Claim: Nguyễn Khuyến was smart but did not do good on tests but he still passed and got a Masters on the Cử nhân degree.
Evidence: Although he was intelligent and knowledgeable, he did not initially fare well in his examinations. In 1864, he passed the Cử nhân degree (or: Hương Cống, Chinese: 鄉貢, the lowest degree of Vietnamese feudal educational system) at first-rate (Masters level) in Hà Nội.