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ifteen-year-old Ida Ayu Indria Listika Dewi has a determination that makes her parents both proud and anxious. Even as her frail body struggled with the high fever and nausea brought on by dengue fever, Dewi refused to skip the National Examinations.

Dewi is a ninth-grader at Denpasar's PGRI 3 junior high school. On Monday, 52,237 ninth-graders in Bali had their first day of the four-day National Exams.

"She insisted on doing the exam. Her teachers and I pleaded with her to take the second phase of the exam next week, but she refused. So I had no choice but to let her take the exam," said Dewi's father IB Pasma.

The second phase of the exam is reserved for students unable to participate in this week's exam for a variety of reasons.

Dewi was admitted to Udayana Army Hospital on Sunday night after several days with high fever.

Pasma, sitting outside the room, stole a glance at his daughter. Dewi leaned against the headboard, her eyes fixed on the question sheet in front of her. A clear plastic tube delivered a steady stream of liquid nutrients and medication from an IV bag directly into her bloodstream.

Two supervisor were present in the room to ensure Dewi did the test all by herself.

"To be honest, I'm quite worried about her condition. Academic-wise, she is a capable student. But her illness will surely affect her ability to stay focused," Pasma said.