Impressive academic achievement of the valedictorian with a perfect score of 30/30 in block B00

With a perfect score of 30/30 in three subjects: Math, Chemistry, and Biology, Tran Duc Tai, a student at Nguyen Khuyen Secondary and High School (HCMC), has excellently become the national valedictorian of block B00 in the 2025 High School Graduation Exam.

Right at the time the Ministry of Education and Training announced the exam scores, when the whole country was focusing on the numbers, in a small corner of Ho Chi Minh City, young man Tran Duc Tai had a very different experience.

"My first feeling was surprise because I didn't check the results in advance like my friends. I thought I couldn't do that," Tai honestly shared.

Although surprising, this result was within his "initial expectations", because Tai felt he had done very well on the test. The first person he shared the good news with was none other than his parents, who had always stood by him, accompanying him throughout his studies. The joy quickly spread to his teachers and friends with countless congratulations and "outing" appointments to celebrate the sweet achievement.

Review strategies for the new program

As the first group of students to face the new format of the High School Graduation Exam (2 compulsory subjects and 2 elective subjects), the pressure on Duc Tai and his peers is not small. However, the male student has already outlined a systematic review strategy right from the beginning of grade 12.

"The new program requires me to deeply understand and apply knowledge in practice. Therefore, I spend a lot of time every day studying, referring to textbooks and external documents," Tai revealed.

Of the three entrance exams, Biology is considered the most "difficult" subject for the valedictorian. According to the new curriculum, this subject is no longer focused on theory but on understanding the nature and application.

"It is partly related to my future medical major. I feel that I am relatively weak in that part," Tai frankly admitted.

To conquer this subject, I spent more time, researching and referring to specialized documents of medical students to grasp each physiological mechanism of living organisms.

In addition to textbooks, Duc Tai's "secret weapon" comes from open sources, especially two YouTube channels specializing in Biology, Osmosis and another channel introduced by seniors. This is where he learns more about diseases and complex biological mechanisms, and is also the way he quickly becomes familiar with the medical knowledge he will pursue.

The valuable thing is that Tai does not keep these "weapons" to himself. He is willing to share them with his classmates with the hope of progressing together.

The road to glory was not paved with roses. Tai also had moments of discouragement, especially after the mock tests with unsatisfactory results.

"At first, I felt psychological pressure, feeling that the knowledge was too vast, that I could not conquer it all," she recalled.

It was at those times that Tai picked himself up by changing his mindset: "I realized that knowledge is limitless, the only way is to try harder." Along with self-encouragement, he continuously researched and learned to fill in the gaps in his knowledge, until he no longer felt anxious.

With a perfect score, the doors of top universities opened wide before Tran Duc Tai. Without hesitation, he said his number one wish was the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City.

"This has been my dream, my passion, and my aspiration for the past 5 years. I have nurtured this dream for a long time," Tai confided.

Looking to the future, the valedictorian hopes to devote all his energy to studying well in university, studying for a residency or a specialty to improve his skills. His biggest dream is to work at a large hospital, approaching many difficult cases to help more people.

Sending advice to the students of the next generation, "pioneer" Tran Duc Tai said: "Don't be afraid to approach new things, don't be afraid to explore and learn. Sleep less, play less to study more is a worthy process for future achievements."