Aptitude test: 'Bí sắc tư phong', parameter m 'makes it difficult' for candidates?

Candidates prepare to leave after completing the first round of the competency assessment test.

PHOTO: NGOC LONG

Difficult points in the competency assessment test

On the morning of March 30, after 150 minutes of taking the test, more than 126,000 candidates nationwide officially completed the first round of the Ho Chi Minh City National University's competency assessment exam. At the exam site of the University of Natural Sciences, Ho Chi Minh City National University, Nguyen Van Cu campus (District 5), many candidates left in an excited mood because the exam was considered to be within their ability and suitable for the content of the 2018 General Education Program.

Tran Thi Phuong Thuy, a student in class 12A13 at Hung Vuong High School (District 5), said that the most difficult part of the test for her was math, because the official test had more advanced questions than the sample test, "making it very difficult to type and calculate". Meanwhile, Thuy found the biology questions in the scientific reasoning section "quite easy" even though she studied social science, because "the test already provided the materials, just need to read and understand to be able to answer".

For the group of friends Nguyen Gia Han, Dao Minh Chau, Nguyen Khac Gia Bao, all studying in the 12th grade of English 2 at the High School for the Gifted (Ho Chi Minh City National University), the Vietnamese test was especially difficult as it asked many questions about medieval literature, "while we focused on reviewing modern literature". Among them, Minh Chau was especially impressed with the question, what is the meaning of the phrase "bi sac tu phong" that author Nguyen Du used to start the Tale of Kieu ?

Specifically, the phrase "bi sac tu phong" is taken from a verse in the opening paragraph of the famous work Truyen Kieu : " A hundred years in this world / Talent and fate are so incompatible / After going through a life of ups and downs / The things I see are heartbreaking / What's strange about bi sac tu phong / The blue sky is used to the habit of red cheeks fighting for jealousy ". According to some candidates and exam preparation experts, the correct answer is "gain this, lose that".

From left to right: Dao Minh Chau, Nguyen Gia Han and Nguyen Khac Gia Bao, all students in grade 12 English 2 at Gifted High School (Ho Chi Minh City National University)

PHOTO: NGOC LONG

Standing next to him, Gia Bao shared that he was impressed with the question about Cheo, asking what the character Thi Phuong in the Cheo play Truong Vien was among the answers being Dao Thuong, Dao Lang, Kiem or Lao. Meanwhile, Gia Han had difficulty with questions in the economic and legal education section, such as what kind of document is a business license or what crime is tax evasion classified as...

"I hope I will get over 850 points because this is the level of the university I want to apply to," Gia Han said. "To comment on this exam, I have three keywords: too difficult, too long, too 'hard', especially in social subjects even though I also study social subjects. On the contrary, the natural science exam is not as 'difficult to breathe' as the mock exams I have done."

Math challenging?

Nguyen Phuc Thinh, a 12th grade student at the Gifted High School, said he spent a lot of time on math, while the language, logical thinking, data analysis, and scientific reasoning sections were "not too difficult". "Some difficult math questions were questions that were ambiguous about the data, such as setting many different variables and requiring a specific number to be calculated. The remaining sections were more about reading information and reasoning to come up with the correct answer," the male student said.

Math is also the part that Le Duy Hieu, a 12th grade student at Saigon Practical High School, is most interested in. "In particular, the competency assessment test still asks questions about the parameter m even though the high school graduation exam has eliminated this part. I think many students will have difficulty with this part," Hieu commented, adding that the above question will help create differentiation between levels.

A group of friends talk to each other after the exam.

PHOTO: NGOC LONG

In the first round of the 2025 capacity assessment exam, candidates will be able to take the exam in 25 provinces and cities: Hue, Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, Khanh Hoa, Lam Dong, Ninh Thuan, Binh Thuan, Dong Nai, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Tien Giang, Vinh Long, Bac Lieu, Ca Mau, Can Tho, Kien Giang, An Giang, Dong Thap, Tay Ninh, Binh Duong, Binh Phuoc, Dak Lak and Ho Chi Minh City.

This year, the Ho Chi Minh City National University's competency assessment test still consists of 120 objective multiple-choice questions with 150 minutes to complete and is conducted on paper. However, the structure of the competency assessment test has been adjusted for the first time to match the 2018 general education program. Two notable points are that the test adjusts the content and number of questions for knowledge groups and requires candidates to take the test in all 11 groups.

In 2025, more than 100 universities and colleges registered to use the results of the Ho Chi Minh City National University's competency assessment exam for admission. Previously, in 2024, the exam helped Ho Chi Minh City National University recruit more than 9,200 students, accounting for more than 38% of the total enrollment target of the entire system. The maximum score of the competency assessment exam is 1,200 and the score of each question has different weights depending on the difficulty of the question.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thi-danh-gia-nang-luc-bi-sac-tu-phong-tham-so-m-lam-kho-thi-sinh-185250330195145052.htm