Don't let a small mistake cost you your chance to get into 10th grade.

The entrance exam for 10th grade in public high schools in Hanoi for the 2026-2027 school year will officially take place from May 30th with the participation of nearly 125,000 candidates.

Candidates view the exam room layout at the exam site at Nguyen Du Secondary School (Hoan Kiem Ward) on the morning of May 29, 2026. Photo: Pham Thao.

Given the highly competitive nature of the competition, in addition to knowledge, a thorough understanding of the regulations, careful mental preparation, and proactive handling of unforeseen situations are crucial factors determining each candidate's outcome.

Understand the regulations thoroughly to avoid missing out on regrettable opportunities.

Today (May 29th), candidates are present at the examination centers to complete the registration procedures, listen to the regulations being explained, and verify their personal information. This is also the time when schools, teachers, and parents continue to remind students of important points to note before the exam.

Before the exam, many junior high schools in Hanoi dedicated time to reviewing exam regulations for 9th-grade students, guiding them on how to handle common situations, and paying particular attention to items that are allowed and not allowed in the examination room.

Candidates must complete all three exams—mathematics, literature, and a foreign language—to be eligible for admission to public high schools. Photo: Pham Thao.

According to the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training , candidates are allowed to bring into the examination room items such as pens, pencils, rulers, set squares, compasses, drawing tools, and handheld calculators without text editing functions or memory cards.

Meanwhile, transmitting and receiving devices, recording devices, mobile phones, documents, carbon paper, correction fluid, alcoholic beverages, or any items that could be used for cheating are prohibited from being brought into the examination room and waiting area.

Despite regulations being widely publicized for many years, in reality, every admissions season there are still candidates who violate them due to carelessness or negligence. Simply bringing a mobile phone into the exam room, even if not used, will result in the candidate being disqualified, receiving a score of 0, and losing the right to participate in the admissions process for public high schools.

According to the examination regulations, the examination board will suspend candidates who have been warned but continue to violate the rules; bring unauthorized items into the examination room; take exam questions out of the room or receive answers from outside; write irrelevant content on the exam paper; quarrel with or threaten invigilators and other candidates. Candidates who are suspended will have their entire examination results canceled.

Many teachers supervising the exams shared that this is an unfortunate mistake, but it happens almost every year. Therefore, teachers not only remind students but also urge parents to check their children's belongings before they arrive at the exam site.

In addition to learning the regulations, students are also guided on how to handle various situations that may arise, such as writing down the wrong registration number, filling in the wrong test code, forgetting documents, lacking learning materials, or experiencing health problems.

According to regulations, if candidates forget or lose their exam registration slip, they can still make a commitment as instructed by the invigilator to participate in the exam. However, to avoid being caught off guard, students should prepare all necessary documents and carefully check their belongings the night before.

Another important regulation that the Hanoi Department of Education and Training particularly emphasized was the arrival time at the examination site. If a candidate arrives more than 15 minutes late after the start of the exam, they will not be allowed to take the exam that session. Meanwhile, Hanoi's admissions principle requires candidates to take all three exams—mathematics, literature, and a foreign language—to be eligible for admission to public high schools.

Ms. Tran Thi Thanh Mai, a parent of a student at Thach Ban Secondary School (Long Bien ward), said that her family had proactively surveyed the route to the exam location with their child, calculated travel time, and prepared contingency plans to avoid risks.

"Arriving early gives the children more time to settle down and avoid stress from traffic jams or unexpected incidents. I think thorough preparation will help them feel more confident before entering the exam room," Ms. Mai shared.

Check the exam paper within the first 5 minutes.

Besides adhering to regulations, the education sector is also emphasizing problem-solving skills for candidates in this year's exam.

Candidates register for the 10th grade entrance exam at the exam center at Nguyen Du Secondary School (Hoan Kiem Ward). Photo: Pham Thao.

One of the important requirements is to check the exam paper immediately after receiving it. Within 5 minutes of the start of the exam, if candidates discover that the paper is missing pages, is illegible, torn, or has any technical errors, they must immediately report it to the invigilator for resolution.

According to the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, original exam papers are available at all examination centers for comparison. If any issues are reported promptly, the examination center leaders will address them immediately to avoid affecting students' exam time.

A few years ago, in Hanoi, there was an incident where exam papers were printed faintly, causing students to misread the information and answer incorrectly. Following this incident, many schools have repeatedly reminded students to carefully read the exam questions as soon as they receive them and to never be careless.

During review sessions at school, teachers also dedicate time to instructing students on how to remain calm in case of incidents in the exam room. If they lack pens, forget their documents, or experience health problems, candidates should immediately inform the invigilator for assistance and should not leave the examination area without permission.

According to Nguyen Quang Tuan, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, this is an important exam, but students should not put too much pressure on themselves. The most important thing is to maintain a stable mindset, believe in their learning and preparation process, and enter the exam room with confidence and ease.

Mr. Nguyen Quang Tuan advised candidates to carefully read the exam regulations, check all necessary documents and items before arriving at the examination site; strictly follow the instructions of the invigilators; and absolutely not bring any prohibited items into the examination room to avoid unfortunate mistakes.

In hot weather conditions, students also need to pay attention to maintaining their health, eating properly, getting enough sleep, avoiding staying up late, staying hydrated, and arriving at the exam site on time to avoid being affected by the weather or traffic.

“The city, the education sector, and supporting forces have fully prepared the conditions for the exam to take place safely, seriously, and smoothly. What you need to do is maintain confidence, focus on doing your best, and believe in yourselves,” Mr. Nguyen Quang Tuan advised.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/dung-de-so-suat-nho-danh-mat-co-hoi-vao-lop-10-976072.html