Western Heights High student tops country in Cambridge maths exams

TOP: Jason Lee is top in the country for the Cambridge maths exams held last year. PHOTO/SUPPLIED

To his great surprise, Jason Lee from Western Heights High School topped the country in last year's Cambridge exams with a whopping 99 per cent.

He was also top of the school for NCEA with 178 excellence credits including excellence in all his subjects. And he achieved an A-star in IGCSE English Literature.

Teacher John Schwartfeger said it was the first time a Western Heights High School student had topped the Cambridge exams for the country.

"He worked very hard for it and put in the hours. His parents, his brother have supported him so much, there's a real commitment to his studies," Mr Schwartfeger said.

Jason said he was surprised no one else achieved the perfect score.

"It's for the whole country so I thought for sure someone else would get 100 per cent."

Ex-WHHS student and brother Eric did the same exam two years prior. Jason beat him, but he's not rubbing it in. "We're not that competitive," he said.

Jason was born in Korea and his family moved to New Zealand when he was 8. He attended Lynmore Primary School and John Paul College before Western Heights High School.

Cambridge exams (or Cambridge International Examinations) are held twice a year in June and November. They offer examinations and qualifications to 10,000 schools in more than 160 countries. Last year more than a million students sat Cambridge examinations.

Jason found out his top result in January for the IGCSE math without course work exam and accepted his certificate at the Outstanding Cambridge Learners Awards in Auckland last month, which included $100.

Jason has not decided on his future career and is keeping his options open.

"But if I keep getting good results it will be something involving maths," he said.

If he decided to study overseas, the Cambridge exams would help make the transition easier, he said.