For five consecutive years, Vietnamese students have maintained the top global ranking in primary-level mathematics within the integrated English program, where Math and Science are taught in English.

Three students in Ho Chi Minh City achieve highest global math scores

Tran Viet Hoang, a former student of Tan Son Nhi Primary School and now a sixth grader at Tran Dai Nghia Secondary and High School, achieved the highest score in the world in primary-level mathematics. “I feel very happy and proud of this result,” Hoang said, noting that studying the integrated English program since Grade 1 has helped him build a strong foundation, especially in approaching Math and Science in English.

At a higher level, Nguyen Minh Khoi, an 11th-grade student at Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted, delivered outstanding results in the iGCSE international certification exams, achieving Distinction in all three subjects: Math, Science and English.

Khoi described the exam as highly challenging, saying the results reflect years of effort in the integrated English program since Grade 6.

He believes that learning Math and Science in English not only strengthens subject knowledge but also equips students with essential skills such as critical thinking, presentation and teamwork. These advantages give him greater confidence in his plans to study abroad and pursue future academic goals.

Also achieving Distinction in all three subjects in the iGCSE exams, Nguyen Ngoc Phuong Khanh, another 11th-grade student at Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted, said the achievement has boosted her confidence in studying in English.

“Technology-integrated lessons help me access new knowledge and confidently read international materials,” she shared, adding that this foundation will support her pursuit of higher academic goals.

Expanding the integrated English program

At the Pearson Edexcel International Certificate Ceremony 2025 held on March 21, EMG Education reported that students in Grades 5, 9 and 11 participated in international exams including iPrimary, iLowerSecondary and iGCSE.

This year, 11 students received the Outstanding Pearson Learner Awards (OPLA), a prestigious recognition for top global performers.

Notably, Vietnam has, for five consecutive years, had students achieving the highest global scores in primary mathematics in these exams, with Tran Viet Hoang being this year’s top scorer. In addition, 15 students received Excellence Awards for outstanding performance across English, Math and Science.

Overall results of students in the program exceeded the global average. At the iGCSE high school level, 100% of students achieved a passing grade or higher in all three subjects.

Significantly, 85% of students achieved high scores in Math (grades 7-9 on the Pearson Edexcel scale), surpassing the global average of 55%, with 30% achieving perfect scores. In English, 84% of students reached upper-intermediate to advanced levels.

The integrated English program under Project 5695 has been implemented in Ho Chi Minh City for 11 years, with Math and Science taught in English. It is considered a model with strong potential for wider adoption.

Nguyen Van Hieu, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, said the program demonstrates effectiveness in combining domestic and international education, helping students enhance language proficiency and access global academic standards.

“It can be said that the program is one of the highlights of the city’s 50-year journey (1975-2025) in building and developing education, affirming a spirit of innovation and maintaining its position as one of the country’s leading education hubs,” he said.

In the coming period, Ho Chi Minh City plans to expand the program to additional areas, narrowing educational gaps and advancing the goal of making English a second language in schools, while strengthening students’ international integration capacity.

Le Huyen