The Literature exam required entering a captcha code that was 'unprecedentedly strange'.

TPO - The Ho Chi Minh City Literature exam for gifted students, with the theme "This is me, a human being!", surprised many people by including details on decoding captchas in the text.

The Literature exam for the 12th grade gifted student competition in Ho Chi Minh City in 2026 surprised students right from the first lines due to its unique opening.

Candidates were presented with a hypothetical situation unlike any traditional essay question. Before officially beginning the exam, they had to "prove they are not a robot" by deciphering a captcha. This is a familiar step when accessing websites.

Literature exam paper for the 12th grade excellent student competition in Ho Chi Minh City.

The introduction to the exam surprised many students because it resembled a technical operation on a computer more than a typical essay prompt. After the task of "proving you are not a robot," the exam asked candidates to read two passages and discuss the values ​​that make up "authentic human beings," relating them to the meaning of "human pride."

The exam paper left TN, a student from Vinh Loc B High School, stunned when she read the first few lines. The female student said that at first she thought she had just encountered a command to access a website, not an exam paper.

Many teachers believe that this type of exam question is both highly relevant to current events and opens up space for critical thinking and creativity among candidates.

Ms. Ho Le Thanh Ha, Head of the Literature Department at Phu Nhuan High School, assessed that the exam questions were closely related to issues of the digital age such as information technology, artificial intelligence, and the question of how people can preserve their identity, master technology without losing human values ​​in life.

To successfully complete this exam, students must have knowledge of current events, literary aptitude, and creative thinking to relate the content to reality. With a time limit of 120 minutes, students must be able to select ideas, organize their structure, and provide logical evidence.

Sharing the same view, Mr. Bui Quang Khai - Head of the Literature Department at Hong Ha Secondary and High School - commented that the exam questions were constructed with carefully selected materials, reflecting both current events and profound humanistic values.

According to Mr. Khai, the captcha code in the exam raises a paradox: in an era of rapid technological development, humans have to "confirm" their humanity before machines. This detail not only reflects the reality of digital life but also prompts reflection on the position and value of human beings in the context of modern technology.

With the theme "This is me, a human being!", the exam focuses on the issue of humanity and the journey of becoming human. According to Mr. Khai, this is a topic rich in philosophy yet still relatable to life, especially in the context of today's society where technology is increasingly developing. This theme not only prompts reflection on ethics and character but also allows students to connect with their own experiences.

To do well on this essay, students must have the ability to read, understand, and summarize the issue from the provided text. In addition, they need the capacity for critical thinking and argumentative reasoning on social issues.

The 2026 Ho Chi Minh City High School Student Excellence Examination for 12th graders had over 9,000 participants in 11 subjects, with Literature being one of the subjects with the highest number of participants. The percentage of first, second, and third prizes varied depending on the subject. Students who won first prize received a reward of 12 million VND from the city.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/de-van-bat-nhap-ma-captcha-la-chua-tung-co-post1824930.tpo