Ngoc Bao (class 11AS2, Nguyen Sieu Secondary and High School, Hanoi) became the candidate with the highest score in the world in English as a second language in the Cambridge exam with a perfect score of 150/150 points. This is also the first student of the Secondary and High School to achieve this achievement. IGCSE is an international high school certificate recognized globally. Candidates can choose to study a minimum of 5 subjects and a maximum of 14 subjects out of 70 subjects in the IGCSE program, depending on their own orientation. According to the announcement of the Cambridge International Examinations Council, Ngoc Bao also achieved A* - the highest level, in Math, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.

Tran Ngoc Bao achieved a perfect score of 150/150 in the Cambridge IGCSE exam. Photo: NVCC

Sharing with Vietnamnet, Bao said: "When I finished the test, although I knew I did quite well, I never thought that I would have the highest score in Vietnam, let alone be in the top of the world with a perfect score". The male student said that he never considered English as a subject or had to try to achieve high scores under duress. "I always consider English as a part of daily life, a language, a tool for living and communicating. Therefore, I do not feel uncomfortable or have difficulty studying, everything is really comfortable", Bao shared. The male student said that when studying at school, he had the opportunity to talk to native teachers in English, not only in ESL but also in other subjects of the Cambridge system. In the IGCSE exam, the English test includes 4 skills: Listening - Speaking - Reading - Writing. The exam for each skill consists of 3 parts with multiple choice questions combined with essay questions, on many topics from nature to society, along with current affairs. To achieve a perfect score on IGCSE, candidates must have a foundation of knowledge and the ability to expand, link information, and solve problems. “In the ESL subject at school, we always work in groups, with teachers and friends discussing many hot topics in the world. This way of learning not only helps me develop comprehensive English but also supports improving my understanding and training my thinking,” Bao said. The Writing test in ESL is relatively difficult. Bao's way of learning Writing skills is also quite special. He doesn't write too much but always focuses on the quality of each article as well as "takes the opportunity" to ask for comments from teachers in class. “Knowing mistakes and how to correct them is very important when practicing Writing skills. Therefore, quantity is not necessarily as important as quality,” the male student shared. Bao often takes advantage of class time to practice writing, then asks the teacher to mark and correct his work. He believes that the strict marking and correction of his writing by his teacher in class contributed to his high score in the recent exam. In addition, according to Bao, the role of self-study is very important, especially for students studying a dual degree program with a large amount of knowledge like him. "This is a good result, but maintaining it is difficult. I remind myself to continue to make efforts," Bao said. Up to this point, Bao has achieved an average score of 9.5/10 according to the Vietnamese program and A/A* (from 80/100 points or higher) in Cambridge subjects. Bao's results are among the highest in the class. The male student also achieved an SAT score of 1,520/1600.

Mr. Iain Frew, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Vietnam congratulated Tran Ngoc Bao on his "Top in the World" achievement. Photo: NSS

Not only is Bao a good student, he also actively participates in club and sports activities. The male student even said that he is more passionate about sports than studying. Having loved and played football since he was a child, Bao is currently a member of the school's football club. The male student also participates in his father's office's football team. Every week, Bao and his father play at the Faculty of Hydrometeorology of the University of Natural Sciences - Vietnam National University, Hanoi, where his father is a lecturer. "We often play on the same team, just in different positions. But my father often passes the ball wrong," Bao humorously said. The male student said that his father is a lecturer at the University of Natural Sciences, so he also supports him a lot in consolidating his basic knowledge. Sharing about his plans for the near future, Bao said that he will continue to focus on completing the dual degree program. He hopes that after finishing high school, he will look for a scholarship opportunity to study abroad in the US with a major related to Biology. In the global Cambridge academic subject exams in June 2024, Nguyen Sieu Secondary and High School had 3 students in the World Rank (world rankings) in the top 1, top 5 and top 9; with 7 titles of Top in Viet Nam/High Achievement (Highest score in Vietnam/high achievement).

Vietnamnet.vn

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/nam-sinh-viet-lot-top-thi-sinh-co-diem-thi-tieng-anh-cao-nhat-the-gioi-2345753.html