Parents sweat profusely as they jostle to greet their children taking the entrance exam for specialized teacher training programs.

At 10:00 AM on June 4th, nearly 7,500 candidates taking the entrance exam for the Hanoi University of Education's High School for Gifted Students finished their General English exam – the first subject in the 10th grade entrance exam for this school.

About 30 minutes before the end of the exam, many parents, wearing hats and carrying umbrellas, lined up in front of the exam centers to wait for their children. Some took the opportunity to buy drinks and snacks to prepare for their children after they finished the first exam.

At this time, the temperature in Hanoi is around 35 degrees Celsius, and it may be even higher outside. Thousands of exam candidates rushed out of the school gates in the hot weather.

Many parents were constantly calling and texting to find their children amidst the crowd. The calls for their children echoed continuously, interspersed with car horns and the lively conversations of candidates who had just finished the first exam. Many parents had to push their way through the crowd, standing on tiptoe to spot their children.

Anticipating the crowds, some families arranged meeting points in advance. However, the sheer number of people arriving at the same time made transportation difficult, with many families taking 10-15 minutes to finally meet each other.

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Having left the exam room at 10:10 AM but unable to find her mother on campus, Hong Thanh (a student at Ly Son Secondary School) decided to wait outside the school gate. Amidst the crowded throng, the girl constantly scanned the area searching. After a few minutes of unsuccessfully trying to call, Thanh stood huddled in a corner of the sidewalk, observing the passersby while checking her phone.

Similarly, after waiting 20 minutes and still not having received their ride, Minh Khue's group (in the middle, a student from Kim Giang Secondary School) took the opportunity to discuss the answers. Khue commented that the exam had some difficult questions, designed to differentiate students, but interspersed with them were some easy questions to score points on. "To get an 8.5 in the general English subject, candidates also need to have excellent memorization skills," the female student said.

According to Principal Vu Van Tien, the number of applicants this year reached a record high, making it the largest 10th-grade entrance exam in the country. The furthest applicant this year came from Phu Quoc Special Economic Zone ( An Giang province). Students had to take four exams over two days, June 4th and 5th. These included three common subjects: Mathematics, Literature, and English. Afterward, they took the specialized subject exam corresponding to the specialized class they applied for.

Outside the school gates, according to Tri Thuc - Znews, a large number of candidates and parents poured out at the same time, causing a high density of vehicles and localized traffic congestion in front of the two school gates on Xuan Thuy Street.

Authorities and volunteer youth were stationed at the school gate to direct traffic and guide parents, but they faced difficulties due to the large number of parents and vehicles.

Many parents' cars were parked along the school gate while they waited for their children, narrowing the road. A long line of motorbikes and cars moved slowly through the gate area. At times, vehicles were practically inching forward.