Arjun Abhinav Patwardhan took the SAT in Abu Dhabi on May 2, where his presence turned heads among the older candidates, as the university admissions exam is generally reserved for students at least 16 years old.
The Australian expatriate of Indian descent achieved an impressive total score of 1290, including 750 in mathematics, according to WION News.
This outstanding result earned Arjun the Grand Honors Award from the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY), a globally recognized program for academically gifted students.
The award is the highest level of academic recognition given by the CTY to celebrate elementary and middle school students who achieve elite scores on tests meant for much older test-takers.
Arjun Abhinav Patwardhan at the Global Indian International School (GIIS) in Abu Dhabi. Photo courtesy of the school |
What makes the achievement stand out even more is Arjun prepared for the test independently, without tutors, coaching centers, or paid courses, as reported by Education UAE.
He relied on self-study, using practice exams from the College Board website and lessons from the free educational platform Khan Academy.
He completed 10 online practice tests, initially scoring 730 in math before reaching the 770–780 range by his final practice exam.
His father, Abhinav Patwardhan, said the family was proud that the achievement came entirely through “self-study, discipline, and consistent practice,” as quoted by Education UAE.
Dinsana, the boy’s teacher at the Global Indian International School (GIIS) in Abu Dhabi, said wen he was in Grade 6, he was already “confidently” solving Grade 10 and 11 level problems.
“The excitement and thirst for learning higher-grade Maths were clearly visible in his eyes,” she told Gulf News.
Following discussions with his teacher, Arjun’s parents began encouraging him with higher-level textbooks at home. Over time, he started tackling calculus problems largely on his own.
Arjun maintains a balanced routine. At home, he studies for about two hours on weekdays and up to six hours on weekends and holidays. He also regularly plays badminton and table tennis, participates in performing arts competitions, and serves on his school’s Cultural Committee.
At age 11, he earned a black belt in karate.
He now plans to improve his score in the English section and eventually achieve a combined SAT score of 1550, out of 1600.
He hopes to build a career closely connected to mathematics and eventually create an educational platform similar to Khan Academy to help underprivileged children around the world.
“I have benefited from Khan Academy, and I would like to do something similar for others,” he told Gulf News.
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