The story of private school candidates taking the public 10th grade entrance exam 'without pressure on results'

(ĐN)- Many candidates take the 10th grade high school entrance exam for the 2025-2026 school year with great pressure, but there are also many candidates who take the exam simply to "test their abilities".

The 10th grade entrance exam for the 2025-2026 school year will take place on May 29 and 30 at 34 examination councils. It is expected that more than 11,000 candidates will be admitted to public schools out of 21,400 candidates who registered for the exam.

Take the exam with a relaxed mind

While many students take the exam with the determination to pass the 10th grade entrance exam to public schools, thereby reducing the tuition burden for their parents, many students studying at private schools have a more relaxed mentality. If they pass the public school entrance exam, they can study, and if not, they can return to their old school to continue studying in 10th grade.

A student of Lac Hong Bilingual Primary, Secondary and High School (Bien Hoa city) "tests his strength" in the 2025-2026 high school entrance exam. Photo: Cong Nghia

NTV, a student at Lac Hong Bilingual Secondary School (Bien Hoa City) said: “I took the entrance exam for grade 10 very seriously, but I did not feel any pressure. If I pass Ngo Quyen High School as my first choice, I will study, but if not, I will continue to study in grade 10 at my old school and not register for admission as my second or third choice. What I want most in this entrance exam is to “test” the questions set by the Departmentof Education and Training, see how good my academic ability is, and from there, adjust my preparation for the next 3 years of high school.”

Meanwhile, HBN, a student at Le Quy Don - Quyet Thang Secondary School (Bien Hoa City), said: "I consider the 10th grade entrance exam an important opportunity to self-evaluate my academic ability rather than the goal of having to pass. After the exam, if I get good results, I will think about studying at a public school. If my exam results are not as expected, I will return to my old school to continue studying at high school."

Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Hoa, a parent whose child registered for the exam at Nam Ha High School (Bien Hoa City) shared that she still encourages her child to "try" the entrance exam for grade 10, organized by the Department of Education and Training, because the exam can more objectively assess the child's academic performance over many years of studying at private schools before.

After this exam, whether my child passes or not, I still want him to study at a private school, because he is familiar with the learning environment here. Moreover, private schools have been teaching 2 sessions/day for a long time, the facilities are also good and the environment for experiencing skills is quite rich.

The school is 'half happy, half worried'

In previous high school entrance exams, it was not uncommon for private school students to pass the entrance exam to a public school, but then "refuse" to enroll to continue studying at a private school. There were even students who passed the entrance exam to a specialized school but still decided to stay at a private school.

The principal of a private high school in Bien Hoa city said: “The school does not forbid students who finish grade 9 at a private school and want to take the exam to enter grade 10 at a public school. Even students who take the exam and pass the exam to enter top public high schools such as Luong The Vinh High School for the Gifted, Tran Bien High School or Ngo Quyen High School are something to be proud of, because that contributes to proving the good quality of teaching and learning at the school.”

Can candidates who have passed grade 10 of public school continue to apply to other schools?

According to the regulations of the Department of Education and Training, candidates who have passed their first choice at a public school cannot continue to be considered for the remaining choices. However, candidates who have passed the 10th grade of a public high school can still continue to be considered for admission to other private high schools or continue to study at the private school where they previously attended junior high school if approved by that school.

However, the principal of this private school also shared: "If students pass the 10th grade exam and transfer to a public school, the school will "lose" a certain number of students in the next level, which means the school has to recruit more students to ensure the minimum number of students per class."

3 students of Bui Thi Xuan Primary, Secondary and High School (Bien Hoa city) on the day of completing procedures to take the 10th grade entrance exam for the 2025-2026 school year. Photo: Cong Nghia

Not only private high schools, public high schools also encounter certain "troubles" when there are cases of students being admitted to grade 10 of their school, but then not coming to enroll. This leads to the school having to ask to lower the admission score to recruit more students to meet the assigned quota.

The principal of a public high school in Trang Bom district said that in recent years, every year there have been dozens of private school students on the list of students admitted to the school's 10th grade, but then "refused" to enroll. The reason is that these students registered for the exam to experience, not to study. When students are admitted but do not enroll, the school will have to ask for additional reserve quotas when considering admission, or later have to lower the admission score to meet the quota.

Justice

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/xa-hoi/giao-duc/202505/chuyen-nhung-thi-sinh-truong-tu-thi-vao-lop-10-cong-lap-khong-ap-luc-ket-qua-7ab792c/