The Ministry of Education and Training still intervenes in the third subject.

THIRD SUBJECT MUST NOT BE EXAMED FOR MORE THAN 3 CONSECUTIVE YEARS

The Ministry of Education and Training has finalized the regulations for admission to junior and senior high schools, which stipulate that students cannot choose the same third subject for more than three consecutive years. Accordingly, there are three methods of admission to 10th grade in high schools: entrance exams, selection based on academic records, or a combination of both. The choice of admission method rests with the local authorities.

Candidates after taking the English exam, the third subject in the 2024 10th grade entrance exam in Ho Chi Minh City. In 2025, the city will continue to conduct the 10th grade entrance exam with three subjects, as in previous years.

PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH

Regarding the entrance examination method for 10th grade in high schools, the circular stipulates that there will be three subjects/tests: mathematics, literature, and a third subject/test chosen by the Department of Education and Training.

Notably, the regulations stipulate that the third exam subject is selected from among the subjects with graded assessments in the lower secondary education curriculum, ensuring that the same third exam subject is not chosen for more than three consecutive years. The third exam subject or the combined exam of certain subjects will be announced after the end of the first semester, but no later than March 31st of each year.

The third exam is a combined test of several subjects selected from those subjects graded in the lower secondary education curriculum. For high schools under the Ministry of Education and Training, universities, and research institutes that organize their own entrance exams, the third exam or the combined test of remaining subjects is selected by the Ministry of Education and Training, the university, or the research institute directly managing the institution.

Thus, compared to the draft for public consultation in October 2024, the officially issued regulations have been slightly adjusted. Instead of requiring the selection of the third exam subject to change over the years to achieve the goal of comprehensive education in the basic education stage as in the draft, the official regulations specify that the third exam subject must be changed every three years at most.

The Ministry of Education and Training believes that the new regulations will promote comprehensive education, preparing students with the qualities and abilities necessary to pursue higher education or vocational training according to career guidance and streaming. Furthermore, the examination subjects and admission methods must integrate regular and periodic assessments, aligning with the trend of educational reform.

After reviewing the new regulations, one teacher commented: "The regulation regarding the third subject is very half-hearted. If a locality only wants to have English as the third subject and doesn't want to 'break the rules,' they could have English for three consecutive years, then a different subject (like civics) in the fourth year, and then continue with three more years of English exams... and then just wait for the Ministry to amend the regulations."

Speaking with a reporter from Thanh Nien newspaper, a representative of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training stated that, based on this regulation, the department will develop a plan for 10th grade admissions and a plan for the third exam subject for the next school year, and submit it to the Hanoi People's Committee for consideration and approval.

B. ADDITIONAL INCENTIVE POINTS SYSTEM

The new regulations also change the policy on bonus points for students taking the entrance exam to public high schools. The Ministry of Education and Training stipulates that bonus points ranging from 0.5 to 1.5 points will be awarded to outstanding students who win prizes at the provincial level, organized by the Department of Education and Training or in coordination with other departments and agencies on a provincial scale, for competitions held at the national level.

Specifically, students who win first prize receive 1.5 bonus points, second prize winners receive 1 bonus point, and third prize winners receive 0.5 bonus points. These bonus points are added to the total admission score, calculated on a 10-point scale for each subject and test.

For many years, the Ministry of Education and Training has removed the bonus points awarded to students who win provincial or city-level prizes. However, when reinstating this bonus point system to the new regulations, the Ministry also noted that while points are awarded for provincial-level prizes, this only applies to competitions organized at the national level. Therefore, competitions for gifted students in cultural subjects such as mathematics, literature, and foreign languages, organized by provincial Departments of Education and Training, are not national-level competitions, and students who win prizes will not receive bonus points for grade 10.

Junior high school students who win national-level awards organized by the Ministry of Education and Training or in collaboration with other ministries and agencies on a nationwide scale in cultural, artistic, and sports competitions; scientific and technical research competitions; and junior high school students who win awards in international competitions selected by the Minister of Education and Training will be admitted directly to grade 10.

According to the newly issued regulations, the entrance exam for 10th grade in high school consists of three subjects: mathematics, literature, and a third subject chosen by the Department of Education and Training.

Photo: Jadeite

C. Announcing the cut-off scores simultaneously with the exam scores.

According to the new regulations, the admission score for grade 10 is the total score of all subjects/tests, calculated on a 10-point scale for each subject/test. However, the regulations do not specify the weighting of the subjects, leaving it to the local authorities to decide.

Notably, the regulations require that the announcement of admission scores be made simultaneously with the announcement of exam results. For a long time, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have announced exam results first, followed by the announcement of admission scores. The Hanoi Department of Education and Training leadership believes that implementing this regulation will certainly require discussion and research into the most appropriate approach. Hanoi has the unique characteristic of having many high schools under the department's management, in addition to those under its direct management, affiliated with universities. The admissions process of these universities also impacts the determination of admission scores for the high schools under the department's management.

Time allotted for each subject exam

Regarding exam duration, the circular stipulates: Literature 120 minutes; Mathematics 90 minutes or 120 minutes; Third subject 60 minutes or 90 minutes; Combined subject exam 90 minutes or 120 minutes. The exam content is based on the junior high school general education curriculum, mainly focusing on grade 9.

Ho Chi Minh City maintains the same three subjects for the 10th grade entrance exam as in previous years.

On January 8th, Mr. Ho Tan Minh, Chief of the Office of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, officially informed Thanh Nien newspaper about the regulations for 10th grade admissions for the 2025-2026 school year, following the Ministry of Education and Training's issuance of regulations on admissions to junior and senior high schools.

According to regulations, after the Ministry issues the regulations, the Department of Education and Training will develop a plan for enrollment in the first grades of each level, including grade 6 and grade 10, to submit to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee for approval, expected to be issued in February.

Regarding the 10th grade entrance exam for the 2025-2026 school year, Mr. Minh stated that Ho Chi Minh City's stance is to maintain the same organization as in previous years, based on a review and ensuring compliance with the regulations on junior and senior high school entrance exams issued by the Ministry of Education and Training.

Specifically, for many years now, the 10th grade entrance exam in Ho Chi Minh City has included three compulsory subjects: mathematics, literature, and a foreign language (with English being the main subject for candidates applying to regular 10th grade classes), and a specialized or integrated subject if applying to specialized or integrated 10th grade classes.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, choosing a foreign language as the third subject ensures psychological stability and aligns with the career orientation goals of all students, given its consistent nature throughout the 2018 General Education Program. Furthermore, the selection of a foreign language meets the objectives set forth by the Politburo in Conclusion 91-KL/TW regarding the gradual introduction of English as a second language in schools and aims to prepare learners to become global citizens in the future.

In the 2025-2026 10th grade entrance exam, the Department of Education and Training will continue to steadfastly implement exam reform aimed at assessing students' competencies. However, Ho Chi Minh City will more clearly demonstrate this competency-based approach in its exam questions, in line with the 2018 General Education Program.

Bich Thanh

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/chot-quy-che-thi-vao-lop-10-bo-gd-dt-van-can-thiep-mon-thu-ba-185250108205902597.htm