The Literature exam was of moderate difficulty, but getting a high score wasn't easy.

On the morning of May 30th, candidates completed the Literature exam, marking the end of the first subject in Hanoi's high school entrance exam for 10th grade.

Báo Tin Tức•30/05/2026

Video of a student giving their opinion on the Literature exam:

After the Literature exam on the morning of May 30th, many candidates in Hanoi left the exam room feeling quite relaxed. Most candidates felt that the exam questions closely followed the knowledge they had reviewed, were effective in differentiating students' abilities, but not overly difficult.

Stepping out of the exam center at Thanh Xuan Trung Secondary School, Thanh Xuan Ward, Hanoi, Le Linh Dan, a student from Phan Dinh Giot Secondary School, said that this year's exam was not too difficult compared to previous years' exams.

"I answered all the questions on the test and predict I can get around 8 to 8.5 points," Linh Dan shared. According to her, the part that worried her the most was the reading comprehension question that required an answer in about 5-7 lines.

"I wanted to elaborate more, but the question limited the number of lines, so I had to consider and shorten it to ensure it met the requirements," she said. Overall, Linh Đan assessed the exam as quite good, especially the social commentary section discussing the connection and bond between people in life.

Sharing the same opinion, Ha Duc Anh, a student from Khuong Dinh Secondary School, said: "The exam questions were mainly within the scope of the knowledge we had reviewed. The questions weren't too difficult; most of the content was what I had studied and practiced beforehand. I predict I can get between 7 and 8 points. I liked the essay section the most because it gave me the opportunity to express my opinions and develop my ideas in my own way. The argumentative questions didn't pose too much of a challenge for me either."

Meanwhile, Nghiem Thi Bao Anh, a student from Phan Dinh Giot Secondary School, commented that the exam was manageable for students, but achieving a high score was not easy. "I found the questions quite good and aligned with what we had reviewed. However, to get a really high score, you need to invest time and have good communication skills," Bao Anh shared.

The female student was particularly interested in the literary analysis section, which required writing a 200-word paragraph analyzing the image of children presented in the exam. She considered it a valuable resource, allowing students to express their feelings and analytical skills. While acknowledging the exam's ability to differentiate students' abilities, Bao Anh felt the questions were relatively well-balanced.

"I don't think any particular question was the most difficult, because we've reviewed quite thoroughly throughout the year, so we could approach most of them," Bao Anh said.

At the Trung Van High School examination center, some candidates said that the Literature exam questions closely followed the basic curriculum.

Tran Nguyet Anh, a student from Mo Lao Secondary School, said: "Although the exam questions closely followed the basic curriculum, I was still nervous at first. Students who have a solid grasp of the basic knowledge will score well on this exam."

Nguyen Xuan Bao, a student from Trung Van Secondary School, said that he scored about 70% on the exam. The questions weren't difficult, but they challenged his ability to think quickly and reason effectively to manage his time.

The Hanoi Department of Education and Training (GD&ĐT) stated that the principle of the exam is to be appropriate in difficulty, differentiate students, and effectively serve the goal of admission to 10th grade in high schools.

Before entering the examination room, candidates must deposit their personal belongings in a designated area at least 150 meters away from the examination room to ensure the safety of the exam. Candidates are also reminded not to bring mobile phones into the examination room. If discovered, regardless of whether the phone was used or not, a report will be filed.

According to regulations, before each exam session, invigilators must draw lots to assign invigilation duties and determine how to number the candidate registration numbers. There are at least five ways to number the registration numbers in the exam room, and before each session, invigilators will draw lots to determine a common numbering method that will be applied to all exam rooms at the examination center.

To ensure the safety of exam papers and answer sheets, the Hanoi Department of Education and Training requires that all invigilators absolutely refrain from bringing or using personal communication devices in the examination area.

Before the start of each exam session, the head of the examination center requires all personnel on duty to hand over their personal information transmission and reception devices. These items must be sealed in the presence of the police and kept in the control room until the end of the exam period for each subject.

This year, Hanoi has nearly 125,000 candidates taking the exam, an increase of more than 20,000 compared to last year. However, only about 55% of them will be admitted to public high schools. Candidates take three exams: Literature, Mathematics, and Foreign Language, to determine their admission to grade 10. Therefore, the exam is highly competitive, putting great pressure on candidates and parents.

In the afternoon of the same day, candidates will continue with the Foreign Language exam, and on the morning of May 31st, they will complete the exam with the Mathematics exam.

The Hanoi Department of Education and Training announced that the exam results and admission scores for universities are expected to be released between June 19th and 22nd.

Below are some photos of candidates leaving the Literature exam room at several exam centers in Hanoi: