After earning only a bronze medal at the 2024 National Mathematics Olympiad for students, Tran Van Khanh returned in 2025 with a bold strategy - competing in both Calculus and Algebra. That “all-in” decision earned him two gold medals, including a perfect score in Calculus.

Khanh, a student of Information Technology at the Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology, was the only one among 650 participants to achieve a perfect 30/30 in Calculus. In Algebra, he placed second in Group B with 24.5/30 points, securing another gold.

“Last year, I was a bit disappointed with the bronze in Calculus. But instead of letting that weigh me down, I used it as motivation. Accepting reality and channeling disappointment into determination was the first step in my journey to ‘upgrade’ my medal,” Khanh shared.

Experience and evolution

Entering the 2025 competition, Khanh had the advantage of prior experience: familiarity with the test structure, the pressure of the exam room, and effective test-taking strategies. He reviewed his weaknesses from the previous year and focused on building a solid foundation - especially in core concepts - to improve his clarity and logical expression.

He also found better balance between regular coursework and training with the math team, ensuring neither suffered.

All-in mindset

Khanh described this year as a “tất tay” (all-in) effort. He chose to register for both Calculus and Algebra after some deliberation - a decision that eventually surpassed his expectations.

In preparation, he shifted from simply solving problems to deeply analyzing multiple solution paths. He read past test collections, yearbooks, and even explored international sources to expand his mathematical thinking.

“I treated every problem like a story - something with a logic thread to be uncovered. I trained myself to spot cues in problems, which helps me intuitively identify solution strategies,” Khanh explained.

He also emphasized understanding over memorization. If a problem stumped him after hours of thought, he’d review the answer not just to learn the solution, but to study the reasoning behind it.

Evenings and weekends were dedicated to further practice and collaborative study with teammates and upperclassmen. “Studying in groups allowed me to see problems from different perspectives and deepen my understanding,” Khanh added.

Vision for the future

Looking ahead, Khanh plans to pursue graduate studies abroad. His ultimate goal: to work in the field of artificial intelligence. “To do that, I need a solid foundation in mathematics - which is why I chose to compete in these Olympiads. Next, I’m focusing on programming skills and self-study in machine learning and deep learning,” he said.

Throughout his college years, Khanh has maintained excellent academic results and actively participated in competitions aligned with his major. “I hope all of this becomes the foundation to get me closer to my dream,” he said.

Hoang Thanh