Huynh Thi Thuy Trang, Ngoc's mother, said on the evening of 8/7 that the principal of Tran Dai Nghia Middle and High School called to inform her of her daughter's top achievement while they were on summer vacation at her maternal grandparents' home. This news brought unexpected joy to Ngoc and her family.

"After the exam, my daughter said she performed well and was confident about passing, but she never imagined becoming the top scorer, so our whole family was very surprised", Trang said.

Do Huynh Thanh Ngoc, the top scorer for Tran Dai Nghia Middle and High School. Photo: Family provided

The entrance exam for 6th grade at Tran Dai Nghia Middle and High School took place 10 days ago. Over 4.200 candidates competed for 350 spots. The 90-minute test included a multiple-choice section with 20 English questions, assessing knowledge in natural science, social science, and life skills. The essay section covered English (listening, reading comprehension, writing), math and logical thinking, and reading comprehension and composition.

Trang shared that Ngoc's older brother is a student at Tran Dai Nghia school, which allowed Ngoc to experience the academic environment early through his stories and by attending some activities with him.

"Ngoc gradually developed a fondness for the school and was motivated to take the exam to join her older brother. Her parents supported her without putting any pressure on her", Trang stated.

Ngoc began to focus more from grade 3. Learning from their older son's experience, her parents introduced her to practical math and critical thinking early on. In grades 3 and 4, Ngoc participated in several logical math competitions to familiarize herself with the format.

Her parents also prioritized Ngoc's English speaking practice by having her join weekend clubs, in addition to some classes with native teachers at school and language centers. By early grade 5, Ngoc received supplementary instruction on exam question formats in extra classes.

According to Trang, Ngoc's strengths are English and creative writing. The reading comprehension and composition section of this year's exam, which required continuing a story based on prompts, was an open-ended task that Ngoc enjoyed and excelled at. Before the exam, Trang advised her daughter to read carefully, underline keywords, and avoid going off-topic.

Thanh Ngoc shared that her daily schedule usually concludes at 21h30. She completes most of her homework in class, then dedicates about one to two hours to self-study in the evening, preparing for the next day and working on advanced math problems. Her father closely monitors her progress and is also her "opponent" in chess games.

Her reward after finishing homework is the freedom to watch cartoons. Ngoc also plays the piano and swims, balancing these activities with her study time.

Ngoc's achievement as the top scorer for Tran Dai Nghia school surprised and made her 5th-grade homeroom teacher, Nguyen Truong Thuy Duong, proud.

"She actively contributes to lessons and always completes assignments given by teachers on time. With her lively and energetic personality, Ngoc is well-liked by her classmates and enjoys playing with them", Duong commented.

Le Nguyen