourite subject and why?
My favourite subject is Physics. Physics explains many phenomena that occur in and out of the Earth such as why a ball drops. I thought it was quite simple at first. However, for complex questions, many factors make the question hard but understanding and solving them is fun.
6. What’s your advice for current Y11 students on how to prepare for their exams?
First, check syllabuses first to see if you've learned all the concepts. Then, solve as many past papers as you can. If you solve many past papers, you can know some types of questions that are on exams frequently. Also, check the reason why you made mistakes. Usually, types of questions are repeated. So, understanding why you got a question wrong and solving it again may bring good luck to your test results!
7. What are some of the CCA activities you enjoyed?
In Y11, I only did one CCA which was AMC preparation. Taking this CCA was a good experience because I could solve some questions apart from IGCSE questions.
8. What subjects are you doing for IB Diploma?
I’m taking Chemistry HL, Mathematics AA HL, Physics HL, Economics SL, English B SL, and Korean SL.
9. Do you know which university you want to go to?
I’m aiming for universities in Seoul, Korea and I’d like to study engineering. I’m both interested in mechanical engineering and chemical engineering.
Congratulations to our BSB Shunyi Year 13 students on an impressive range of early university acceptance offers from some of the world’s top universities!