Nguyen Khanh Quynh, a former student of class 9A5 at Be Tong Secondary School in Xuan Mai commune (formerly Xuan Trung village, Thuy Xuan Tien commune, Chuong My district), achieved remarkable success in the Hanoi 10th-grade entrance exam.
As announced by the Department of Education and Training on the evening of 4/7, she was one of eight top scorers in the non-specialized system, with a total admission score of 28.75/30. She scored 9.75 in both math and English, and 9.25 in literature.
In the specialized system, Khanh Quynh also excelled, achieving a total score of 40.25/50 (math, literature, English, and specialized subject multiplied by two). This secured her a place in the IT class at Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, her preferred choice.
"I was surprised and overjoyed," Quynh said.
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Nguyen Khanh Quynh. Photo courtesy of the subject |
Nguyen Khanh Quynh. Photo courtesy of the subject
Do Thi Linh, Quynh's mother, was also "startled" when informed of her daughter's top score. Initially, Quynh considered specializing in English, having won second prize at the district level in 6th grade. However, recognizing English as a tool for future work, her mother encouraged her to focus on math.
In 7th grade, Quynh joined the school's math team. She initially struggled, and her teacher was concerned she might not keep up. Quynh had limited exposure to advanced number theory and inequalities. According to Linh, this was partly due to online learning during the Covid-19 pandemic in 6th grade and Quynh's initial lack of focus after transitioning from primary school.
Quynh improved by concentrating in class to grasp fundamental concepts and reviewing her teachers' 6th and 7th-grade video lessons. Before each math team session, she studied the provided topics and reviewed additional materials, practiced exercises, and reviewed previous years' exams at home. Within 3-4 weeks, she caught up with her classmates. In her first year competing in the district-level math competition, she won second prize. In 8th and 9th grade, she secured first prize.
Quynh decided to specialize in math in 8th grade. Her mother enrolled her in a tutoring center in the inner city, almost 70 km round trip from their home, for 1-2 sessions per week.
To avoid boredom, she studied three general subjects in one evening, tackling math for two hours, followed by English exercises and then literature.
"I often stayed up until around 1 a.m. to study. A month before the exam, I focused on practicing with previous years' exams from various schools," the newly crowned top scorer said.
Quynh found this year's literature exam engaging and accessible, but lacked confidence in her performance. She was therefore surprised by her score of 9.25. She lost 0.25 points in both math and English due to changing correct answers to incorrect ones.
Tran Thi Anh Tuyet, Quynh's 9th-grade homeroom teacher, described her as diligent, intelligent, a good thinker, and proficient in all subjects.
"Quynh is also a talented and responsible class president and team leader who always completes assigned tasks effectively," she said.
Be Tong Secondary School, where Quynh studied, was established in 1989 for the children of workers at the Xuan Mai large-panel concrete factory and residents of the former Thuy Xuan Tien commune. Principal Phung Tien Hai noted that this year marked the first time the school had six students admitted to specialized high schools.
Binh Minh
