From Percentage to Percentile: The Moment That Changed My Teaching Forever

It was a warm, humid July afternoon in Mumbai—around 2003—but inside the Institute, it felt like a different world. The classrooms were nothing like what one might imagine in the hustle of an old city neighborhood. These were elegantly furnished learning spaces—polished parquet flooring, soft-touch walls, ergonomic chairs arranged in clean rows, wall-mounted speakers for listening drills, and sleek projectors humming gently above our heads. The air-conditioning held off the city’s muggy chaos, and a faint scent of coffee drifted in from the faculty lounge nearby.

 From Percentage to Percentile I The Moment That Changed My Teaching Forever I Corporate Soft Skills and Communication Leadership Coaching

This was no ordinary prep center. We weren’t just preparing students for tests—we were launching global careers. Back then, I was teaching GRE, GMAT, and TOEFL to a stream of bright-eyed students—each one chasing a dream: Harvard, Stanford, Wharton, Oxford. I was younger, filled with energy, and yes—more focused on scores than strategy. For me, back then, success was a number. Push a student beyond 90%, and I considered it a win.

I measured progress in percentages. So did everyone else.

But one quiet afternoon after class, everything changed.

A student named Rohit stayed back. He was one of my top performers—always hovering in the high 80s, always alert, always scribbling notes long after others had packed up.

That day, he walked up with his test report in hand. I leaned forward, expecting a grin, maybe a quick “Thank you, Sir!”

Instead, he furrowed his brow.

“Sir, I scored 88%. But my percentile is just 72. I thought I did well… but I’m still not in the top 25%.”

That hit me like a thunderclap.

I had never really paid attention to percentile before. I always focused on how much a student got right. I never asked how many people they did better than.

That moment rewired me.

Percentage tells you how much you’ve achieved.
Percentile tells you where you stand.

It’s not about just performing well. It’s about outperforming others.

That realization changed my teaching. It changed my mindset. And it became the core of everything we now do at DEneeraj Multi-lingual Services® (DMS Excellence Assured).

From that day forward, I stopped chasing high scores—and started designing strategies to help learners stand out in a world full of “good enough.”

Because here’s the truth:

Whether you’re taking a test, delivering a keynote, leading a team, or speaking to clients across continents—
You are being ranked.

Subconsciously, people compare.
In the boardroom. In Zoom calls. On stage. At interviews.

And if you don’t rise above the average—even the good average—you disappear.

So at DMS, we began building training programs not just for skill, but for performance advantage.

We teach you to not just speak—but to outperform.
Not just to present—but to leave a mark.
Not just to learn—but to lead.

Global Communication & Collaboration

English is the lingua franca of the world, enabling cross-border communication in business, science, diplomacy, and academia. While AI-powered translators can bridge some gaps, nuanced human interaction remains crucial. Miscommunication due to inaccurate translations can lead to business losses, diplomatic tensions, and missed opportunities.

And we’ve seen the results—time and again.

Take Shiora one of our standout learners. She came in looking for clarity in communication and left with something far more powerful.

“The team at DEneeraj has been a source of knowledgeable training and has worked wonders in Accent training…” — Shiora

She didn’t just improve her English. She stood taller, spoke stronger, and started commanding the rooms she once tiptoed into.

Today, our learners include CEOs, startup founders, doctors, public officials, and even school-aged children. What unites them?
A desire to be more than good—to be extraordinary communicators.

And so we offer:

• Voice & Accent Online Courses
• British & American Accent Training
• Accent Reduction & Neutralization Programs
• Corporate Soft Skills and Communication Leadership Coaching
• eLearning Development for Institutions and Professionals
• Foreign Language Courses in French, Spanish, and more

Whether you’re looking to fine-tune your American pronunciation, neutralize your accent for global clarity, or craft a business story that sells—DMS is where transformation happens.

Because in today’s world, percentage is outdated.

Percentile is where real power lives.

That lesson didn’t come from a textbook.
It came from a student.
From a single line.

“I got 88%. But my percentile is just 72.”

That line still echoes in every workshop, every keynote, every Zoom call I lead today.

So if you’re ready to stop just performing—and start outperforming,
If you’re ready to be in the top 10%, not just another 90%.

Ready to transform your communication skills? Contact us today to learn more about our training programs!

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All our soft skills courses and training programs are customized. By tailoring each course to your participants, you will find that your results will increase a thousand-fold. Our dedicated team uses examples, case studies, anecdotes, and stories that are relevant to the group. We screen, Identify, and evaluate whether all participants are strangers or whether they work together. We tailor our approach accordingly. We know that different people have different learning styles so we use different types of activities to address it. Our experiential Training courses and programs are about creating awareness and helping you to communicate through effective body language. We must recognize that Body Language is Language hence the very impressive tool to communicate; it simply means you can communicate more accurately when verbal and nonverbal communicational tools complement each other.

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Places are limited BOOK NOW to avoid disappointment.

Contact us now for a FREE consultation!

By DEneeraj Multi-lingual services® (DMS)