'If You Use AI, You Are Only Harming Yourself,' Says IGCSE NES School Topper Om Somaya, Who Secured 95% In Cambridge March 2026 Results.

Mumbai: Cambridge International Education has announced the results for its March 2026 examination series, including senior secondary qualifications. The results, released on Tuesday, recorded a 7% increase in entries compared to the previous year.

Om Somaya of NES International School emerged as the school topper in the Cambridge IGCSE examinations, securing an impressive 95% with A grades in all subjects. While talking with Free Press Journal, he shared his experience, preparation strategy, and thoughtful approach to learning.

Despite the outstanding result, Om says he was not entirely surprised.“I knew I was going to get a good percentage because I had put in a lot of effort for six months leading up to the exams,” he said. “But actually seeing the result was a different feeling altogether. It was a huge relief to know that all the hard work had paid off.”

Parents Were “Happier Than Me”

Om shared that his parents were overjoyed with the result, especially because his grades in Classes 8 and 9 and even the first semester of Class 10 did not fully reflect his academic potential. “My parents were happier than me,” he said. “They always believed in me, but they were concerned when my grades dipped. This result reassured them that everything was going well.”

Six Months of Focused Preparation

Om began preparing seriously for the IGCSE exams in August, giving himself around six months to complete the syllabus. For theory-heavy subjects such as Biology and Chemistry, he relied on repeated reading from multiple sources, including textbooks and educational platforms like Save My Exams and Revision Dojo. "Reading from different sources helped me understand concepts from multiple perspectives instead of simply memorising them,” he explained.

For Mathematics and Physics, his strategy was straightforward.“The only thing I can say is practice, practice, practice,” he said. “These subjects are all about repetition. The more questions you solve, the easier they become.”

Avoiding Silly Mistakes Is Crucial

According to Om, one of the most important aspects of scoring well is reducing careless errors.

“As long as you avoid silly mistakes, your marks will reflect your true potential rather than how you feel on the day of the exam,” he said.

“Don’t Use AI at All”

While many students increasingly rely on AI tools such as ChatGpt and Google Gemini during exam preparation, Om takes a different view.

When asked whether he used AI tools like ChatGPT or Google Gemini during his preparation, Om Somaya shared a detailed perspective on their role in studies.

“At first, ChatGPT feels like a convenient tool,” he said. “But as I got more comfortable with the syllabus, I realised using ChatGPT, Gemini and other AI tools will do more harm than help.”

He further explained that his concern was not just academic but also environmental. “AI also uses a lot of resources, including water. That is one issue,” he noted.

However, according to him, the bigger problem lies in how AI impacts learning outcomes. “For your own studies, AI is not the right way to go because it will never be truly personalised to you,” he said. “You know how you need to study, and there are textbooks, websites and other people you can refer to. If you use AI, you are only harming yourself.”

He added that even for basic academic doubts, AI may not be helpful. “If a textbook isn’t explaining a bio definition properly, AI will not do any better. It may make it more complicated or too simplified. It will not match your specific syllabus needs.”

Instead, he stressed the importance of using multiple learning sources. “The best thing is to go across multiple sources like Save My Exams, Revision Dojo, and textbooks,” he said.

He also highlighted the role of peer learning through Cambridge discussion groups. “I was in multiple Cambridge groups, and that helped me the most. Not only was I answering people’s doubts, which made me clearer, but I was also answering my own doubts in a more personalised way because I got different explanations in different wordings. That helped me far better than any AI could.”

Concluding his thoughts, he strongly advised against relying on AI for studies. “My recommendation is don’t use AI at all. The less you can use AI, the better it is,” he said.

Aspires to Become a Surgeon

For Classes 11 and 12, Om plans to pursue the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) with Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics. Although Physics was his highest-scoring subject at 97%, he intends to drop it and focus on medicine.

“I hope to pursue a career in medicine, particularly in a specialised field such as neurosurgery or cardiothoracic surgery,” he said.

Exploring Study Abroad Opportunities

Om is also considering studying abroad after school. He said he is exploring universities and make decision accordingly. “During Classes 11 and 12, I’ll figure out where my interests lie and make a decision accordingly,” he said.

Advice to Students

Om’s message to fellow students is simple, start early, use a variety of reliable study resources, practice consistently, and avoid overdependence on AI tools. “Cover all your bases properly, practice as much as you can, and trust your preparation,” he said.

NES International School also announced strong overall results in the Cambridge International March 2026 examination series. Om Somaya topped the IGCSE cohort with 95%, followed by Hridaan Ajit Shah with 94.6% and Samarth Agarwal with 93.8%, all securing A grades in all subjects. In the AS Level examinations, Dhruv Singhvi topped the school with 91.6%, also achieving A grades in all subjects.

The March 2026 exam series was conducted from March 2 to 5 and March 9 to 12, with participation from 447 schools across India.

The biggest jump was recorded in Cambridge International AS & A Level qualifications, which saw a 12% rise in entries compared to last year. Within this, Cambridge International AS Level alone recorded a 16% increase, the highest growth among all qualifications in the March 2026 series, while A Level entries increased by 8%.

Published on: Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 08:51 PM IST