(P) World’s Top Scorer in IBDP Examinations from International School of Bucharest

ISB is proud to introduce the world’s top scorer Tudor Durnescu., who did an exceptional job in the International Baccalaureate May 2022 Examination Session, scoring maximum points (45/45).

More than 173,000 students from 3,090 schools in 150 countries registered for the IB May 2022 Examinations Session. Only 0.37% of the IB candidates achieved the perfect score, and we are extremely proud that Tudor is one of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme’s highest achievers.

We asked Tudor what the secret was to the perfect IB score:

“45. I had long imagined myself being the first in my school to obtain a perfect IB score. I used to think about it sometimes before going to bed, and I even told my dad once or twice. However, this dream never really intimidated me. One of the few skills I came into the IB with was overconfidence, or so it must have seemed to my colleagues. In truth, I would describe it as self-assurance, the sort of faith some get through religion or other such beliefs. From the very beginning, I thought that I would get my 45 just because that’s how it was meant to be. Not even when I was burned by this overconfidence over the years did I ever stop believing in myself and my goals. This overarching feeling carried me through the exams, which I had been picturing as more daunting than they actually were.

Leaving behind this sort of spiritual motivation, I also knew that no amount of believing would ever help me gain anything in life without work. Throughout the IB, especially the latter part, this work absorbed me, often from morning to dusk, and I was happier than I had ever been, challenging myself to become a master of everything I had learned. I must say that I have never been the type of person to wake up at 4 am, and I have never pulled an all-nighter. (To my knowledge, I never stayed up past 12 on a school night). The techniques and tips I used to study are of no consequence as their success depends on each student’s preferred way of learning. Personally I worked every day, without exception, whenever I did not have to eat, sleep or go out of the house. Even more shocking to some, I was excited to do it every day because the feeling of doing something important absorbed me and didn’t let me go.

Where did this ambition come from?

I have been asked that many times and, honestly, I would also like to know. My parents believe it started before the IGCSEs during a summer-school camp in Oxford. Personally, I believe it was just a combination of having all the required resources to perfect myself, good teachers who helped me believe that I was capable of mastering the subject and strong role models to inspire me along the way.”