Still making time to play before the exam.

With a perfect score of 150/150 in English on the Cambridge IGCSE exam, 11th-grade student Tran Ngoc Bao (Nguyen Sieu Secondary and High School, Hanoi) became the highest-scoring English candidate in the world .

In the Cambridge IGCSE exams, Bao took five subjects: English, Mathematics, Biology, Physics, and Chemistry. Besides achieving a perfect score of 150/150 in English, Bao also scored quite highly in the other four subjects, ranging from 91-95/100.

When Bảo received his English test results, although quite confident in his performance, he still couldn't believe he'd achieved such an "unbelievable" score. He even had to double-check with his teachers to ensure the results were accurate. Once he was certain the results were correct, Bảo was overwhelmed with emotion. Only then did he dare to share his achievement with his parents, his happiness overflowing.

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

Sharing her approach to learning English, Bao said: "I don't consider English a subject, so I don't feel pressured. For me, English is a language I use every day, in my life. Since elementary school, I've had the habit of reading books, learning about knowledge in English, watching sports , entertainment, and animal documentaries in English. At school, I also frequently speak English with foreign teachers."

Speaking about her son's achievement in the Cambridge IGCSE exam, Ms. Ha Thanh An (Tran Ngoc Bao's mother) said it was truly "a gift from heaven." "Bao didn't put much pressure on himself for this exam, so he wasn't stressed or worried. He didn't study day and night before the exam either. He still made time to play and relax as usual. Therefore, when we learned he got a perfect score in English, the family was quite surprised and delighted by this result, which exceeded our expectations."

Ms. Thanh An shared that she and her husband both studied abroad, so they understand the importance of English. Therefore, she enrolled their child in English classes and exposed him/her to the language from a young age. "If you want English to become your child's language, parents need to be very persistent and dedicated. Learning for exams or international English certificates might only take 1-2 years of focused study. But for English to become a second language, the process takes a very long time. Knowing our child is interested in animals, my husband and I often buy English books and stories about the animal world for him/her to read, and we show him/her channels about sports and the animal world. We create an environment where our child is exposed to English naturally and intimately, so that English gradually sinks in and becomes a familiar language for him/her."

Tran Ngoc Bao and his mother

The mother of the world's highest-scoring English student said her son has a good mind and a good memory. However, he's not a diligent student. "He's someone who doesn't need to be forced. He's quite independent and usually makes his own decisions. Studying two programs (the regular program and the Cambridge program) is quite demanding, but that's his choice. He doesn't have much time for extra classes, and his self-study time is very limited, so he always has to focus on studying in class so he has time to... play at home. He still makes time to play soccer, basketball, and online games with his friends. However, because he has a solid foundation, his results in the recent Cambridge IGCSE exam were quite good," Ms. Thanh An shared.

Reportedly, Bảo has achieved an overall academic average of 9.5/10 under the Vietnamese curriculum and A/A* (80/100 or higher) in Cambridge-system subjects. His results are among the highest in his class. The male student also achieved a SAT score of 1520/1600.

Speaking about her future goals, Bao said she is looking for scholarship opportunities to study in the US, pursuing a field related to Biology.

IGCSE is an internationally recognized secondary school certificate. Students can choose to study a minimum of 5 and a maximum of 14 subjects from the 70 subjects in the IGCSE program, depending on their personal goals. According to the Cambridge International Examinations Board, Tran Ngoc Bao also achieved A* grades – the highest level – in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology.

In the IGCSE exam, the English test covers four skills: Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. Each skill test consists of three sections with multiple-choice and essay questions, covering a wide range of topics from nature to society, as well as current events.

To achieve a perfect IGCSE score, candidates must have a strong foundation of knowledge and the ability to expand on information, connect ideas, and solve problems.

Source: https://phunuvietnam.vn/nam-sinh-co-diem-tieng-anh-cao-nhat-the-gioi-truc-ky-thi-van-danh-thoi-gian-choi-20241129181114471.htm