Hanoi students enter their most stressful exam period.

Today, May 30th, Hanoi students are taking the 10th grade entrance exam, the most stressful exam for students. Therefore, this is also a time when a more multifaceted perspective is needed to reduce the pressure of this exam by offering other opportunities to enter 10th grade.

" Score big" thanks to exam psychology and test-taking strategies.

In a highly competitive exam like the 10th grade entrance exam, psychological factors and test-taking skills are considered crucial and sometimes help candidates win in a competition among students with similar academic abilities.

Mr. Nguyen Cao Cuong, Principal of Thai Thinh Secondary School ( Hanoi ), reminded students: "When receiving the exam paper, don't rush to answer immediately. Instead, calmly read through the entire paper once or twice, think critically, and quickly jot down your notes on scratch paper about each question." According to Mr. Cuong, exam papers are usually arranged in order of difficulty from easy to hard. After answering the easy questions, move on to the more difficult, differentiating questions. Students need a time strategy for these questions; if they don't have an idea after 8-10 minutes, they should move on to the next question. If they can't answer an entire question, they should break down the question into smaller parts to earn points.

With 15 minutes remaining in the exam, if students cannot answer the difficult questions, they should use that time to review their entire work. Students should check the answers to each question independently on scratch paper. If they find an error, they should first cross it out with a pencil, then carefully re-check it before crossing it out with ink and correcting it, avoiding crossing out the correct part without having a chance to correct it later. Before submitting the paper, students should carefully check their information on the exam paper, such as their full name, date of birth, registration number, and exam paper number.

More specifically, regarding the math exam on the morning of May 31st, Ms. Le Thi Huong, a teacher at Giang Vo Secondary School (Hanoi), advised students to take the time to double-check their answers to avoid crucial and regrettable mistakes. According to Ms. Huong's experience, students often lose points in areas such as: incorrect conditions for variables, missing units, writing the wrong names of points, flawed reasoning, and not carefully reading the question leading to incorrect diagrams…

Hanoi students officially begin their 2026 10th grade entrance exams today to compete for a place in public high schools.

PHOTO: TUAN MINH

IF YOUR CHILD DIDN'T DO WELL ON THE EXAM…

Ms. Nguyen Thu Thuy, a teacher at Le Ngoc Han Secondary School (Hanoi), shared: "Many students lose motivation for subsequent subjects after doing poorly on just one exam. At those times, parents should be there to encourage their children to continue. One exam shouldn't take away the spirit of the entire journey. Once an exam is over, close the chapter; a strong mindset is still needed ahead, and parents should give their children that."

Parents also need to help their children understand that: "Grades are important, but you are even more important than the grades." According to Ms. Thuy, this statement isn't meant to belittle the results, but rather to let children know that their value doesn't lie solely in a single exam. The exam is important, but their health, spirit, effort, and journey of growth are equally crucial. A child who knows they are loved even when imperfect won't become lazy; on the contrary, they will gain more strength to strive and improve. Don't add more burdens to your child's shoulders; instead, place just enough trust in them, and if possible, say something genuine, relatable, and heartfelt: "No matter what happens after the exam, Mom and Dad will be here, and we'll go home to rest, okay?"

According to Ms. Thuy, every student needs to know that behind the exam room door there is still a family, a place to return to, and people who love and care for them more than any grades. Mr. Nguyen Cao Cuong, on the other hand, advises students to take time to rest and prepare for the next exam after each session.

Hanoi students are entering the 10th grade entrance exam, the most stressful exam for students.

Photo: Tuan Minh

CAN IT BE LESS PRESSURE WHEN I ENTER 10TH GRADE?

According to statistics from the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, 615 candidates were absent from the 10th grade entrance exam registration session on the morning of May 29th, 120 more than last year. Previously, out of approximately 147,000 9th grade students taking the graduation exam this year, only nearly 125,000 registered to take the public high school entrance exam. The Department of Education and Training believes this means that about 17,000 students have proactively chosen other paths such as vocational training, attending private schools, or continuing education . This reality shows that the perceptions of some parents and students are gradually changing, as public schools are no longer the only path to a successful future.

Ho Chi Minh City has outlined plans to expand the use of academic transcripts for admission to 10th grade starting from the 2026-2027 school year, aiming towards universalizing high school education and gradually eliminating the entrance exam. The goal of this approach is to reduce the heavy academic and examination pressure on students. Hanoi, where the pressure of this exam is most intense, has not yet proposed any plans to significantly reduce the burden of next year's exam.

Dr. Nguyen Tung Lam, Vice President of the Vietnam Association of Psychological and Educational Sciences, believes that quickly meeting the educational needs of the population in the context of a rapidly increasing student population is not easy. According to him, Hanoi does not lack school places; the problem is that people still focus on the goal of their children attending public schools. This is what has created the "craze" for public high school enrollment for many years. This is a problem that cannot be solved overnight, but if the city has the right solutions and persistently implements them over several years, it can be gradually resolved.

Reducing the pressure of the 10th grade entrance exam is not just about eliminating one exam, but also about changing mindsets regarding education, career guidance, and the development opportunities of each student.

Photo: Tuan Minh

Dr. Lam argued that educational pressure needs to be viewed more comprehensively, not just focusing on the 10th grade entrance exam for public high schools. For example, in industrial zones and areas with a high concentration of workers, has the school system adequately met the educational needs of workers' children? Or, for students with disabilities, the number of specialized schools remains very limited. These are also issues that need attention in the pursuit of educational equity. "The important thing is that both the public and the management agencies need to change their approach. The goal should not just be getting into a public school, but ensuring that all students have a suitable learning environment to develop their abilities and qualities," said Dr. Nguyen Tung Lam.

Dr. Dang Tu An, Director of the Vietnam General Education Innovation Support Fund, stated his view: Reducing the pressure of the 10th grade entrance exam is not just about eliminating one exam, but also about changing the mindset regarding education, career guidance, and development opportunities for each student. According to him, the vocational high school model opens up broader career prospects for many students. Meanwhile, if students try to attend high school but lack the competitiveness to enter high-quality universities, many may have to attend lower-quality schools, with limited job opportunities, ultimately ending up in simple jobs or unskilled labor.

Mr. An suggested that the Ministry of Education and Training should focus on building a modern vocational high school system with synchronized facilities and teaching staff, attractive enough for 14-15 year old students. At the same time, the transition period should be shortened to bring the quality of vocational high school education closer to regional and international standards.

Representatives from the Hanoi Department of Education and Training also pointed out that addressing the overcrowding issue in student enrollment requires a synchronized approach combining long-term planning, investment in infrastructure, and innovation in counseling and student placement. This is a necessary direction to ensure the sustainable development of education in the capital city amidst increasingly rapid urbanization.

This person also expressed concern that if admissions continue in the current context where many top universities still have intense competition rates, it will be difficult to achieve accurate and fair results.

In the coming period, the Department of Education and Training will continue to invest in infrastructure, expand school facilities, and strengthen the construction and supplementation of teaching and learning conditions to meet the increasing learning needs of students. Alongside this, many solutions will be implemented to narrow the gap in educational quality between different regions. At the same time, the department will create favorable conditions for the development of private high schools, thereby expanding learning opportunities for students.

Hanoi's 10th grade entrance exam took place on May 30-31 with nearly 125,000 candidates, a record number compared to recent years, while the enrollment quota for public high schools is only about 55%.

The exam results and cut-off scores are expected to be announced in the second half of June 2026.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hoc-sinh-ha-noi-buoc-vao-ky-thi-cang-thang-nhat-185260529210049505.htm