Literature: Developing skills in expressing ideas clearly and staying focused on the main point.
According to Ms. Nguyen Vu Mai Phuong, a Literature teacher with nearly 10 years of experience preparing students for the 10th grade entrance exam in Hanoi , the final stage before the exam is especially important for students to review their entire preparation process. She believes the most common mistakes nowadays are students writing lengthy essays that are off-topic, rambling, illogical, or not answering the question correctly. These seemingly minor errors cause many students to lose points unnecessarily. “This is the time for students to review all their work, compile a list of mistakes, and review their knowledge to identify their weaknesses and correct them. This is no longer the time to do many new practice tests,” Ms. Phuong shared.
According to her, the most important skill in Literature today is expressing ideas clearly and staying focused on the main point. For social commentary essays, students need to put the main argument at the beginning of the paragraph instead of rambling on.
In the reading comprehension section, she believes that students should not only identify rhetorical devices but also analyze their effect on the content and artistry of the text. Especially when the exam uses materials outside of the textbook, the skill of correctly identifying the text's theme becomes crucial. If students misidentify the focus, they are likely to give off-topic answers and lose points on several consecutive questions.
To improve their test-taking reflexes, Ms. Phuong advises students to create a "type of question notebook," systematizing common question types such as social commentary, character analysis, poetry, or short stories to easily identify the question requirements.
Sharing the same view, Mr. Vu Thanh Hoa, a teacher at Thang Long High School, believes that students today cannot prepare for Literature exams by "cramming" or memorizing sample essays as before, because recent exam questions use entirely new materials outside of textbooks.
"The Literature exam now tests skills, not memorization. If students do well in the reading comprehension and social commentary sections, they can easily score around 6 points. If they do well in the literary analysis section, scoring 7-8 points is not too difficult," Mr. Hoa commented.
According to the teacher, in the final stages of preparation, students should not try to cram in more new knowledge but should instead systematically review all types of essays. For the literary analysis section – a section where students easily lose points if their writing is rambling – students need to write concisely, clearly, and adhere closely to the prompt. “Many students write very long essays but don’t focus on the main point, so their scores are low. The important thing is to develop the issue correctly, have a clear structure, and present coherent arguments,” the teacher said.
Teacher Hoa also believes that practicing exam questions in the final stage should follow two steps: First, practice each question type separately to firmly grasp the structure, then move on to doing comprehensive exam-style questions to hone your reflexes in handling them. According to him, thorough grading and correction after each exam is a very important factor in helping students identify their weaknesses and avoid losing points unnecessarily in the exam room.
Mathematics: Enhancing self-learning abilities instead of over-reliance on extra tutoring.
According to Mr. Tran Manh Tung, a math teacher in Hanoi, instead of studying broadly, students need to clearly define their target scores and focus on the types of problems they are weak in. "The most important thing right now is knowing where you are weak so you can focus on improving. This is a very valuable time," he said.
According to Mr. Tung's assessment, this year's math exam will likely continue to feature questions related to real-world situations, requiring students to have good reading comprehension and accurate data processing. Therefore, the ability to read the questions carefully and avoid errors in reasoning is crucial.
Teacher Tung suggested a study strategy divided into short phases. In the first week, students can apply the "3-2-2" model: Three days of reviewing basic algebra; two days of reviewing geometry such as inscribed quadrilates, trigonometric relationships, and tangents; and two days of practicing questions categorized according to target scores.
In the final week, students should practice with mock exams, completing one exam each day for exactly 120 minutes in the morning to allow their bodies and minds to get used to the time pressure.
English subject: Don't lose points, especially in vocabulary and pronunciation.
According to Ms. Vu Quynh Trang, an English teacher at Thang Long High School, the structure of the English exam in recent years has not changed much. Therefore, this is a suitable time for students to focus on practicing exam questions and reviewing all the key knowledge.
Ms. Trang believes that current exam questions tend to differentiate more clearly due to the large number of candidates and high competition. Therefore, in addition to basic questions, there will still be "trick" questions to select the best and most talented students. The biggest weakness of many students today is not grammar but vocabulary. "Grammar is systematic; if you learn it well, you can do most types of questions. But vocabulary is very broad, so students easily lack it and make mistakes," she analyzed.
To overcome this, students should not try to cram new vocabulary in a short time, but should review each topic in the curriculum, combined with reviewing vocabulary in textbooks to remember it more firmly.
In addition, pronunciation and stress are also a group of questions that cause many students to lose points, even though they are not too difficult. "Many students learn vocabulary but don't grasp the pronunciation, so they make mistakes in both pronunciation and stress on the exam," she said.
According to Ms. Trang, extra tutoring during this period is not mandatory but depends on each student's self-study ability. For students who are weak or lack suitable study methods, additional guidance from a teacher is still necessary. Conversely, those with good self-study abilities can completely rely on materials and sample questions to prepare on their own.
In the final stretch before the 10th grade entrance exam, calmness, composure, and a suitable study strategy can greatly determine each student's results. According to teachers, in the final stage before the exam, the most important thing is not how much new knowledge you learn, but the ability to systematically review the entire study process, identify mistakes, and maintain a stable mindset. Current exam questions are increasingly less about rote memorization and more about application and assessing genuine skills. Therefore, students who want to achieve good results need to hone their test-taking reflexes, expression skills, reading comprehension, and logical thinking instead of just memorizing mechanically. "There's no secret other than consistent practice, understanding your weaknesses, and correcting each small mistake," said teacher Vu Thanh Hoa.
Source: https://baophapluat.vn/thay-co-mach-ky-nang-nuoc-rut-truc-ky-thi-lop-10.html
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