Bui Nhat Minh, a ninth-grade student at Nguyen Tat Thanh Secondary and High School, has achieved an extraordinary feat by securing the top score in the entrance exams for both the High School for Gifted Students in Natural Sciences and the High School for Gifted Students of the University of Education.

Minh, dubbed a “double valedictorian,” recently scored a perfect 10 in general mathematics and 9.75 in specialized mathematics in the 10th-grade entrance exam for the High School for Gifted Students of the University of Education. With the specialized subject score doubled and combined with the general math score, his total reached an impressive 29.5 out of 30. This exceeded the school’s required admission score for the math track by nearly 10 points - the cutoff being 20.

Earlier this year, in the entrance exam for the High School for Gifted Students in Natural Sciences, Minh also emerged as the top scorer with 29 points - 9 in the general math section and a perfect 10 in the specialized math section - surpassing the school’s math cutoff score of 19.5 by 9.5 points.

Minh's performance left many in awe, with admirers calling him a “math genius.”

Minh’s mother, Nguyen Thi Tho, shared that she was overjoyed and surprised by the dual accomplishment. “I wasn’t surprised by his scores, because Minh is meticulous and calculated his own results after the tests. But becoming the top scorer at not just one but two elite schools is truly astonishing, considering the stiff competition and wide candidate pool.”

What pleased her most was Minh’s consistent performance across both exams.

Tho said her son approaches math with enthusiasm and joy. “He doesn’t get tired of it. For Minh, doing math is as routine and necessary as eating. We simply make sure he has a quiet environment to study.”

She and her husband have never restricted Minh’s use of phones or computers. In fact, they bought him his own devices back in sixth grade. “But he only uses them for studying, not for games or anything else,” she added.

Minh himself said he doesn't study math to compete with others but simply out of love and passion. He spends a few hours daily reviewing lessons and exploring new problems on math forums and online communities.

Before exams, he dedicates an entire day to reviewing all his knowledge and test-taking strategies. During the test, he ensures he solves the basic problems quickly and accurately to reserve time for more challenging ones.

Staying grounded after success

According to Tho, Minh is highly disciplined and sets rules for himself. He is self-motivated and never studies past 11 p.m., ensuring he's well-rested for the next day.

Minh has always been responsible and mature. “We’ve never had to scold him or remind him about his studies. He has never once been late for school,” Tho proudly shared.

She described him as calm, composed, and always willing to help classmates. Minh serves as the class vice monitor for academics and takes his role seriously but remains humble. Last summer, he even initiated and led a math prep group for classmates planning to take the specialized exam.

Minh’s achievements include around 50 awards and medals in mathematics, such as two gold medals at the World Mathematics Team Championship (WMTC) and the championship title at the International Talent Mathematics Contest (ITMC) in seventh grade.

In eighth grade, he competed above his level in the city’s gifted student exam for math and won second prize. This year, he clinched first prize in the same contest.

Outside academics, Minh enjoys badminton and actively participates in school events.

Currently, he’s awaiting results from the Hanoi Department of Education’s general high school entrance exam, though he leans toward enrolling in either the Natural Sciences or University of Education gifted math programs, depending on final admission.

Despite his stellar results, Minh remains humble and focused. “Since learning his scores, he hasn’t gotten complacent. He’s already exploring the 10th-grade curriculum and researching opportunities to compete at the high school level,” Tho said.

Thanh Hung