Karachi: 13-year-old aces O-Levels using ChatGPT, YouTube and home-schooling

KARACHI: A 13-year-old student from Karachi has made history by achieving top grades in the Cambridge O-Level examinations, surprising educators and peers alike.

Syed Muhammad Abeer, from North Nazimabad, became the youngest student in Sindh to secure A grades in Cambridge O-Level exams, sitting in the Computer Science group.

At just 13, he earned A grades in both Islamic Studies and Computer Science, becoming Sindh’s first and Pakistan’s second youngest student to achieve this milestone.

Previously, in 2022, Ali Saif became the first 13-year-old in the country to score an A grade in the Cambridge O-Levels.

Abeer’s father, Kamran, told Daily Express that his son is the first child from Karachi and Sindh to achieve an A grade in O-Level Computer Science at such a young age, while the previous youngest achiever hailed from Lahore.

Kamran explained that during the COVID-19 pandemic, Abeer was in second grade and was withdrawn from school—not for financial reasons, but to ensure uninterrupted learning. He was home-schooled for four years before enrolling in Grade 7 to begin O-Level preparation.

Inspired by Ali Saif’s achievement in 2022, Kamran encouraged Abeer, saying, “You can do this too,” and arranged home-based O-Level studies.

Abir’s interest in computer science developed early, observing his father programming and coding at home. Kamran emphasized that Abeer did not attend formal tuition; instead, he relied on ChatGPT, educational YouTube videos, and his father’s guidance to prepare for the exams and excel.

Regarding the choice of Cambridge board, Kamran said the Karachi and Sindh boards often fail to fairly recognize talented children. He added that the family’s long-term goal is to send Abir abroad for further studies.

Kamran credited Abeer’s mother for maintaining a strict schedule and consistent study routine at home, which played a major role in his success.

Kamran continues to mentor his son in programming and hopes Abeer will pursue a career as a professional programmer in the future. He advised other parents that home-based preparation for O-Levels, combined with modern learning tools, can save costs while achieving excellent results.

According to Cambridge Board data, in 2025 nearly 220,000 students from 128 countries appeared for the O-Level exams, with an overall success rate of around 87 per cent.

This achievement highlights the potential of combining modern technology, parental guidance, and self-motivation to achieve remarkable academic success at a young age.