Ho Chi Minh City's 10th grade valedictorian only took 5 minutes to do the 10-point English test

(Dan Tri Newspaper) - Nguyen Minh Anh, the top scorer in the 10th grade entrance exam in Ho Chi Minh City, said it only took her 5 minutes to complete the English exam and achieve a perfect score.

Focus on developing skills, not rote learning. With perfect scores of 10 in both Math and English, and 8.75 in Literature, Nguyen Minh Anh, a student from Tran Quang Khai Junior High School (Tan Phu District), became the top scorer in the 2024 10th grade entrance exam in Ho Chi Minh City. Minh Anh said: "I'm very happy but not surprised by the scores, because after seeing the official answer keys for the subjects, I already knew the basic results. I just didn't think I would be the top scorer."

Nguyen Minh Anh, top student in 10th grade in Ho Chi Minh City in 2024 (Photo: Provided by the subject).

Speaking about the exam, Minh Anh revealed that she only took 5 minutes to complete the 40-question English test. She also spent another 5 minutes reviewing her answers and 50 minutes waiting to submit her paper. "Firstly, this year's English exam wasn't too tricky. Secondly, the questions were mostly multiple-choice, so it was very quick. English is a subject I've been practicing since elementary school, so I didn't have any difficulty with any of the questions," Minh Anh said. The top-scoring student expressed that to improve her foreign language skills, she often reads English versions of classic foreign works. In addition, Minh Anh tried taking the B2 foreign language certificate exam (according to the 6-level foreign language proficiency framework used in Vietnam) and achieved good results. When asked about the secret to getting a perfect score in math on an exam considered unusual and difficult, causing many candidates to cry, the top-scoring student said the secret was practicing logical thinking skills and quick reflexes. "The math exam is very broad, so it's impossible to cram for specific topics. During my studies, I try to explore and research real-world math problems to improve my thinking skills. In the exam room, I maintain a calm attitude, think about the problem in the simplest way possible, and connect the question's content to real-world situations to solve it," shared a student from Tran Quang Khai Secondary School. Simultaneously, Minh Anh mastered the fundamental knowledge to find suitable solutions. In Literature, using a similar learning approach, Minh Anh only memorized the author and work information because without it, she couldn't write the essay herself. For the essays and commentary, she wrote according to her emotions. The female student allocated her time wisely across the three sections, avoiding the situation of starting strong but finishing weak. "Students often choose to cram for specific topics, making it difficult to balance all three subjects. Personally, I didn't choose this method. I focused more on practicing my test-taking skills," Minh Anh shared.

Nguyen Minh Anh said that she doesn't study selectively or focus on certain subjects, but rather concentrates on developing her skills (Photo: Provided by the subject).

During class, the female student pays close attention to the teachers' explanations of different problem-solving methods. In addition, she takes extra math and English classes outside of class. In her free time, she buys reference materials such as math books and answer keys to study and practice further. "I don't stay up late or wake up too early to maintain my health and mental well-being. Every day, I try to go to bed around 10 PM," Minh Anh said. Her dream is to become a doctor. After four years at Tran Quang Khai Secondary School, Minh Anh achieved an average grade of 9.7. Furthermore, she won third prize in the city-level biology competition in 9th grade and a city-level Violympic math competition in 6th grade. She placed Nguyen Thuong Hien High School as her first choice, followed by Tran Phu and Le Trong Tan. She did not take the specialized high school entrance exam because she felt it was unnecessary. "I dream of becoming a doctor, so I'm investing all my effort into math, chemistry, and biology. I hope to get into medical school and pursue a PhD in the future," Nguyen Minh Anh confided.

The female student avoids studying too late at night and uses her free time to rest, have fun, and exercise (Photo: Provided by the subject).

Minh Anh's mother, a lecturer at the University of Industry and Trade, has also supported her daughter throughout her studies. According to the lecturer, for science subjects, parents guide their children to master the basic knowledge first, then move on to advanced topics, learning slowly but surely, and absolutely avoiding rote memorization. For social science subjects, children need to grasp the basic knowledge, and importantly, understand it in order to apply it. "Parents will encourage and remind them, but the most important thing is for the child to study diligently and set specific plans for themselves," Minh Anh's mother said.

Dantri.com.vn

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/thu-khoa-lop-10-tphcm-chi-mat-5-phut-de-lam-bai-thi-tieng-anh-10-diem-20240620060833346.htm