What's new in the 10th grade entrance exam starting in 2025?

The entrance exam for 10th grade will consist of Math, Literature, and a third subject chosen by the local authorities, but this must change every three years and be announced before March 31st.

Regulations for the 10th grade entrance exam.

On the morning of January 8th, the Ministry of Education and Training issued regulations for admission to junior and senior high schools. According to these regulations, provinces can choose to hold entrance exams, select students based on academic records for grade 10, or combine these methods.

For the entrance exam, the test consists of Mathematics, Literature, and a third subject (or a combined test). The third subject is chosen by the Department of Education and Training from subjects graded with scores, including: Foreign Language 1, Civic Education , Natural Sciences, History and Geography, Technology, and Informatics. It is noteworthy that provinces and cities cannot choose the same third subject for more than three consecutive years.

The time allotted for the Literature exam is 120 minutes, Mathematics 90 minutes, the third subject 60 or 90 minutes, and the combined subject exam 90 or 120 minutes. Provinces and cities may announce the third subject after the end of the first semester, but no later than March 31st of each year.

For high schools under the Ministry of Education and Training, universities, colleges, and research institutes that organize their own entrance exams, the third subject or a combined test of the remaining subjects will be selected by the Ministry of Education and Training, the university, college, or research institute directly managing them.

2025 will be the first year that the 10th grade entrance exam is held according to the 2018 General Education Program. Previously, the number of subjects in the 10th grade entrance exam was determined by each locality. However, the Ministry of Education and Training believes that a common regulation is needed to ensure uniformity nationwide.

The Ministry initially proposed a three-subject exam, with the third subject chosen randomly at the end of September 2024. However, this proposal met with strong opposition. In October, the Ministry released a draft of the admissions regulations, which included a plan to change the third exam subject annually to prevent students from focusing on only certain subjects or memorizing specific answers.

In the final plan announced on the morning of January 8th, the Ministry of Education and Training adjusted some regulations, but maintained the same principle: Entrance exams in 3 subjects for grade 10; the exam subjects will be announced after the end of the first semester exams and before March 31st...