Le Khanh Nam took the SAT in May of this year and achieved a perfect score of 1600/1600. According to the College Board, only 0.03% to 0.05% of test-takers globally achieve this score.

The SAT is a popular choice for Vietnamese students seeking admission to universities in the US, Canada, and Australia, or to strengthen their applications to some domestic universities.

Khanh Nam chose to take the SAT to improve his chances of getting into Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine. He began preparing for the test at the beginning of 12th grade. Despite a strong English foundation, he initially struggled with long reading passages, context-dependent vocabulary questions, and advanced grammar.

Le Khanh Nam, a 12th-grade student at Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted in Ho Chi Minh City, is the latest student to achieve a perfect 1600/1600 on the SAT. Photo: NVCC

Nam then enrolled in an SAT preparation course at ETEST. There, he was taught by Bao Nguyen, a Cornell University graduate. The small class size (maximum six students) allowed for a personalized approach, focusing on each student's strengths and weaknesses to help them adapt to the adaptive nature of the Digital SAT, where the difficulty adjusts based on the test-taker's responses.

According to Bao Nguyen, a common weakness among Vietnamese students is approaching academic readings by trying to answer each question individually, rather than understanding the overall purpose of the text.

To address this, Nam was taught the ETEST Structural Mastery method, a proprietary technique that helps students grasp the structure of the entire passage. This method not only improves reading comprehension speed but also accuracy in the Reading & Writing section, which is often the most challenging to improve.

In addition to practicing with simulated tests on the ETEST platform, Nam also honed soft skills such as critical thinking and strategies for analyzing difficult questions with Ms. Nguyen and his classmates during review sessions.

Khanh Nam's SAT score report. Photo: NVCC

Upon hearing about Nam's perfect score, his mother, Duong Thi Quy Mao, expressed her pride. She said Nam was very determined throughout his preparation. He approached his studies with enthusiasm and made sure to balance his studies with relaxation and sports.

Khanh Nam entered the SAT exam feeling well-prepared and confident. After completing the test, he predicted a score around 1590. The only question he was unsure about involved a difficult academic word he hadn't encountered during practice.

Instead of guessing, he analyzed the word's structure (prefixes and suffixes) to deduce its meaning. This approach helped him achieve a perfect score: 800 in Math and 800 in Reading and Writing.

"I'm very happy and grateful for what I've learned, and how the preparation at ETEST helped me reach 1600. Having the right method, a clear roadmap, and appropriate support is crucial," Nam said.

Thai Anh

Get a free SAT assessment and personalized study plan consultation with Ivy League instructors at ETEST:

Website: www.etest.edu.vn

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