On the morning of 16/7, Nguyen Duy Phong, a 12th-grade student from Chuong My A High School in Chuong My district, woke up at 6 a.m., anxiously awaiting his national high school exam results. Upon seeing the scores on the screen, Phong cried out in joy. He was one of eight students nationwide to achieve a perfect 10 in all three A00 subjects.
"I'm only slightly disappointed with my literature score," Phong said, revealing he received a 7.25.
From that moment, Phong's phone was inundated with congratulatory calls and messages from family and friends.
Principal Nguyen Xuan Truong stated that this was the first time the school had a top-scoring student in the national high school exam. In addition to leading the A00 exam group, Phong also achieved the highest score in the Hanoi National University's competency assessment exam (HSA) this year, with 130 out of 150 points.
"Phong has been an excellent student since 10th grade. He has a strong ability to self-study and performs consistently well across all subjects," Mr. Truong said.
According to a school representative, the teachers were not surprised by Phong's results. Before the exam, they had high expectations for him.
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Nguyen Duy Phong. Photo provided by the subject |
Nguyen Duy Phong. Photo provided by the subject
According to Phong, this year's exam effectively differentiated students' abilities. The average math score was lower than in previous years, yet more students achieved perfect scores. Phong assessed the math exam as more challenging than the previous year's, requiring more time to complete. The two most difficult questions, each worth 0.5 points, involved code-breaking and an arithmetic progression problem about stacking books.
"I hesitated and reread them several times, worried I might misinterpret them," Phong recounted.
Phong found the chemistry exam lengthy, increasing the chance of errors if one lost composure. In physics, he was only uncertain about one question concerning an experiment on the specific melting point of water.
Phong explained that his strong performance in the competency assessment and critical thinking tests alleviated the pressure going into the national high school exam. His study method involved focusing on understanding the material presented in class and practicing through assignments given by teachers in the evenings. He would complete two to three practice exams daily, spending around three hours on each. He concentrated on fill-in-the-blank (short answer) questions in math and true-false questions in chemistry and physics.
Phong believes in mastering fundamental knowledge, understanding the essence of the subject matter, and various question types to tackle even the most complex problems. He also frequently explained the material to his classmates, which further solidified his understanding.
Phong shared his plan to apply to Hanoi University of Science and Technology.
"I dream of working in a field related to manufacturing or robotics," he said.
Binh Minh
