Hanoi parents hope to take the 10th grade exam early

Grade 9 students have to "let" their grade 12 siblings take the exam first?

The information that the 2026 Hanoi 10th grade entrance exam is scheduled to take place at the end of June has made many parents confused. In previous years, the exam was usually held on the first weekend of June. The reason for the change is that the Ministry of Education and Training moved the 2026 high school graduation exam schedule 2 weeks earlier.

Ms. Tran Hanh Mai is worried about her son who is in grade 9. If the Hanoi Department of Education and Training decides on this exam schedule, her son will have to study and review for another 2-3 weeks. This also means that the whole family will have to spend more time taking care of the student before the tough exam.

“You have been studying for the exam all year. A few more weeks of studying will only lead to fatigue, exhaustion and prolonged anxiety and stress.

Moreover, the weather in Hanoi from mid to late June starts to rain and storm a lot, and the heat is at its peak. Children who have to go to school in that weather are prone to getting sick, tired, and physically and mentally exhausted,” Ms. Mai said.

According to Ms. Mai, most of her children's parents want the exam schedule to be moved up earlier. Ideally, it would be at the end of May.

Sharing the same opinion, Ms. Ngo Thi Hang (Cau Giay, Hanoi) affirmed: “In previous years, by the end of the school year, the children had completed the review program. Those who study hard are always ready. Those who do not study hard, even if they review for 2-3 more weeks, it will be difficult to get results, and knowledge will even be lost.

Meanwhile, while their children have not yet taken the exam, their parents are still spending a lot of money on their education. The psychological pressure on parents is no less than that on the students.

As a parent with a child in grade 9, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ha (Kim Lien, Hanoi) has a similar feeling.

What Ms. Ha is most concerned about is why the Ministry of Education and Training decided to let 12th graders take the graduation exam early to reduce pressure and costs, but the Department of Education and Training let 9th graders take the exam late.

“I read the newspaper and saw that the Deputy Minister of Education and Training said that the graduation exam should be held half a month earlier to avoid students not studying hard all year, and staying up all night to study close to the exam, harming their health and wasting their parents' money.

I totally agree with this. The month-long review after graduation is very tiring. But because of the early high school graduation exam schedule, the 10th grade exam schedule has to be delayed, which is pointless.

The 9th graders are younger and should be given priority, but they have to let their older siblings take the exam first. Should the 12th graders have less pressure but the 9th graders don’t?”, Ms. Ha wondered.

Grade 10 exams at the end of June, teachers lose summer vacation

Regarding the adjustment of the 10th grade entrance exam schedule, Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Anh - Principal of Thanh Cong Secondary School (Giang Vo Ward, Hanoi) - said that she understands and shares this policy of the City and the Department of Education and Training.

Postponing the exam schedule helps to clearly separate two stages: the stage of completing the program and considering graduation (end of May) and the stage of reviewing for the transfer exam (June).

According to her, this creates a necessary "buffer", helping students reduce the pressure of having to do many things at the same time. They also have more time to systematize knowledge, moving from "cramming" to "deep learning".

In terms of management, this also helps schools and departments to review candidate records and data more thoroughly and accurately.

However, Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Anh also acknowledged the challenges faced.

“As direct managers, we also clearly see the big challenges such as weather factors, student psychology and teacher pressure.

The end of June is the time when Hanoi is extremely hot, which can affect the health of candidates. In addition, the long waiting time can easily cause fatigue, "exhaustion" or knowledge saturation if there is no scientific review plan.

For teachers, June is the time for summer vacation to recharge their batteries, but with the new exam schedule, teachers must continue to accompany and "struggle" to maintain motivation not only for students but also for themselves in harsh weather conditions," analyzed the Principal of Thanh Cong Secondary School.

Ms. Bui Thi Thu Ha - Principal of Nhat Tan Secondary School - shares the same view. According to Ms. Ha, although the late exam does not affect the school's teaching plan, the prolonged psychological pressure on students is visible.

In addition, teachers are also greatly affected. If the 10th grade exam is held at the end of June, teachers will no longer have summer vacation. Because right after that, there will be training schedules, professional development and preparation for the new school year.

“The pressure of taking the 10th grade entrance exam in Hanoi is real. To make the policy of postponing the exam schedule truly effective, I have three groups of recommendations.

Regarding facilities (for students), I strongly request the City and the Department to have strong instructions on ensuring facilities at the examination sites. It is necessary to ensure that 100% of examination rooms have stable electricity, fans (ideally air conditioning), drinking water and medical staff on duty to cope with harsh weather.

Regarding the policy mechanism (for teachers), we must have a clear mechanism to recognize and support the teaching staff. They are the core force to carry out this task during their summer time. I respectfully request the Department of Education and Training to advise the City to issue a document guiding a specific financial mechanism for schools to pay for allowances and overtime for teachers during this long exam preparation period in a fair and equitable manner.

At the same time, the Department also needs to adjust the summer professional training schedule for grade 9 teachers appropriately, avoiding rushing right after the exam ends.

Regarding policy stability (for society), my most important recommendation is to fix an exam time frame and announce it for many years, whether it is early or late June. When society, parents and schools know the "hard schedule", we will proactively build a long-term plan. Policy stability will reduce unnecessary confusion and waiting, which is the most sustainable way to reduce pressure" - Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Anh - Principal of Thanh Cong Secondary School.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/phu-huynh-ha-noi-mong-duoc-thi-lop-10-som-20251118235704325.htm