Ho Chi Minh City 10th grade exam: No more guessing questions, candidates study literature 'by formula'

A new point in this year's 10th grade exam is that the literature subject will quote material completely outside the textbook, and this is also the reason why many candidates feel challenged.

Candidates excitedly exchange on the day of 10th grade exam procedures on the morning of June 5.

PHOTO: NGOC LONG

According to the Department of Education and Training, this year's 10th grade literature exam includes two parts: Reading and writing a paragraph; and reading and writing an argumentative or informative text and writing a social argumentative essay. All of the above texts will be quoted from sources outside the textbook and both parts will have the same score. These are notable differences in this subject compared to previous years.

Avoid sample essays, avoid "learning by heart"

Sharing at the exam site of Vo Truong Toan Secondary School (District 1), Huynh Nguyen Ngoc Han, a student at Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted, commented that because teachers had taught her many skills such as how to recognize the type of questions, how to write according to the genre... to do the test, she did not have to "learn by heart" any essay. That is also the reason why the female student concluded that the difficulty of tomorrow's test will depend on the type of questions.

10th grade candidates complete procedures, confident of 'passing the gate'

One notable point, according to Han, is that although teachers give students practice questions, they also give "small formulas" for each type of question. For example, a question about finding images requires analysis, a question about poetic form needs to be recognized, or how to write an answer to get full marks. "For me, the most challenging part of the essay is the requirement to write my own feelings about the given topic," Han said.

The female student added that in addition to studying for exams in class, she also attends extra classes, but her biggest priority is to ensure her health. "I don't usually stay up late, I usually finish my homework by 11pm," Han recalled.

Candidates follow the exam room map before gathering time.

PHOTO: NGOC LONG

Similarly, Nguyen Le Nhan and Nguyen Duc Nhan, students at Tran Van On Secondary School (District 1), also said that their teachers had instructed them on "formulas" to do the test more effectively. In addition, their teachers also compiled many exam questions from local education departments to review for their students. "If we did any questions wrong or did not know how to do them, the teachers would correct them so that we could learn from our experience," the group of students shared.

"I personally find writing a 200-word paragraph very difficult, because when writing an essay, you can list ideas in each paragraph, but writing a paragraph must be concise and ensure that there are no missing or extra words," Nhan added.

Dang Hoang Van Anh, a student at the same school, said that with the literature exam, the teacher focused on reviewing the genres of stories and poems, not analyzing a fixed text in depth, and at the same time, guiding us on how to grasp the problem and then solve it. "We don't study according to sample essays," Van Anh emphasized. "However, I am confident that I can do tomorrow's exam."

Worry about AI in the 10th grade essay exam

For Nguyen Duong Thao My, a student at Tran Van On Secondary School, the first literature exam under the 2018 GeneralEducation Program, the new program, made her afraid that she would not review the material properly. "I guess the material in the exam may be related to phenomena in life, such as the National Reunification Day on April 30 or artificial intelligence (AI). I haven't prepared much for the AI ​​exam," the female student worried.

The story about AI is also a topic that Vo Hoang Long, a student at the same school, predicted would appear in tomorrow's literature exam, along with other practical issues such as the use of social networks, psychology and life skills of school-age children. To prepare for these topics, he said he had to read through articles posted on social networks as well as newspapers. In addition, the male student also paid attention to the topics of patriotism and family affection.

Candidates move to the exam site

PHOTO: NGOC LONG

According to the male student, because this year's questions no longer include textbook materials, he has the opportunity to unleash his creativity and encounter more new things, "no longer constrained by the framework". "In general, in each text, no matter what the question asks, the key is still to provide the topic to the reader. So when I determine this topic, I can do it", Long said.

Ms. Yen, a parent of a student at Van Lang Secondary School (District 1), said that this year's literature exam was "much more difficult than previous years". Because the structure of the 2025 exam no longer has 3 questions (each question is worth 3, 3 and 4 points, respectively) but is shortened to 2 questions (each question is worth 5 points), according to the female parent. "Last year, children could get more points on the first 2 questions and only had difficulty on the last question, but this year both questions are of the same difficulty level", Ms. Yen expressed her opinion.

"Those who do not study well or do not have literary talent will face many challenges. Although I am very worried, I always accompany my child, do not put any pressure on him, just hope he can pass the exam according to his ability," Ms. Yen confided.

This year, the public 10th grade entrance exam in Ho Chi Minh City took place over two days, June 6-7, at 142 exam locations, with a total of 3,277 exam rooms. According to a report from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, 76,435 candidates registered for the 2025 exam with a total enrollment target of 70,070 places, or about 91.7% of candidates admitted to public schools. On the other hand, the total enrollment target for private schools is nearly 19,500 places, helping to reduce competitive pressure compared to previous years.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thi-lop-10-tphcm-khong-con-doan-de-thi-sinh-hoc-van-theo-cong-thuc-185250605183010974.htm