Male student "broke" the record for thinking score at University of Science and Technology: "I didn't review very well"

(Dan Tri) - Vu Minh Duc, Bac Ninh High School for the Gifted, was the valedictorian of the first round of the 2025 thinking assessment exam of Hanoi University of Science and Technology. With 98.61 points, Duc "broke" all previous records of the school's valedictorian in thinking.

Tested my ability and unexpectedly won first place.

In the first round of the 2025 thinking assessment exam of Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Duc achieved the maximum score in math; 16 points in reading comprehension and 33 points in science .

"When I got home from the exam and checked my answers with my friends, I didn't see any mistakes, but I didn't think my score would be that high," Duc said.

According to the male student, the part that troubled him the most was reading comprehension and science. This part has two parts, one of which is a scientific article and the other is a literature reading comprehension.

In the reading comprehension test, because he could not find clear evidence, Duc felt unsure.

Vu Minh Duc, Bac Ninh High School for the Gifted, valedictorian of the first round of the 2025 thinking assessment exam of Hanoi University of Science and Technology (Photo: NVCC).

Sharing with Dan Tri reporter, Duc said he was very surprised to know that he was the valedictorian with the highest score ever in the thinking assessment exam of Hanoi University of Science and Technology.

With the mentality of taking the exam to test himself, Duc did not set a goal of achieving such a high score. He even thought that he might have to take the exam 2 or 3 times because his revision was not good enough.

Duc lives in Ho town, Thuan Thanh district, Bac Ninh province. His mother is a high school teacher. In addition to studying in class, he also practices thinking assessment tests in the evening.

"Because the structure of the thinking assessment test is different from the high school graduation exam, I had to review both types of questions in parallel. For the thinking assessment test, I only reviewed based on the documents published by Hanoi University of Science and Technology," Duc said.

Minh Duc (second right) and his classmates (Photo: NVCC).

Valedictorian does not take extra classes

It is known that Duc won second prize in the provincial math competition in 2024. Duc's average score in the first semester of grade 12 was 9.6/10.

According to the male student, studying math gives him the advantage of quick thinking and saves time. In particular, he spends time studying at school and playing sports reasonably every day, without taking any extra subjects.

"I think I study by discovering the essence of the problem, instead of memorizing it like "cramming". I complete the assignments given by the teachers, find questions online, and practice questions.

Regarding learning methods, I focus on listening to the teacher's lectures in class and at the same time find test questions to practice. In my opinion, studying requires arranging a suitable rest schedule, it is not necessary to study too late at night.

"The teachers in class give me enough guidance for the exams. If I take extra classes, I won't be able to complete the lessons in class. That's why I don't take any extra classes," Duc shared.

Duc learns by discovering problems, instead of "memorizing" (Photo: NVCC).

Commenting on the male student, Ms. Nguyen Thuy Linh, a chemistry teacher and Duc's homeroom teacher for 3 years of high school, said that when Duc took the exam, she predicted that the male student would get a high score but did not think it would be that high.

"This result is really surprising and very happy but really worthy of Duc's determination and learning attitude," said Ms. Linh.

According to Ms. Linh, Duc has a good mindset, is hard-working, has a strong will to strive, is very serious in studying, has goals and is determined to achieve them.

In addition to studying, I participate in many sports, arts, extracurricular activities and am sociable.

The provincial math competition for gifted students took place on January 17, Duc won second prize - just one day before the thinking assessment test.

In the school's assessment exams, Duc always maintained his position in the top 1, 2, 3. In the first semester, he was an excellent student with an average score of 9.5; in math, physics, chemistry, and biology, Duc all achieved 9.9 or 9.8.

In addition, Duc also has an IELTS certificate of 6.5. "In early August this year, while playing soccer at school, Duc unfortunately broke his right arm and had to wear a cast for more than a month.

Even though he couldn't copy the notes, Duc didn't miss any class because he wanted to listen to the lecture to understand the lesson," said Ms. Linh.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/nam-sinh-xo-do-ky-luc-diem-tu-duy-dh-bach-khoa-em-on-tap-chua-tot-lam-20250124144537944.htm