The aptitude test has changed its structure, prompting candidates to rush to review math and English.

After the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City officially announced the structure of next year's aptitude test, candidates immediately adjusted their study plans to achieve optimal results.

Candidates taking the second aptitude test in 2024

In recent days, social media has been abuzz with information about changes to the structure of the National University of Ho Chi Minh City's aptitude test starting in 2025. Two notable changes are adjustments to the number of questions in each knowledge area and a requirement to test all areas instead of just 3 out of 6 as previously stated in the draft.

"How can I fill the knowledge gaps in four areas over three years in just four months?", a post that attracted 98,000 views on the social media platform Thread expressed frustration.

Focus on the three "main" subjects in the competency assessment exam.

Speaking to Thanh Nien newspaper , the candidates said they were attending extra classes, either in person or online, to best prepare for the upcoming exams in late March and early June 2025. In addition, because the number of questions in the math, English, and Vietnamese sections has increased to 30 questions each, instead of just 10-20 as before, this is also a focus for the candidates.

Pham Minh Dung, a 12th-grade student at Phan Boi Chau High School (Gia Lai), said that the change in the exam structure didn't affect him too much because he had already studied all subjects since the beginning of the summer. In the coming time, Dung will focus more on Vietnamese, English, and mathematics, as well as review other subjects outside the main curriculum to improve his score in the scientific reasoning section. "I aim for a score above 800," Dung revealed.

After reviewing the sample exam, Nguyen Van Chinh, a private candidate currently studying at a private university in Ho Chi Minh City, commented that the knowledge tested was broader, not more advanced. The questions in Vietnamese, English, and mathematics covered familiar topics from the previous curriculum. "English, in particular, is the section that allows candidates to 'break through' because many students aren't strong in this subject, while the number of questions increased from 20 to 30," Chinh analyzed.

"I decided to retake the exam before my first year to pursue my dream of studying data science, so I had a time advantage and didn't face many difficulties when the exam structure changed. For the next four months, I will focus on reviewing English and diligently read more about subjects outside of my chosen group. If the exam questions cover topics I've studied, I'll have a chance to improve my score," Chinh shared about his future plans.

English is also the biggest worry for Truong Quynh Nhi, a 12th-grade student at a high school in Binh Duong , as she had planned to improve her foreign language skills after entering university. "Initially, English only accounted for 1/6 of the total number of sentences, but now it's up to 1/4, so I'm a little worried. In class, the teachers also advised us to focus more on English, so I plan to enroll in extra English classes at a language center," the student shared.

Nhi added that her peers were also surprised by the new exam structure, as no one expected to have to take exams in all subjects. However, because the number of questions in the scientific reasoning section was reduced to 3 questions per subject instead of 10 as before, the female student "is not too worried." "Since I'm only aiming for a score above 800 points, I will try my best in the subjects in my combination to get as many as possible," Nhi confided.

According to many candidates, English will be the section that helps them "break through" in terms of scores.

Please release the answer key for the sample exam.

To maximize his chances of getting into his preferred university, Nguyen Hoang Gia Bao, a 12th-grade student at Thanh Da High School (Ho Chi Minh City), said he is preparing for the Hanoi University of Science and Technology's gifted student competition, the high school graduation exam, and the aptitude test. Despite studying the math-chemistry-biology combination, Bao said he is not worried about the new exam structure because he always studies broadly and sets his learning goals early, right after finishing 11th grade.

"During this process, I focused on reviewing the subjects in the combined group, then the main subjects of the exam including Vietnamese, English, mathematics, and data analysis with logical thinking to build a solid foundation of knowledge before moving on to the exam practice phase. To improve, I mainly studied on my own and enrolled in additional online courses with the motto of studying by focusing on problem-solving rather than just solving each problem individually," the male student shared.

According to Bao, one point to note is that she needs to review additional subjects outside her chosen combination, such as physics, history, geography, economics, and law, by reading 12th-grade textbooks and then learning how to apply that knowledge to exercises and online lectures on social media. "But in my opinion, expanding the exam to include all subjects is an opportunity to accurately assess the candidates' abilities, reflecting the nature of a competency-based exam, not a specialized one," Bao said.

The male student added that the announcement of the new structure at a "rather late" time also affected their plans and timetables. This is because they now have to dedicate more time to subjects with a higher weighting, such as mathematics, English, and Vietnamese. "I also hope that the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City will provide us with the answer key for the sample exam so we can refer to it when taking the test," Bao stated.

Dong Minh Khanh, a 12th-grade student at Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High School (Ho Chi Minh City), said that the new exam structure is quite suitable for students who lean heavily towards the social sciences like herself, because the number of questions in Vietnamese and English has increased, and the level of differentiation has also increased accordingly.

"In the natural science subjects, I noticed that the sample exam mainly requires reading comprehension skills rather than in-depth specialized knowledge. Therefore, even though I've never studied these subjects before, I can still do well, and if I review more, I'll be able to complete the exam faster," Khánh said.

Khánh added that he started preparing for the aptitude test at the beginning of October and aimed to score above 900/1200 points. Currently, the male student is attending extra classes at a test preparation center on weekends, for 3 hours each day. In addition, Khánh is also looking for sample test papers from recent years to practice and get familiar with the format. "I will continue to study according to the center's guidance to have the best direction with the new structure," Khánh shared.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/de-thi-danh-gia-nang-luc-doi-cau-truc-thi-sinh-do-xo-on-toan-tieng-anh-185241115175320306.htm