Changes to the exam structure and competency assessment

The National University of Hanoi 's aptitude test is expected to be held in 6 sessions at 19 testing locations. According to the National University of Hanoi's Examination Center, registration is scheduled to officially open on February 8, 2025, and the first test session will be held on March 15, 2025. Candidates can register for a maximum of 2 sessions per year, with a 28-day interval between registrations for two consecutive sessions.

According to the Testing Center, in 2025, the Competency Assessment Exam will aim to evaluate the competencies of high school students according to the output standards of the new general education program; provide career guidance for learners based on their individual competencies; and test their knowledge of natural and social sciences, their thinking skills, and their attitudes.

The exam structure consists of two compulsory sections: 50 questions in Mathematics and Data Processing, and 50 questions in Literature and Language. The third section, in which candidates choose either Science or English, has a time limit of 60 minutes. Candidates choose 3 out of 5 topics: Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, and Geography; each topic has 17 questions (including 1 test question) to complete the Science section. The English section consists of 50 multiple-choice questions designed for admission to foreign language programs.

According to Nguyen Tien Thao, Director of the National University of Hanoi's Examination Center: Approximately over 75% of the questions in the HSA exam are multiple-choice questions with four options. A new feature in the structure of the 2025 competency assessment exam will be the addition of cluster questions in all sections and topics of the exam.

The cluster question consists of a common topic and individual questions designed to develop and assess candidates' abilities from low to high levels. The cluster question will utilize a rich source of data, evaluating students' thinking in specific and cross-disciplinary areas.

Specifically from 2025 onwards, in addition to the Science section, this year's aptitude test structure will include an English section so that candidates applying for foreign language-related majors can choose it for admission purposes.

The high school student competency assessment test is designed to evaluate the core competencies that high school students need to achieve according to the general education program and is consistent with global competency assessment standards and trends.

Based on the knowledge content of the general education curriculum, the exam assesses three main groups of competencies that students have achieved after completing the high school program.

The difficulty of the questions in the exam increases progressively from level 1 to level 3 and is distributed as follows: 20% level 1, 60% level 2, and 20% level 3.

"The format and questions of the exam have been adjusted to align with the 2018 General Education Program, with changes in the quality of the questions in the Student Competency Assessment exam," said Nguyen Tien Thao, Director of the Examination Center.

The test scores are automatically graded using the competency assessment software. The test results are displayed on the computer screen after the candidate finishes the test or the allotted time expires.

Each correct answer is worth 1 point; incorrect or unanswered questions receive no points (experimental questions are not scored). The total score for the exam is the sum of the scores from the three sections, with each section worth a maximum of 50 points.

The score sheet includes a total score (maximum 150 points) and three component scores: Mathematics and Data Processing (quantitative reasoning), Literature-Language (qualitative reasoning), and Science or English.

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