They dislike it when people view them as one single entity instead of two different individuals.

But one thing is for sure - 17-year-old twins Heerah and Heevah Judd Mohamad Said, from St Margaret's Secondary School, are equally capable in school.

The pair in Normal (Academic) did well in the GCE N-level exams, scoring Grade 1 in both mathematics and combined science.

Heevah was "completely overwhelmed", while her sister said: "I am happy that my efforts have paid off and that I have made my family very proud."

But getting there was not easy.

The twins had jumped from Normal (Technical) to Normal (Academic) at the end of Sec 2, and faced some initial difficulties because of new subjects.

"Humanities was a very big problem for both of us," said Heevah. "It was hard because we didn't understand anything. We had also missed half of what the other students knew."

Mr Lee Siong Boon, who teaches them combined humanities, said the pair often asked him to clarify things they did not understand.

"And it is not just at the last minute. They were always actively involved in class," he added.

Adding to their load were leadership roles in their co-curricular activity, the symphonic band. Heerah was a section leader, while Heevah was quartermaster.

The sisters, who have been in the band for eight years, including in primary school, feel it parallels their schoolwork as both require hard work.

Both want to apply for the Polytechnic Foundation Programme to pursue diplomas in biomedical science.

Fabian Koh