According to the announcement of the number of students registering for the 10th grade entrance exam at non-specialized public high schools in Hanoi for the 2025-2026 school year, besides schools with high competition rates, some schools have very low competition rates.

Specifically, 13 high schools have the number of candidates registering for their first choice lower than the target.

Tho Xuan High School has the lowest competition ratio for grade 10 admission this year in Hanoi (about 1/0.64). The number of students registering for their first choice for grade 10 at this school is 348 while the quota is 540. Following are Dai Cuong High School (competition ratio 1/0.65) and Minh Quang High School (competition ratio 1/0.73).

Many people wonder if students who apply for their first choice to these schools will automatically be admitted as long as they don't get a failing grade?

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13 non-specialized public high schools in Hanoi have a competition rate for the 10th grade exam in 2025 of less than 1.

Regarding this, speaking with VietNamNet , a representative of the Examination Management andEducation Quality Assessment Department of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training said that a competition ratio of less than 1 does not mean that candidates who register for their first choice and do not receive a failing score will definitely pass.

The Department's 2025 10th grade admission guidelines state that each student can register for a maximum of 3 options. The admission principles are as follows:

- Students who pass their first choice will not be considered for their second and third choices.

- If the candidate fails the first choice, he/she will be considered for the second choice but must have an admission score at least 1 point higher than the standard score of the first choice of that school.

- If you fail your first and second choices, you will be considered for your third choice but must have an admission score at least 2 points higher than the school's admission score for your first choice.

“Thus, candidates will be considered for admission simultaneously until all qualified candidates are found according to the benchmark scores, quotas and related regulations, not having to prioritize the first choice before considering the second and third choices. According to the above principle, the consideration of all choices is equal, ensuring fairness and maximum benefits for candidates,” he said.

For example, if Dong Da High School has a benchmark score of 36, then candidates who score 36 points or more and register their first choice to this school will be admitted. Meanwhile, candidates who score 37 points and 38 points or more respectively will have a chance to be admitted if they register their second or third choice.

“Thus, the competition ratio is for reference only. The important thing now is that students need to focus on reviewing, preparing well mentally and other conditions to confidently enter the exam,” he said.

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Candidates taking the 10th grade exam in Hanoi in 2024. Photo: Pham Hai

Mr. Nguyen Cao Cuong, Principal of Thai Thinh Secondary School (Dong Da District, Hanoi) said that in reality, for many years, the number of candidates registering for their first choice at a school was lower than the quota, but that did not mean that the candidates were automatically admitted. According to Mr. Cuong, if not understood carefully, this could cause candidates to be subjective in the process of reviewing and taking the 10th grade exam, leading to unfortunate results.

“The competition ratio is just a reference channel to grasp the situation. Students need to understand that, with schools having a high competition ratio, they must be more determined during the review period. And schools with a low competition ratio of less than 1 does not mean that students will automatically pass if they register for their first choice. Many schools have a low competition ratio for their first choice but are the schools that many candidates from top schools with high admission scores in previous years choose as their second choice. Therefore, there may be schools where the number of candidates passing is more in their second choice than in their first choice,” said Mr. Cuong.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/thi-sinh-khong-chac-do-du-thi-lop-10-vao-truong-co-ty-le-choi-cuc-thap-2401133.html