Checking the 10th-grade entrance exam results on the evening of 4/7, Khai was surprised. The only subject he didn't receive a perfect score in was literature, with an 8.
With a total score of 48/50 (math, literature, English, and specialized subject multiplied by 2), Khai is not only the top student in the specialized math program but also ranks first among all specialized classes in Hanoi this year. He had previously applied to Hanoi - Amsterdam High School (Ams).
List of top students in Hanoi's public 10th-grade entrance exam 2025
Khai recounted that before the exam, his only goal was to pass. He assessed the general math exam as easy, while the specialized math exam presented a challenge only with part b of the geometry question. It took Khai 15 minutes to figure out this problem before completing it. Despite finishing the exam, he didn't think he would get a perfect score because he was "afraid of losing points here and there".
"I am very happy with this result," Khai said. That same evening, Khai and his friends who were accepted went to the Ams school gate to "check-in" as a way to celebrate.
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Duc Khai in his junior high graduation yearbook. Photo: Family provided |
Duc Khai in his junior high graduation yearbook. Photo: Family provided
Pham Thi Thuy Ninh, Khai's mother, shared that her son showed an interest in mathematics from the age of 2 or 3. He could spend hours playing with wooden blocks printed with numbers. By 6th grade, the family decided to encourage Khai to pursue specialized math after he passed the entrance exam for Archimedes Academy Middle School.
His mother said that her son mainly studied at school and only took additional classes at a math club. Khai also doesn't stay up late, usually going to bed between 10:30 and 11:00 pm. Only during the final exam preparation period did Khai stay up until 11:30 pm.
Khai said he doesn't have a special study method, mainly relying on note-taking. He always uses A4-sized notebooks, about 500 pages thick, to record his math lessons. For each notebook, Khai numbers the pages and creates his own table of contents to easily look up information when needed. He jokingly calls this his "treasure".
Whenever he encounters a difficult problem, Khai spends about two to two and a half hours thinking about it. If he still can't solve it, he asks his teachers or discusses it with friends.
"I feel lucky to be studying with many talented friends who are always ready to help me whenever I can't solve a problem," Khai shared.
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One of Khai's "treasures". Photo: Provided by the subject |
One of Khai's "treasures". Photo: Provided by the subject
Admission scores for 115 high schools
Vo Quoc Ba Can, Khai's math teacher and homeroom teacher for the past four years, praised his student's ability to systematize and retrieve information. According to Mr. Can, Khai's meticulous note-taking, numbering pages, and creating a table of contents for his "treasure" notebook is something few students can do.
"If he needs to find any set of problems, Khai just needs to open the table of contents. This learning method has helped him progress significantly in the last two years of junior high," Mr. Can said.
According to his teacher, Khai performs well in all math topics and types of problems, with a slight edge in number theory. He has won several awards, including a silver medal at the 2021 International Mathematics and Science Olympiad (IMSO) and a silver medal at the International Mathematics Competition (IMC). This year, he also won first prize in the city-level math competition for students.
In addition to Hanoi - Amsterdam High School, Khai was also accepted into the specialized math program at the High School for Gifted Students in Natural Sciences (under the University of Science, Vietnam National University, Hanoi) and the High School for Gifted Students in Education (under Hanoi National University of Education). At both schools, he is among the top three highest-scoring students.
Ms. Ninh said that the family and Khai will discuss and consider the school choice together, but they will respect Khai's decision.
Thanh Hang
