Rahim Hussein
REWARD--St. Dominic High School says the achievements of its students in the May 2025 International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma examination session has surpassed the global average.
This year, 17 candidates registered, including 16 diploma and 1 course candidate, with 138 subject entries this session. Fourteen candidates successfully completed all the requirements to be awarded the IB Diploma after two years in the programme. With an 88% pass rate, the DP candidates of St. Dominic High outperformed the global pass rate of 81%. Additionally, the average points obtained by St. Dominic candidates who passed the diploma was 33, surpassing the global average DP score of 30.58 for the May 2025 session.
This session, 82,514 candidates worldwide were awarded the diploma. Of these, only 11.5% achieved scores of 40 points or higher. This year, two St. Dominic High students Rahim Hussein and Lehar Marata joined that elite group with their outstanding results.
Hussein was the top-performing candidate, sitting seven subjects and achieving the highest points in this cohort with 41. This included perfect grade 7s in Business Management HL, Chemistry HL, and Biology HL.
Marata attained 40 points, with grade 7s in Business Management HL and Biology HL.
Close behind, Natasha Vaswani earned 39 points, including a grade 7 in Computer Science HL; and Princess Vaswani achieved 37 points while carrying a load of seven subjects. (Note: Total scores are calculated based on six subjects and any bonus points achieved.)
A Diploma Programme (DP) candidate’s performance in each subject is graded from 7 (highest grade) to 1 (lowest grade). Each candidate takes six subjects and can score up to 42 points. An additional three bonus points can be awarded based on performance in the core requirements: the Extended Essay (EE) and Theory of Knowledge (TOK). Therefore, the maximum achievable score is 45. To be awarded the Diploma, candidates must score at least 24 points, as well as meet specific conditions including the completion of the Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) programme.
Candidates achieving a grade 7 demonstrate consistent and thorough understanding of the required knowledge, concepts, and skills, and the ability to apply them almost faultlessly in a wide variety of situations. They consistently demonstrate originality, insight, and analytical thinking in work of high quality in the subject.
Special recognition is given to the following candidates who received the maximum of three bonus points for their performance in TOK and the EE: Yanping Liang, Suhani Nathumal, Marata, and Princess Vaswani.
Once again, St. Dominic High School outperformed the world average in nine subjects, demonstrating strong academic achievement relative to their global peers: Biology HL (Highest grade: 7, School average: 5.78, World average: 4.45); Biology SL (Highest grade: 5, School average: 5, World average: 4.25); Business Management HL (Highest grade: 7, School average: 5.23, World average: 4.95); Chemistry HL (Highest grade: 7, School average: 5.17, World average: 4.82); English A Literature SL (Highest grade: 6, School average: 5.57, World average: 5.13); Environmental Systems & Societies SL (Highest grade: 6, School average: 4.83, World average: 4.28); Mandarin ab initio SL (Highest grade: 7, School average: 7, World average: 5.17); Spanish B HL (Highest grade: 7, School average: 7, World average: 5.19) and Physics SL (Highest grade: 6, School average: 4.75, World average: 4.25).
The well-trained DP teachers of St. Dominic High are commended for their grade prediction accuracy of ±1 mark at 91.6% for the May 2025 DP exams, the school said in a press release. This reflects a deep understanding of student performance and highly effective assessment practices. “These results reflect St. Dominic High School’s continued commitment to providing high-quality education and preparing students for academic excellence.”
According to the International Baccalaureate Organization’s 2023 DP Country Alignment Studies conducted by Ecctis, “DP courses meet or exceed national standards in France, Spain, Finland, Canada, South Korea, the United States, Singapore, and Australia. These studies confirm that the DP offers strong academic depth and breadth, adaptability across education systems, and alignment with internationally benchmarked outcomes.”
On behalf of the Board of Foundation Catholic Education, school leadership and dedicated staff, School Liaison Marie T. Richardson conveyed the following message: “St. Dominic High School continues to lead its students on a path of growth and development to achieve our mission of shaping students who are critical thinkers, reflective learners, effective communicators, compassionate doers, and global ambassadors.”
St. Dominic High was the first government-subsidised school in the Caribbean to be authorised to offer the IB Diploma Programme. The DP is a rigorous and academically challenging pre-university curriculum where students select and study six subjects from six groups – literature, foreign language, individuals and societies, experimental sciences, mathematics, and the arts. To qualify for the diploma, students must also complete the Extended Essay (EE), Theory of Knowledge (TOK), and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS). The DP was designed to not only address the academic needs of students but also support their social, emotional, and physical well-being, preparing them to become successful, contributive citizens and members of a global community. General information about the International Baccalaureate Organisation and its programmes is available at www.ibo.org.
For further information, contact: Marie T. Richardson, School Liaison at St. Dominic High School, email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Lehar Marata
