Nguyen Ngoc Anh, a 12th-grade student at Thanh Oai B High School in Hanoi, scored 8.0 in her first IELTS attempt last year. More recently, she achieved a near-perfect 1590 out of 1600 on the SAT, with a perfect 800 in Math and 790 in Reading and Writing - placing her in the top 1% globally.

A representative from Thanh Oai B High School shared that Ngoc Anh’s outstanding achievements were the result of relentless effort, serious study habits, and strong determination. She was also the school’s top scorer in the 2022 entrance exam.

Ngoc Anh developed a passion for English at an early age. She frequently listened to music and watched films in English and practiced reading through books and novels. “This helped me maximize my exposure to the language through listening, speaking, and reading,” she shared.

In grade 10, Ngoc Anh decided to take on the challenge of both IELTS and SAT exams, as more universities now consider these certificates in their admission processes. To win a spot at her dream university, she laid out a detailed and disciplined study plan.

She officially sat for the IELTS at the end of 11th grade, scoring 8.0, then shifted her focus to SAT preparation.

Regarding the IELTS exam, Ngoc Anh felt most confident in the Reading section. “Instead of using skimming and scanning techniques, I broke the passage into smaller sections and answered all related questions before moving on,” she said.

This strategy helped her save time and avoid confusion. After each test, she would review her mistakes and annotate them to learn from experience. She also compiled lists of unfamiliar vocabulary for revision.

For Listening, Ngoc Anh practiced using short English videos and podcasts, in addition to her daily routine of watching movies and listening to music. She believes the most effective way to improve listening is through consistent and regular practice with mock exams.

When it came to Speaking, although she had limited opportunities to communicate with native speakers, she practiced with a friend on various topics to enhance her fluency. To learn how to answer questions appropriately and understand score requirements, she frequently watched mock speaking tests on YouTube.

One mistake she encountered was writing down full answers before speaking. She realized this reduced spontaneity. “The best way is to force yourself to respond immediately after reading the question, or to find a partner to practice and correct each other,” she explained.

Among the four IELTS skills, Ngoc Anh found Writing the most challenging. She emphasized the importance of mastering different writing formats and learning topic-specific vocabulary. For Task 1, she often referred to high-scoring samples online to study how to structure responses, select data, and form coherent arguments.

For Task 2, she spent extra time reading news articles to expand her vocabulary and gather real-life examples to use in essays.

“During exam prep, I usually practiced two skills per day - like Listening and Speaking or Reading and Writing. Having an effective strategy and routine makes a big difference in IELTS score improvement,” she said.

As for the SAT, Ngoc Anh found it more demanding than IELTS due to its broader vocabulary requirements and more difficult reading and grammar sections. She began by mastering the structure of question types, then focused on practice tests, reviewing mistakes, and learning from them. She always timed herself during practice to simulate real test pressure.

In the Reading section, she prioritized easier question types such as vocabulary and grammar before moving on to more complex reading comprehension questions, saving any flagged questions for last.

“My strongest section on the SAT was Math,” she said. With her strong reading skills (8.5 in IELTS Reading) and a solid math background, Ngoc Anh found the SAT Math section manageable for her and many Vietnamese students.

“The math tested on the SAT is simpler than what we learn in high school. But students should not be complacent - they still need regular practice to achieve high scores.”

According to Ngoc Anh, students with a strong English foundation can shorten the time needed to prepare for both IELTS and SAT. She emphasized the importance of discipline, persistence, and having a clear study plan to improve English proficiency.

Attending a non-specialized school in a rural district is not a barrier, she said. “There are so many free online resources available now. In addition, there are active online communities where students share study tips and materials for both the SAT and IELTS.”

With excellent scores on both exams, Ngoc Anh plans to apply to the Foreign Trade University, majoring in International Economics.

Thuy Nga