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| Chairman of Hue City People’s Committee Nguyen Van Phuong presenting awards to national exam winners |
Sustaining the position
In the 2024-2025 National Excellent Student Exam, the Department of Education and Training (DoET) of Hue formed 11 teams to compete in mathematics, physics, chemistry, informatics, biology, literature, history, geography, English, French, and Japanese. A total of 108 students participated, including 107 from Quoc Hoc - Hue High School for the Gifted and one student from Nguyen Sinh Cung High School in Phu Vang District. Additionally, 16 students from the Hue University of Sciences High School for the Gifted took part in the exam in Hue.
The students achieved remarkable results: 85 national prizes, including 2 First prizes, 15 Second prizes, 43 Third prizes, and 25 Consolation prizes. This marks a highest number of record of national prizes, surpassing last year’s total by 11 awards. With this result, Hue continues to be one of the top units in the country in the ranking of achievements, maintaining its position as one of the units with the highest achievements nationwide in the national excellent student competition.
Highlights include the history team winning two first prizes for the first time ever; all 10 members of the physics team earning awards (3 second, 6 third, and 1 consolation prize); the mathematics team achieving 100% success with 2 second, 2 third, and 4 consolation prizes; the biology team with 9 out of 10 members winning prizes (2 second, 6 third, and 1 consolation prize); and the literature team with a 90% success rate. Other teams in informatics, chemistry, and geography had an 80% award rate. Particularly, four students from Quoc Hoc - Hue have also been shortlisted for the second round of selection for Vietnam’s teams to compete in international and regional Olympiads in biology and physics.
According to Mr. Nguyen Tan - Director of the provincial DoET, this success highlights the effectiveness of the investments in gifted education from the city leaders, the precise directives of the DoET, dedicated support from families, and the relentless commitment of teachers and students alike.
Creating opportunities for students to showcase their talents
This year’s National Excellent Student Exam followed a newly updated structure. Throughout the training process, teachers in the Coaching council kept up with the updated guidelines and exam formats, equipping students with in-depth knowledge in their respective subjects to ensure they were well-prepared and confident going into the competition.
The teams also received support and instruction from leading experts at major universities across the country. Notably, several alumni of Quoc Hoc - Hue High School for the Gifted who had previously earned international awards returned to help coach the students. These included Mr. Ho Dinh Duan (Silver Medal in International Mathematics Olympiad, 1978), Mr. Le Ba Khanh Trinh (Gold Medal in International Mathematics Olympiad, 1979), Ho Ngoc Vinh Phat (Silver Medal in International Informatics Olympiad, 2021), and Truong Van Quoc Dat (Silver Medal in International Biology Olympiad, 2022).
According to Mr. Nguyen Phu Tho - Principal of Quoc Hoc - Hue, teachers provided students with thorough guidance on effective exam techniques, including complex problem-solving strategies for the test, how to clearly present their answers, and especially how to manage their time throughout the exam. This support enabled students to perform at their best. On the students' side, all members of the national exam teams demonstrated strong determination and studied diligently, driven by a desire to achieve outstanding results. They took their self-study seriously, absorbed the knowledge shared by their teachers, and actively explored additional learning materials recommended during the preparation process.
In recent years, besides Quoc Hoc - Hue High School for the Gifted, students from other high schools have also earned national awards. In the 2020–2021 academic year, Mai Van Tuan Kiet from Hai Ba Trung High School earned a third prize in Informatics, and Huynh Thi Mui from Ha Trung High School (Phu Vang) won a consolation prize in in History. This year, Truong Thi Hau from Nguyen Sinh Cung High School (Phu Vang) secured a consolation prize in History.
These achievements reflect the DoET’s effective direction in creating opportunities and an inclusive environment for students across the city to demonstrate their academic potential.
Mr. Nguyen Tan emphasized that in nurturing academically gifted students, the DoET has focused its efforts on Quoc Hoc - Hue while also implementing strategies to help students across the city develop their talents and passions. Excellent students are always eager to reach the national competition, and every student is given the opportunity to showcase their abilities.
Even if a student does not have the chance to attend Quoc Hoc - Hue from grade 10, those with real potential from districts and towns can still compete in the provincial-level specialized exams. From there, they may be selected to join the national competition teams.