Man Perseveres To Earn High Marks On Math Exam At Age 92

Oct 13, 2022 by apost team

Nothing is ever too late in life. If you want to get it, go for it. As they say, you just have to trust the process. And one man did just that after he achieved a feat that many may have previously deemed impossible.

At 95, Derek Skipper made sure not to skip his General Certificate of Secondary Education or the academic qualification for a specific subject usually taken in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. In his case, it was math. He last took it in 1946.

Skipper, who hails from Orwell, Cambridgeshire, is married and has two kids. If you look at what he had accomplished in life, it may seem like Skipper has had a relatively easy life. He even had the chance to fulfill his duty to his country after having served as a former radar engineer during the Korean War. But Skipper was determined to finish his goal for himself and made sure no one could stop him.

Speaking to BBC, he admitted his family thought it was a crazy idea to go for it at first. Then again, they still supported him. "My family thought I was nuts for trying it but (were) also very supportive and helped me out," he said.

So, he did his best and spent time working on his math paper at Comberton Village College near Cambridge. But it didn’t come easy for Derek, who had to use magnifying glasses to go through his paper because of his poor eyesight.

He also turned to YouTube for the first time in his life to complete The Cam Academy Trust-run course. Naturally, he encountered a number of struggles along the way. 

“I’m obviously a bit slower and I found that I switched off at times. My brain just stopped working for a minute or two,” he told Yahoo News UK.

“I did run out of time, but I had a go at most of the questions, except the ones I thought looked complicated which I’d have gone back to if I’d had time,” he added.

Despite experiencing difficulties and setbacks along the way, Skipper admitted he had fun going through all of it. “I thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a lot about using a calculator. I think I found it easier than a lot of other people on the course,” he said.

Skipper didn’t have many expectations but admitted he did want to receive an award between levels four and five. Then again, it didn’t really matter to him.

"It didn't matter two hoots whether I passed or failed, I was doing it for a bit of fun for myself," he told BBC.

Perhaps his greatest motivation was his friend who had to go take the GCSE not once or twice but three times. “We have a friend whose 19 now and she couldn’t get her head round maths and failed GCSE three times. I couldn’t help her, so I decided to try to beat her,” he said.

While he always believed he could do it, it also gave him plenty of reasons to stay on track, mainly keeping him busy. “I thought it couldn’t be that difficult and it’s kept me occupied.”

As per Yahoo News UK, Skipper earned five School Certificates, a precursor to O Levels and the equivalent to GCSEs. BBC reported he is believed to be the oldest person in the UK to take this exam.

As they say, it’s never about the destination but the journey.

apost.com

What can you say about Derek Skipper’s efforts to pass his math exam at the age of 92? Did you feel inspired by his achievement? Let us know your thoughts, and pass this on to anyone who might find this story interesting.