The myth of first position: Do top grades really define academic success

What matters more than position?

If first position is not a complete measure of academic success, what should schools and parents pay attention to instead? The answer begins with understanding what grades and rankings can and cannot tell us about a learner.

A class position shows how a student’s recorded performance compares with that of classmates under a particular assessment system. It does not necessarily reveal how deeply the student understands a subject, how much progress they have made, or whether they can apply what they know outside an examination. Two students may also have similar scores but different positions simply because of small differences in their results or the performance of others in the class.

The importance of looking beyond rank does not mean academic standards should be lowered. Rather, it means that performance should be interpreted more carefully. UNESCO explains that learning assessment should help educators understand what learners know, what they can do with their knowledge and what factors affect their progress. Assessment can also help teachers identify learning needs and improve instruction while learning is taking place.

This is a broader purpose than simply arranging students from the highest score to the lowest.

For example, a student who scores 78 per cent and comes fifth in a class may have a strong grasp of the subject, while another who scores 82 per cent and comes first may still have gaps in particular areas. The second student has achieved the higher score, and that deserves recognition, but the position alone does not establish that the student has mastered every aspect of the subject. Similarly, a learner whose result improves from 50 to 68 per cent has made substantial progress, even if several classmates remain ahead.

Progress should therefore be measured alongside achievement. Parents can pay attention to whether their children are understanding difficult topics more effectively, improving their writing, solving problems independently and developing better study habits. Teachers can also use classroom discussions, assignments, projects and feedback to identify areas that formal examinations may not fully capture. These measures do not replace examinations; they provide additional information that makes academic assessment more meaningful.

In addition, education should develop abilities that students will need long after they leave school. Critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity and the ability to learn from mistakes are valuable because they help young people respond to situations that cannot always be solved by recalling a memorised answer. A student may be excellent at reproducing information during examinations but still need opportunities to develop these wider competencies.

Research supports the view that academic grades are not the only indicators relevant to later outcomes. A study published in Social Science Research in 2008, using data from the US National Educational Longitudinal Study, found that social skills, work habits and participation in extracurricular activities were associated with educational attainment and earnings a decade later, even after accounting for cognitive skills.

The findings do not suggest that grades are unimportant. Instead, they indicate that students’ experiences and behaviours can contribute to outcomes beyond what academic scores alone explain.

This is particularly relevant in Nigeria, where families often make considerable sacrifices to provide their children with quality education and understandably want to see strong results. However, a culture that celebrates only first position can make education feel like a competition that most children are destined to lose. There is only one first position in a class, but there can be many students who excel in different subjects, overcome learning difficulties, discover their strengths and make meaningful progress.

Parents can help change this mindset by asking questions that go beyond position. Instead of asking only who came first, they can ask what their child learnt, which subject proved difficult and what they intend to improve in the next term. Teachers can recognise the highest-performing students without overlooking those who have worked hard to overcome challenges. Schools can also communicate progress in ways that acknowledge achievement while giving learners useful information about their next steps.

The aim is not to remove ambition from education. It is to help students develop an ambition that extends beyond beating their classmates. When the focus shifts towards understanding, improvement and the ability to use knowledge, learners can still strive for excellent grades without treating every lower position as a personal failure.

Redefining academic success

First position matters to the student who earns it, and the achievement should not be dismissed. It can reflect sustained effort, strong understanding, effective preparation and the ability to perform well under examination conditions. For some students, academic ranking can also influence access to scholarships, awards or other opportunities where grades and relative performance are considered. The myth lies not in celebrating first position, but in treating it as the only meaningful form of success.

Research on class ranking also cautions against assuming that position is irrelevant. The study published in The Review of Economic Studies found that students’ early academic rank was associated with later achievement, confidence and subject choices.

This suggests that ranking can influence educational trajectories. However, it does not establish that every student must come first to succeed, nor does it mean that students who rank lower lack the ability to excel later in life. The effects of ranking within one education system should not automatically be treated as a universal prediction for every learner.

What schools and families should question is the belief that a student’s position provides a final judgement of their intelligence or future. Academic performance changes over time, and students develop at different rates. A learner who struggles with mathematics today may improve with effective teaching and consistent practice. Another who excels academically may discover strengths in areas that conventional examinations do not adequately measure. Neither outcome can be fully understood through a single position on a report card.

Ultimately, education should give students the knowledge, skills and confidence to keep learning, not simply train them to finish ahead of everyone else. High grades are worth pursuing, but they should be accompanied by genuine understanding, intellectual curiosity, resilience and the ability to apply knowledge. These qualities give academic achievement a purpose beyond recognition at a school assembly.

The next time a student receives a result, the position can be acknowledged without becoming the entire conversation. What matters is whether the student is learning, growing and developing the ability to take on more demanding challenges. Coming first is an achievement, but it is not the only evidence of success and coming second, tenth or twentieth does not mean a student has failed.