Topper says exams did not test her

With 96.66 per cent, Shefali Parikh is the highest scorer in ICSE in Mumbai.

MUMBAI: "It was my dream to be in Mumbai's top ten. But I did not expect to top Mumbai." Shefali Parikh has done it with 96.66 per cent in the ICSE exam results announced on Wednesday. A student of Chatrabhuj Nar-see Memorial School, the aspiring doctor scored over 90 per cent in all her papers, with 99 per cent in maths.

She's "on top of the world", but she said she did not make any special effort during the exams. "I'm a disorganised person who never sticks to a schedule. I thank my faculty and my school for taking that extra effort with me." Shefali took tuitions for two subjects.

Her father, Pradeep Parikh, is equally elated. "She has been a topper all throughout. We ensured that she didn't overwork." Principal Lata Munjal of CNM School was all praise: "It's important for all students to achieve their full potential."

The national highest is 97.6 per cent. Poonam Sodhi, head of the research, development, and consultancy division, CICSE, Delhi, said; "Pass percentages across the board have risen more than 1 per cent. Girls have done better than boys overall." The performance of the western region, in terms of pass percentage, was the best vis-à-vis other regions across the country. West: 98.59 per cent, East: 95.28 per cent, North: 95.42 per cent, South: 98.07 per cent.