For three years, an old bicycle carried Nguyen Quang Khai and Le Anh Vu along the rural roads to Hai Lang High School in Quang Tri Province.

Those daily rides became more than just a journey to school. They were hours spent discussing difficult mathematics and physics problems, encouraging one another and building a friendship that eventually helped both students achieve the highest examination scores in their province.

A friendship that began with a broken bicycle

In Vietnam's 2026 National High School Graduation Examination, Nguyen Quang Khai, born in 2008 and living in Hamlet 4 of Dien Sanh Commune, became the provincial top scorer in the A00 subject combination with perfect scores of 10 in Mathematics, 10 in Physics, and 9.25 in Chemistry.

His close friend, Le Anh Vu, also born in 2008 and living nearby in Hamlet 3, topped the province in the A01 subject combination, earning 10 in Mathematics, 9.5 in Physics, and 9.25 in English.

Few people knew the story behind those achievements.

The two first became friends in lower secondary school while competing on the school's Physics team.

When they entered high school, they found themselves in the same class and, because they lived close to one another, their friendship grew even stronger.

At the beginning of their first year, Khai's bicycle broke down.

From that day on, Vu rode to Khai's house every morning so they could cycle the nearly three-kilometer journey to school together.

The ride soon became part of their daily study routine, with the pair using the time to solve difficult exercises and exchange ideas before class.

Supporting each other on the road to success

Khai said he entered high school as an above-average student rather than an outstanding one.

With guidance from teachers and encouragement from friends, his academic performance steadily improved.

To prepare for university admission, he developed a detailed daily study schedule.

In addition to regular classes, he spent around four hours each day studying with teachers both inside and outside school.

"To improve, you first have to master the fundamentals," Khai said. "Only after that should you move on to more difficult problems that help develop analytical thinking. Whenever I couldn't solve a question, I always tried different approaches before looking at the answer."

He also maintained a disciplined routine, sleeping about six hours each night, usually from 10 or 11 p.m. until 4 or 5 a.m., when he would begin studying again.

Vu approached learning somewhat differently.

Rather than focusing on the number of hours spent studying, he concentrated on understanding concepts thoroughly.

Whenever he made a mistake, he carefully noted it and reviewed the underlying reason before attempting more advanced questions.

"I don't study by memorizing," Vu said. "The important thing is understanding why you're right and why you're wrong, so you don't repeat the same mistakes."

He added that discussing difficult questions with Khai and their group of friends allowed everyone to discover different ways of solving problems and improve together.

A surprise neither expected

When the Ministry of Education and Training released the examination results, both students believed they had performed well.

Neither imagined they would become provincial top scorers.

"I felt confident about my exam, but I never thought I would rank first in the province," Khai said. "When my teachers and friends told me the news, I was genuinely surprised and incredibly happy."

According to Nguyen Thanh Binh, acting vice principal of Hai Lang High School, the students' achievements reflect years of determination supported by their families, teachers and school.

"For three years, an old bicycle carried them to school," Binh said. "But it was their friendship, their willingness to help one another and their determination to learn that carried them to the very top of the province's most important examination."

Huong Lai