HCMC candidates want 'National Concert' to be included in 10th grade literature exam, why?

On the morning of June 6, more than 76,000 candidates in Ho Chi Minh City officially took the 10th grade exam, with the first subject being literature. This subject is said to give students more space to be creative and express their personal opinions in a new way.

Candidates in Ho Chi Minh City are excited before entering the 10th grade literature exam room.

PHOTO: NGOC LONG

At the Rang Dong Secondary School (Binh Thanh District) exam site, many candidates were in a good mood and not worried about the 10th grade exam. Doan Bich Chau, a student at Rang Dong Secondary School, said that in the past few days, she and her friends have been studying in groups to review knowledge topics, especially in the reading comprehension section, such as artistic techniques. In addition, her group of friends also reviewed the types of questions that the teacher gave them during the exam preparation process.

Chau added that she hopes that this year's literature exam will be about the country and peace because we just celebrated the National Reunification Day on April 30. "We have followed and learned a lot about the 'National Concert' (the way young people 'jokingly' call the parade on April 30 - PV) and also focused on reviewing aspects related to this topic such as patriotism, environmental protection, students' responsibility to the country...", the female student shared.

Besides, Chau said she also learned more about artificial intelligence (AI) because this is a keyword that has been of interest recently.

Similarly, Lam Hoang Ngoc Anh, a student at Nguyen Van Be Secondary School (Binh Thanh District), hopes that "country" will be the topic of this year's literature exam, especially when our country has just celebrated the 50th anniversary of National Reunification Day with the "National Concert" activity and is looking forward to celebrating the 80th anniversary of National Day. "Although the 10th grade exam in 2025 will be less competitive, I still feel a little pressure because my first choice is also competitive," Ngoc Anh said.

Students check in with teachers before entering the exam site.

PHOTO: NGOC LONG

Tran Quang Phuoc, a student at Rang Dong Secondary School, hopes that the literature topic will be "youth" - which is also the students' own story. How do youth contribute to the development of the country in the current context, or how the recent April 30 event promotes patriotism among young people... are the issues Phuoc hopes to present in his essay.

"Since grade 6, we have started taking tests with materials outside of the textbook, so we are not too worried now," the male student admitted.

Nguyen Ngoc Thanh Thao, a student at the same school, also hopes that the 10th grade literature exam will have content related to the country, especially respecting heroic sacrifices in war.

This year's 10th grade exam in Ho Chi Minh City had more than 76,000 candidates participating.

PHOTO: NGOC LONG

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, the 10th grade literature exam in 2025 closely follows the requirements of the 2018 GeneralEducation Program with many changes in structure compared to previous years. Specifically, the exam includes two parts: Reading and understanding literary texts and writing paragraphs; Reading and understanding argumentative or informational texts and writing social argumentative essays. The materials are all quoted from sources outside the textbook and the two parts have the same score.

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-sinh-tphcm-muon-concert-quoc-gia-vao-de-ngu-van-thi-lop-10-vi-sao-185250606084933756.htm