Half of the exams were below 5 points.
In 2024, out of more than 98,400 candidates in Ho Chi Minh City taking the 10th grade exam, 55,263 students scored below 5 in Math, accounting for 56% of candidates taking the exam.
The most common score was 5, with 7,150 students. In Math, only 49 candidates scored 10 points; 562 candidates scored from 9 to 9.75 points.
In 2023, out of 93,000 candidates taking the 10th grade Math exam, 44,126 students scored below 5 points.
Math score distribution for grade 10 in Ho Chi Minh City in 2024 with more than 55,000/94,800 exams below 5.
In 2022, out of 92,074 candidates taking the Math exam, there were 41,775 exams below 5, including 1,683 exams <=1, recording only 190 points of 10 and 1,422 points from 9 to 9.75.
In 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ho Chi Minh City did not organize the 10th grade exam. Thus, in the 3 years 2018-2019-2022, approximately 50% of the candidates taking the exam had a score below 5 in Math.
Why are 10th grade Math scores in Ho Chi Minh City always low?
The 10th grade Math exam in Ho Chi Minh City has 8 questions, with practical and creative applications. The exam has been considered quite difficult for many years. In 2024, when the exam ended, many candidates burst into tears. From the teachers' side, there are two opinions. Some opinions say that the exam is good and interesting, while others say that the exam is a bit too much.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training explained that the 10th grade entrance exam must classify students with higher and better qualifications to enter top schools, and students with lower qualifications to enter middle and next top schools.
"Before the 10th grade entrance exam took place, the exam council created a test matrix, which determined the levels of understanding, application and high application. Since 2014, each year, the math subject in Ho Chi Minh City has increased in the level of applying life knowledge. Students must choose the math knowledge they have learned to apply to solve the problems posed in the questions," said a representative of the Department of Education and Training.
In 2022 and 2023, the 10th grade Math exam in Ho Chi Minh City is assessed to have a certain structure and difficulty. It includes 2 algebra problems in the function and theorem section, 4 practical problems, 1 word problem, and 1 plane geometry problem. Some questions have new points, such as students having to solve numerical equations to find integers...
Mr. Tuan Anh (Thu Duc High School) commented that the exam classified good students because it had practical application exercises, requiring students to read and understand, use extensive math knowledge, and combine to solve problems. The exam was not simply a familiar format. If students do not have a good math foundation, it is very difficult to get a score of 8 or higher.
Mr. Lam Vu Cong Chinh (Nguyen Du High School) commented that for many years, about 50% of the 10th grade Math exams in Ho Chi Minh City have scored below 5, which is a fairly stable rate since Ho Chi Minh City changed the way it sets questions to assess students' abilities and knowledge application. This way of setting questions is different from in-class tests, semester tests, and also different from the types of exercises in current textbooks.
Mr. Chinh gave an example, a normal math problem in the textbook will give unknowns in the form of x, y, z and ask candidates to solve the equation. In a real-life problem, unknowns are given according to the situation with information about selling prices and different discount levels. Solving equations is not difficult, but to solve a real-life problem, students must know how to read, analyze the problem and convert the language of real-life data into unknowns and calculations. This is the most difficult step and makes many candidates confused.
10th grade exam in Ho Chi Minh City. (Photo: Nguyen Hue )
Mr. Chinh pointed out 3 reasons. First,education has been innovated but not yet synchronized. The entrance exam for grade 10 of public high schools is oriented towards developing students' capacity, which is the core of the 2018 General Education Program, while the learning content is still applied according to the current textbooks according to the 2006 General Education Program.
Second, most students do not have the habit of thinking when facing practical problems, but often just repeat the knowledge and types of math taught by teachers. Most students have the mindset of studying for exams, so they are passive, lacking the passion to explore, research or learn about problems that occur in daily life. Students have difficulty solving practical problems because they do not know how to "convert the language" from problem data to calculations, equations, systems of equations... while the number of practical math questions accounts for 50% of the entrance exam.
Third, 9th grade students are considered to have graduated from junior high school, so some students have the mentality that they don't have to take the exam and so don't try to study.
2025 exam warning
The 10th grade exam in 2025 will be the first according to the 2018 General Education Program. The math exam will include the following knowledge streams: Geometry and measurement; numbers and algebra; statistics and probability. The test content aims to assess mathematical abilities: Mathematical thinking and reasoning; mathematical problem solving; mathematical modeling.
The exam will require students to apply their knowledge to solve practical problems; encourage self-study and creativity, avoid rote learning; and help students orient themselves on some necessary knowledge and skills when entering high school.
Mr. Lam Vu Cong Chinh (Nguyen Du High School) said that, towards the 2018 general education program, students can apply the knowledge they have learned to solve some real-life problems. However, the exam questions avoid giving unrealistic real-life situations, and forcefully assign formulas.
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/6-nam-lien-mot-nua-bai-thi-toan-lop-10-tp-hcm-duoi-5-diem-canh-bao-de-thi-2025-ar942260.html
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