“Just a little more”
It is something people have always said. As a child, it can be a plea for more playtime or
to stay awake a little longer. As an adult, it can be a form of encouragement, a way to
ease exhaustion. For me, it represents the most important lesson I learned during my
journey with the V-ACT test: determination makes the impossible possible.
My starting point was not optimistic. In short, I was an ordinary student with a slightly
above average GPA in my 12th grade. It was not until I became fully aware of my
responsibility for my own future that I truly began to take action. I had had a clear goal in
mind before: achieving a score of 900 on the V-ACT. To provide some context, the V-ACT
has two test dates and requires using extensive knowledge from both STEM and nonSTEM subjects.
I dropped all of my hobbies. For six months, I maintained strict discipline through a cycle
of learning at school and at home. At school, I used every moment to absorp the
knowledge, integrating what I learned into the preparation for the test. Day by day, I kept
telling myself: “Push forward. Just a little more.”
As the test day approached, my expectations and hopes became more tangible. Then the
first official test came. I scored 850, still 50 points short of my goal. I did not succeed on
the first attempt. However, I still had one final chance, and I gathered myself to change
the outcome one more time.
During the following month, I changed my preparation strategy. I focused more on quality
rather than quantity. My main goal shifted to minimizing mistakes and ensuring that every
question was answered correctly. Then the second test came. I made a significant
increase from 850 to 999, standing among the top 0.77% of test takers.
Looking back, every moment of this journey felt like a battle, and I am grateful that I did
not give up on any of them. I understand that aircraft engineer is a career that requires
continuous learning and training. However, now that I have experienced and know how
to cope, it will be just another great challenge, and I will not give up easily on my goal.
My career plan begins in my second year of university. By the time I graduate, I apply to
the trainee aircraft engineer programme of SIA Engineering Company. Upon completing
the trainee program, my goal is to become a licensed aircraft engineer. (Gain experience
and obtain more aircraft types.)
Aircraft licensed maintenance trainee.