Mr. Nguyen Van Phong, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, said that out of nearly 170,000 ninth-grade students who completed the junior high school program, 151,269 registered to take the entrance exam for public tenth-grade classes.
Over 17,700 teachers were mobilized.
For the 2026 10th grade entrance exam, Ho Chi Minh City organized 242 examination centers spread across all three regions, including 226 regular centers and 16 specialized centers, with a total of 6,443 examination rooms. According to Mr. Nguyen Van Phong, each examination center was equipped with 3 reserve rooms to handle any unforeseen situations. To facilitate this exam, the city mobilized more than 17,700 teachers and staff to serve as invigilators and supervisors.
Unlike previous years, for this year's 10th grade entrance exam, the exam papers will be distributed from May 31st (one day before the exam) due to the large geographical area. The Department of Education and Training believes that safeguarding the exam papers is not only the responsibility of the police force but also the responsibility of the head of the examination center.
The Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training requested that leaders of examination centers recognize the importance of this exam. "The head of the examination center and all members of the leadership team are not allowed to be negligent, regardless of their position," Mr. Nguyen Van Phong emphasized.
According to the Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, when unusual situations arise, exam supervisors are not allowed to handle them independently as this could affect the rights of the candidates. Teachers on supervisory duty must report promptly to the head of the examination center through the exam room supervisor for timely guidance.
The head of the examination center must promptly and fully report any unusual situations or incidents to the standing committee of the Department of Education and Training. The head of the examination center is not allowed to handle unusual situations or incidents on their own initiative, as this may affect the rights of the candidates.
Mr. Nguyen Van Phong requested that all examination centers strictly adhere to the "4 correct, 3 not" principle. The "4 correct" principles are: correct adherence to examination regulations and guidelines; correct and complete procedures; correct placement, responsibilities, and assigned tasks; and correct timing to promptly handle any unusual situations or incidents. The "3 not" principles are: no negligence or complacency; no excessive stress or pressure; and no attempting to handle unusual situations or incidents on one's own.
Candidates taking the 10th grade entrance exam in Ho Chi Minh City in 2025. Photo: TAN THANH
Consider the difficulty level of the exam.
Regarding the first 10th grade entrance exam after the merger of localities, Mr. Nguyen Bao Quoc, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, said that the difficulty level of the 2026 exam will be considered to match the general abilities of candidates in all three regions. "The 10th grade entrance exam in Ho Chi Minh City in 2026 will be compiled in an open-ended format," he affirmed.
According to Mr. Nguyen Bao Quoc, the exam aims to require candidates to think critically, apply learned knowledge to solve practical problems, and be able to evaluate and debate. If candidates study in the old way, "cramming" or rote memorization, they will not be able to meet the requirements of this year's exam.
Regarding the difficulty level and the proportion of questions designed to differentiate candidates, Mr. Nguyen Bao Quoc stated that they will consider adjusting it to suit the general abilities of the students after Ho Chi Minh City merges with Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau.
The content of the 2026 10th grade entrance exam will be based on the 2018 General Education Program for lower secondary schools, primarily focusing on grades 8 and 9. The exam is designed to assess candidates' abilities, not simply to test their subject knowledge.
According to the announced structure and sample exam for the 2026 10th grade entrance exam, the leaders of the Department of Education and Training stated that for the Literature subject, the exam will integrate the assessment of reading comprehension and writing skills. The content in the writing section will be related to the text in the reading comprehension section.
The mathematics exam aims to test candidates' mathematical abilities, including mathematical thinking and reasoning, mathematical problem-solving, and mathematical modeling. This helps students identify some of the necessary knowledge and skills for entering high school.
Meanwhile, the English exam will assess language skills, with specific goals for each knowledge area. The questions will focus on evaluating language proficiency, not only based on rote memorization of grammar and vocabulary, but also requiring candidates to be able to understand and apply language knowledge in appropriate contexts, especially real-life situations.
Hanoi : Nearly 125,000 students will take the 10th grade entrance exam.
The 10th grade entrance exam for the 2026 school year in Hanoi will take place on May 30th and 31st. Nearly 125,000 candidates have registered to take the exam; 224 examination centers with 5,300 examination rooms will be organized. 17,150 officials, teachers, and staff members have been mobilized to supervise the exams.
The Hanoi Department of Education and Training has instructed schools to pay special attention to personnel deployment, ensuring a reserve workforce is available to respond if necessary. Schools need to organize thorough training on exam regulations for all officials, teachers, and staff deployed to participate in the exam, ensuring that all members receive training.
At a recent meeting with the Hanoi City Steering Committee for the 2016-2027 school year's entrance exams and admissions, Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Vu Thu Ha requested that units and localities continue to conduct thorough and comprehensive reviews to ensure that all tasks are completed on schedule and that the 10th grade entrance exam is conducted safely.
The Hanoi Department of Education and Training will review all tasks, compile daily implementation reports, and begin a rapid reporting system to the Steering Committee. Any arising issues or obstacles must be reported immediately to the Steering Committee for timely resolution. Hanoi will also establish teams to conduct surprise inspections in localities, focusing on the implementation of city directives, coordination efforts, and the level of understanding of the actual situation.
To support students taking this year's 10th grade entrance exam, Hanoi City has launched a "Lookup High School 10th Grade Exam Location" utility on the iHanoi application. Students simply need to enter keywords into the search box, and the system will automatically display the corresponding results.
Through this tool, candidates and parents can proactively identify exam locations, survey routes, calculate travel time, and choose appropriate transportation. This is essential, especially for candidates taking exams in unfamiliar locations or far from their residences.
Y.Anh
Source: https://nld.com.vn/tp-hcm-chuan-bi-ky-ky-thi-quy-mo-lon-196260521214530145.htm
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