Ensuring the 10th grade entrance exam for the 2025-2026 school year is safe and fair

The 10th grade entrance exam for the 2025-2026 school year is the first year of organizing entrance exams according to the 2018 General Education Program with many fundamental and comprehensive innovations. Changes in the exam method, exam structure, scoring method and organization process require the education and training sector to prepare carefully, synchronously and flexibly to ensure the exam takes place safely, seriously, in accordance with regulations, and honestly reflects the students' abilities.

Many notable new points

According to Circular No. 30/2024/TT-BGDDT, dated December 30, 2024 of the Ministry of Education and Training , the 10th grade entrance exam for the 2025-2026 school year has many new points. In terms of methods, localities can choose to select, take exams or combine exams with admission. In Quang Ninh, the Department of Education and Training has chosen the form of combined exams with admission, ensuring suitability with actual conditions and the goal of improving the quality of comprehensiveeducation .

The exam structure has also been significantly adjusted. In addition to the two compulsory subjects of Math and Literature, the third subject chosen is Foreign Language, including 3 languages: English, French and Chinese. Each subject has a different test time: Math and Literature are 120 minutes, Foreign Language is 60 minutes. With this choice, the province not only encourages students to practice their foreign language skills, but also contributes to meeting the requirements of international integration in education.

Grade 9 students at Nguyen Binh Khiem Primary, Secondary and High School (Ha Long City) are actively studying to prepare for the 10th grade entrance exam.

Another important innovation is the way of calculating admission scores. For non-specialized high schools, all exam subjects are calculated with a coefficient of 1, instead of Math and Literature being calculated with a coefficient of 2 as before. This demonstrates a fair orientation, encouraging students to develop their comprehensive abilities. For specialized schools, in addition to the general exams, students must take an additional specialized subject exam, organized with a separate exam, ensuring high classification and in accordance with the requirements of discovering and nurturing gifted students.

The 10th grade entrance exam schedule in Quang Ninh this year is scientifically designed, convenient for candidates and parents. Specifically, on May 31, candidates will go to the exam locations to complete procedures, receive exam cards and listen to the regulations. On June 1, the morning exam will be Literature, the afternoon exam will be Foreign Language. On June 2, candidates will take Math in the morning; in the afternoon, specialized subjects include: Informatics, Physics, Biology, History, Geography, French, Chinese. On June 3, the morning exam will be the remaining specialized subjects, including: Math, Chemistry, Literature and English. The exam schedule is arranged reasonably, with rest time between subjects, ensuring stable health and psychology for candidates.

According to statistics from the Department of Education and Training, in the 2025-2026 school year 10th grade entrance exam, the whole province has 15,736 candidates registered for the exam, a slight decrease compared to last year. Of which, the number of candidates registered for the specialized class of Ha Long Specialized High School is 1,010 students, showing the stable attraction of this high-quality school. The number of first wishes is concentrated in the following subjects: English (231 candidates), Literature (150), Math (135), Chinese (77) and natural subjects such as Chemistry (81), Biology (59), Physics (45), Informatics (48). For the second wish, although fewer, there are still subjects chosen by many students such as English (19), Literature (18), showing a clear differentiation according to the candidates' abilities and learning orientation.

To meet the requirements of the exam, the Department of Education and Training has arranged 32 examination boards at 32/37 public high schools in the province, with a total of 654 examination rooms. Of which, some schools have a large number of candidates registered for the exam, such as: Uong Bi High School with 1,054 candidates, Ngo Quyen High School (Ha Long City) with 906 candidates, Cam Pha High School with 835 candidates, Tran Phu High School (Mong Cai City) with 707 candidates... The number of cadres, teachers, staff and coordinating forces mobilized is up to more than 2,000 people, enough to ensure the organization of the exam seriously and effectively. Particularly at Ha Long High School for the Gifted, 1,010 registered candidates are arranged in 42 examination rooms with 127 cadres and teachers on duty.

Prepare carefully and thoughtfully

As early as November 2024, the Department of Education and Training issued Decision No. 1552/QD-SGDĐT on the structure of the 10th grade high school entrance exam. Subsequently, a series of documents directing and guiding the organization of exam review, announcing exam subjects, allocating enrollment quotas and regulations on enrollment locations were promptly issued, creating a clear legal corridor for units to implement.

In particular, on April 25, 2025, the Department of Education and Training   organized a training conference for managers and teachers of secondary and high schools in the province on contents related to enrollment. The training content includes instructions on registering wishes, using online enrollment software, updating data, handling arising situations and answering questions. This approach not only helps standardize the process but also increases transparency and accuracy in the entire enrollment process.

Staff and teachers of Bai Chay High School (Ha Long City) check preparations and are ready to ensure essential requirements for the exam.

From April 22 to 24, the Department of Education and Training directly inspected the preparation of facilities at examination sites across the province. The inspection contents include: The examination room and exam papers must be safe and secure; the arrangement of a place for police to be on duty and guard 24 hours a day; fire safety plan; surveillance camera system; the conditions of the examination rooms (with enough tables, chairs, writing boards, ensuring a minimum distance of 1.2m between 2 candidates sitting next to each other in a row, each examination room must accommodate 24 candidates); the place where examination room information is posted...

Along with that are other physical facilities serving the organization of the exam, including: The common working room of the Examination Council/examination site; the room of the medical and service department; the room for storing personal belongings and documents and items prohibited from being brought into the examination room; the desk phone for the examination; the plan for arranging backup photocopiers... Along with the conditions to ensure security and safety of the examination site, the arrangement of security guards on duty, and the system of solidly built fences surrounding the examination area. Through inspection, most units were assessed as proactive and ensuring compliance with regulations on physical facilities serving the exam.

The Department of Education and Training also developed a personnel plan for each stage of the exam, from printing and copying exam papers, transporting exam papers, invigilation, marking, and review work. The staff was carefully selected to ensure sufficient capacity, ethics, expertise, and experience. All were thoroughly trained and imbued with the highest sense of responsibility during the exam organization process.

To ensure the exam is safe and fair, the Quang Ninh education sector has closely coordinated with departments, branches and localities throughout the province. Accordingly, the provincial police are assigned to ensure security and order at the exam sites, protect the exam papers and prevent and promptly handle cheating, especially the use of high-tech equipment. The Department of Health has fully prepared a health care plan for candidates and exam invigilators; at the same time, deploying epidemic prevention measures and ensuring food hygiene and safety. The electricity and telecommunications sectors are required to ensure stable power grids and communication lines throughout the exam period. The People's Committees of localities are responsible for inspecting and reviewing facilities at each exam site, and at the same time arranging support forces, creating favorable conditions for travel and accommodation for students and their families, especially candidates in difficult circumstances, in remote areas, border areas and islands.

With a proactive, serious and highly responsible spirit, the Department of Education and Training   Quang Ninh has fully prepared the conditions to organize the entrance exam for grade 10 of high school in the 2025-2026 school year. From perfecting the institution, developing a detailed plan, providing professional training, preparing facilities, to coordinating with other sectors, all aim to organize a fair, honest, objective and quality exam. This is not only the first important test in implementing the 2018 General Education Program, but also a necessary stepping stone for Quang Ninh to continue to improve the quality of comprehensive education in the following years.

Minh Ha

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/dam-bao-ky-thi-tuyen-sinh-lop-10-nam-hoc-2025-2026-dien-ra-an-toan-cong-bang-3360392.html