On May 7^th 2011, with the attendance of 733 contestants from 83 universities, colleges, vocational colleges, international and gifted high schools, contestants nationwide, the opening ceremony of the National Round simultaneously took place at 5 cities nationwide: Hanoi, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Can Tho and Ho Chi Minh.

On May 9^th only after 2 days of intensive working, the competition organizing committee officially announced the list of 50 contestants winning tickets to the National Final Round. The competition result is really not onlyimpressive but also  interesting: 

  Contestants in the National Round 

Second years old in Vietnam but it’s the first time the competition has intended for creating a more accessible playground to all students nationwide including students from universities, colleges, vocational colleges, international and gifted high schools. The changes has worked, reflecting the right decision of the organization board whenthe 10 most outstanding candidates fully represent for all school bloc.

Representing for high schools, the youngest candidate will compete in  the National Final round is Hoang Phuc Khanh Long – Chu Van An high school’s student. Despite their debut in Microsoft Office World Champion, vocational college students demostrated their talent with 10 candidates (accounting for 20%) present at the National Final round. Banking University of Ho Chi Minh city, although the whole team couldn’t make it through to the National Final round like last year competition, still secures the first postition with 8/10 candidates to the 2^nd Round. Another speacial result of the National Round is that Le Nguyen Anh Duong and the twin sister – Le Nguyen Thuy Duong also won the tickets to the 2^nd Round. We all know Le Nguyen Anh Duong – the National Champion and the World 4^th ranked with Excel 2003 category in Microsoft Office World Champion 2010 together with many prestigious prizes including Gloden Globe on IT awarded by Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union.

The National Round (1^st Round) successfully ended and we are all looking forward to the National Final Round. On May 21^st 2011, the 10 with highest score in each test (total 50 candidates for 5 tests) will compete in the National Final Round held in Hanoi, Danang and Ho Chi Minh. The competition organizing committee will select the 10 most outstanding to group  for training, then the 5 best will be chosen to be Vietnamese representatives in the World Final Round in San Diego, California, the U.S. from July 31^st to August 8^th 2011.