Sargun Bajaj has a formula for excellence.
A Grade 12 student at Tamanawis Secondary, Bajaj is one of only six students in the world to achieve a perfect score on the this year’s College Board Advanced Placement calculus exam. More than 267,000 students wrote the test.
“It’s all about understanding the concepts,” says Bajaj, who credits his honours math and AP calculus teacher Suminder Singh for inspiring him. “Mr. Singh works countless hours to support Tamanawis Secondary students in their learning and love of mathematics.”
Bajaj correctly answered every multiple choice question and also earned full points on each of the essays in the free-response section of the exam
AP exams are based on a composite score of one to five, where five is equivalent to an “A” in the corresponding college course. Only 15.5 per cent of students overall who write the exam fall into this top category. But at Tamanawis, 85 per cent of the 62 Grade 12 students who took the test achieved a five, and all 100 per cent received a four or five.
The school’s success in math is a tribute to the team of fine teachers, says principal Margaux Molson.
The AP are written and scored by college professors from around the world, and are typically designed to cover a full-year of intensive, college-level knowledge and skills.
It’s rare for a high school student to earn every point possible on the exam.
“Sargun was a Grade 11 student at Tamanawis when he wrote the exam – an unimaginable accomplishment,” says Molson.
Tamanawis offers AP courses in calculus, world history and chemistry. The College Board’s AP program describes Sargun’s accomplishment as “an extraordinary academic achievement.”
“In a wonderful and engaging school of student learning, Sargun Bajaj’s accomplishment highlights the world of Tamanawis Secondary where passionate educators inspire young adults in their pursuit of excellence,” says Molson.