On the morning of 1/7, Dinh Ngoc Hai Lam, a former student of Le Thanh Tong Primary-Secondary-High School in TP HCM, woke up early, anxiously awaiting her high school graduation exam results. She had estimated a near-perfect 30/30 score after completing the exam. "For the past few days, I was nervous, worried I might miss the perfect score, so when the results appeared, I was thrilled," Lam shared.

Dinh Ngoc Hai Lam, one of the five national top scorers who achieved a perfect 30/30 for university admissions. *Photo: Contributed by subject*

Before the 2026 high school graduation exam, the student aimed for over 29 points in Block B00 (Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology). After completing the exam and checking the answers, she was confident of achieving a perfect score in Mathematics and Biology. However, for Chemistry, Lam worried she might have made a mistake.

Lam stated that most of the content in the Mathematics, Chemistry, and Biology exams aligned with her strengths, allowing her to solve them relatively easily. She had 10-20 minutes remaining for each subject to review her answers.

At the beginning of grade 12, Lam devised a strategy to review concepts and fundamental knowledge thoroughly, aiming to maximize her scores on theoretical questions. This also served as the foundation for tackling practical problems in Mathematics, Chemistry, and Biology.

Starting last October, Lam had completed the Mathematics and Chemistry curriculum and began intensive review and practice test solving. Each week, she solved about 15 practice tests across Mathematics, Chemistry, and Biology. Stacks of exam papers and textbooks piled up "like mountains" in her study corner. In grade 12 alone, the student practiced with over 1,000 tests for these three subjects.

Studying at a boarding school known for its strict discipline, Lam's grade 12 timetable was meticulously structured from 6h to 22h, with no phones or social media. After 22h, students had to go to sleep and were not allowed to study further on their own. On sundays, they had more time to rest.

"Because the schedule is so precise, I follow it strictly: study when it's time to study, and rest when it's time to rest. This allows my mind to be relaxed and highly focused, rather than trying to squeeze in extra study during breaks," the student shared. Lam admitted she rarely had time for entertainment or going out but considered it a necessary trade-off to achieve high results.

The student plans to apply for the Medicine program at Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy. In addition to her perfect score, she expects to receive an additional 1,5 points from her IELTS 7.5 and SAT 1390/1600 scores, according to the university's admission plan.

Lam's achievement of national top scorer with a perfect 30/30 score met the expectations of teacher Dac Thai Hoang, her homeroom teacher and Mathematics instructor. He stated that the student has a bright mind, a strong spirit for self-study, and high concentration, always ranking among the top students in her class. "Before the exam, Lam and some other students were entrusted with the expectation of becoming top scorers. She performed to her full potential, bringing great joy to the school," teacher Hoang said.

Le Nguyen