Foreign Trade University female student and the secret to achieving 8.0 IELTS and 1,500 SAT

(Dan Tri) - Phung Thao Ngoc, a female student at Foreign Trade University who achieved 8.0 IELTS, 1500 SAT and was the valedictorian of block C00, shared: "Not just English, to be good at any field requires diligence and effort."

Phung Thao Ngoc, a student of the Advanced Program in International Business Administration at Foreign Trade University, has achieved many achievements with 8.0 IELTS, 1,500 SAT and is the valedictorian of block C00 in the 2024 high school graduation exam.

Phung Thao Ngoc, first-year student of the Advanced Program in International Business Administration at Foreign Trade University (Photo: NVCC).

Foundation and effort are the keys

Thao Ngoc shared: “IELTS is basically still learning a language. Therefore, if you want to be good at it, you must have a solid foundation in vocabulary and grammar.” To do so, the owner of 8.0 IELTS believes that learning English is not just about waiting for the exam, but about studying every day, studying in class, and learning to apply English to life. Only then can we improve our vocabulary and grammar skills.

The female student shared: “Learning English is a long process, from childhood to adulthood. Every day I accumulate a little, gradually I will have a large amount of knowledge to be good in that field.”

As a former English major student at Thai Nguyen High School for the Gifted, Thao Ngoc has equipped herself with a solid foundation of knowledge and a rich vocabulary. However, she still faces difficulties in practicing her writing skills.

Many people mistakenly believe that using “big words” will help their writing score higher. On the contrary, the female student said: “Knowing a lot of vocabulary does not necessarily mean writing well. To achieve high scores, candidates need to use vocabulary fluently, flexibly, and in the right context.”

At the same time, the former English major student continued to emphasize: "The way I improve my writing ability is to write a lot, correct my mistakes, correct them and then write again."

SAT - Self-study from scratch

Thao Ngoc was surprised to get a 1,500 on the SAT on her first try. The morning she received her score, she went to the Temple of Literature to pray for luck, and by noon she had the results.

The SAT is a relatively new exam for Ngoc. She admitted that she did not invest much in the SAT, but mainly studied on her own using materials passed down by seniors and practiced through the College Board's Blue Book platform.

Although she was familiar with the reading passages from IELTS, Thao Ngoc still encountered many difficulties when studying for the SAT. The female student shared: “Because this is a test for native speakers, the questions contain many specialized terms. Sometimes, the questions are quite emotional. Therefore, I can only rely on the logic of the whole passage to guess the meaning.”

In addition, the SAT Reading test is a combination of many short passages with diverse topics and content. Therefore, when taking the test, the brain also needs to process more information.

Thao Ngoc’s secret is to practice all types of questions thoroughly and invest in specialized vocabulary. “The SAT also has a limit on question types, so if you practice enough, you will have good reflexes when doing the test,” she said.

Thao Ngoc at FTU Admissions Day 2025 (Photo: NVCC).

Pressure from a talented older sister

Despite having achieved many outstanding achievements, Thao Ngoc still always considers her sister as a role model that she constantly strives to reach.

“My sister is very good at both studying and extracurricular activities. Especially when she was at Foreign Trade University, she was a runner-up and stepped out into the world through United Nations activities. Therefore, I sometimes feel pressured and always have to tell myself: I have to try really hard to keep up with her,” Ngoc shared.

But more than a "big shadow", she is the first inspiration that makes Ngoc love English, engage in movement activities and dare to challenge herself. She is the one who accompanies, encourages, and inspires Ngoc every time she faces challenges and difficulties.

“I feel pressured but also motivated. Thanks to her, I am who I am today,” Ngoc confided.

Mission of knowledge for the community and oneself

While still in high school, Thao Ngoc was the founder of the Thai Nguyen MUN (TNMUN) United Nations Simulation Project, a playground that helps students in Thai Nguyen access knowledge of diplomacy, politics and practice English skills.

The idea for TNMUN came from her participation in a MUN conference in Hanoi and was inspired. “As the head of the English Club, I want to create a similar playground in my hometown, so that students have the opportunity to develop, and who knows, they might find a new passion for politics or diplomacy.”

At that time, the female student had no experience in organizing MUN, and was also busy studying for IELTS and SAT. Therefore, she was always in a state of "stress" and fatigue. However, with the desire to spread knowledge and bring long-term value to the Club, Thao Ngoc still encouraged herself: "Just try to finish this term and it will be done."

Thao Ngoc (far left) is the founder and Secretary General of TNMUN, bringing the MUN model to Thai Nguyen for the first time (Photo: NVCC).

Currently, at the Foreign Trade University, the female student is a member of the Foreign Trade University Student Forum Club (FTU Forum) - a unit that coordinates with the Training Department to organize major enrollment events of the school. At the same time, she is also one of the four leaders of the FTU Admissions Fair 2025.

Sharing the reason for choosing FTU Forum, Thao Ngoc said she wanted to become a supporter for high school students in their admissions journey – just like the way her seniors had guided her. “I feel proud to continue the club’s tradition and spread that spirit to the next generation,” the female student expressed.

Thao Ngoc is determined to continuously learn and challenge herself in knowledge playgrounds, especially new fields such as economics and foreign languages. For her, proactiveness and a progressive spirit are always the guiding principles in both studying and extracurricular activities.

“When faced with a challenge, I am also afraid. But instead of letting fear stop me, I choose to try my best. And when I try my best, I feel that the universe will also 'send a signal' to support me,” Foreign Trade University student Phung Thao Ngoc shared.

Thu Hien

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/nu-sinh-ngoai-thuong-va-bi-quyet-de-dat-80-ielts-va-1500-sat-20250724161827967.htm