An unprecedented 10th-grade entrance exam in Ho Chi Minh City.

Many students in Ho Chi Minh City maintained a relaxed and enthusiastic mood as they entered the first 10th-grade entrance exam after the merger.

On the morning of June 1st, as Ho Chi Minh City awoke to a mild temperature of around 26 degrees Celsius, over 151,000 students officially began the 2026 entrance exam for public high schools. This exam is considered the first important milestone in the educational journey of many students.

During the first exam session, the weather was quite pleasant with temperatures around 26 degrees Celsius. Although it wasn't yet 6 am, many parents had already brought their children to the exam site early. Before the exam began, encouraging hugs, good luck wishes, and expectant gazes from parents provided extra motivation for the students before this important test.

Trung Vuong High School is one of 16 specialized and integrated exam centers this year arranged by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training. Candidates at this exam center will take four subjects: Literature (120 minutes), Mathematics (120 minutes), Foreign Language (90 minutes), and one specialized subject (150 minutes).

Among the early-arriving candidates, Tri Dung, a student from Nguyen Du Secondary School, quickly went into the school to review his lessons after saying goodbye to his father. The male student said he had set a clear goal for this year's exam: to achieve 21.5 points to be admitted to Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High School. In addition, he also registered to take the specialized Physics exam at Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted to test his abilities.

Not far away, three students from Tan Son Secondary School were still diligently reviewing their Literature notes before entering the exam room. Sharing with Tri Thuc - Znews , Thien Tam (center) said that he had prepared quite well but still couldn't avoid feeling anxious. The male student set a goal of achieving over 7 points in Literature, while admitting that Math and English were the two subjects that stressed him the most because he worried the exam questions would be too difficult.

The atmosphere at the exam site became even more lively as many groups of friends took the opportunity to chat, double-check their registration numbers and exam rooms before the official start of the exam.

Speaking to Tri Thức - Znews , Do Gia Bao, a student at Nguyen Van Nghi Secondary School, said he spent a lot of time studying and reviewing to prepare for the exam. The male student and his close friends are determined to take the entrance exam for specialized classes in Mathematics, Biology, Physics, and History at Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted and Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted. After months of preparation, Bao aims to achieve a score of 25 points or higher to be admitted to his dream specialized class.

At approximately 6:45 AM, candidates began moving into the examination rooms and settling into their seats according to the assigned seating chart. During the process of verifying personal information and signing to confirm participation, the invigilators continued to explain the regulations and reminded candidates to only bring permitted items into the room. Those who brought unnecessary items or items on the prohibited list were asked to quickly leave them outside to avoid violating the examination regulations.

While waiting to enter the exam room, Nguyen Phi Long (second from the right), a student from Dien Bien Secondary School, took the opportunity to chat with friends before focusing on the exam. Despite being in the advanced Math class, Long was still somewhat worried about this subject. He hoped to achieve around 8 points in Literature, 9 points in Math, and 7 points in English to pass the 10th grade entrance exam. In addition, the student said he registered to take the History specialized exam at Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted. Acknowledging that the scope of knowledge in History is quite broad, the student only aimed for around 3 points in the specialized subject to be admitted.

According to regulations, candidates are allowed to bring into the examination room items such as pens, pencils, rulers, set squares, drawing tools, and handheld calculators without text editing functions, memory cards, or internet connectivity. Meanwhile, items such as carbon paper, correction fluid, alcoholic beverages, documents, broadcasting or recording devices, or any means that could facilitate cheating are strictly prohibited.

2026 marks the first year Ho Chi Minh City will hold its 10th-grade entrance exam after the merger, with a record number of students. To facilitate the exam, the city has arranged 242 examination centers, including 226 regular centers and 16 specialized centers, with a total of 6,443 examination rooms. Each examination center is equipped with at least three reserve rooms to handle any unforeseen circumstances.

Approximately 17,742 officials and teachers are expected to be mobilized to participate in invigilation and support of the exam. In addition to personnel from the education sector, police, medical staff, electricity company employees, technicians, and other support departments will also be deployed at the examination sites to ensure the exam is conducted safely, seriously, and in accordance with regulations.

Source: https://znews.vn/ky-thi-lop-10-chua-tung-co-o-tphcm-post1655882.html