The competition rate for entering grade 10 is breathtaking: 'Even in my dreams, I think about the exam questions and low scores'

At 9 p.m., Le Quynh Mai (9th grade student, Giang Vo Secondary School) was still busy with a stack of exam preparation questions at a review center in Dong Da District. Even though the extra class time was over, Mai and many other friends still stayed behind to solve the questions and exchange more knowledge.

Putting her first choice into Kim Lien High School – which has the third highest competition rate in the city at 1:2.15, Mai could not hide the pressure. “Every day I study about 12 hours, just hoping to get enough points to get into my dream school,” the female student shared.

Last year, Kim Lien High School had a benchmark score of 41.75 (average 8.35 points/subject) – among the highest in Hanoi . Knowing that, Mai was even more determined and devoted almost all her time to studying.

After finishing her afternoon classes at school, Mai was taken straight to the exam preparation center by her mother, finishing at 8:45 p.m. When she got home, finished eating, the female student continued to sit at her desk to study from 10:30 p.m. until late at night.

With a breathless competition, Hanoi students work day and night to prepare for the 10th grade entrance exam. (Illustration photo).

“I had to take time off from my afternoon shift to take my child to extra classes. The pressure is huge, and just a little bit of negligence can mean losing the opportunity. She wants to get into a top school, so the family is doing their best to support her,” said Le Thi Nga, Le Quynh Mai’s mother.

A few kilometers from Mai’s exam preparation center, in a coffee shop in Hai Ba Trung district, Tran Duy Minh (9th grade student, Ngo Si Lien Secondary School) and a group of friends studied to review their lessons. Not applying to a top school, Minh chose Tran Hung Dao High School, where last year’s admission score was an average of 38.25 points, but was still no less competitive.

“My family can only afford to send me to a public school. If I fail, I will go to vocational school. I don’t dare to dream big, I just hope to get into a school within my ability. But this year there are so many candidates, everyone is studying hard, so I have to try really hard not to be left behind,” Minh said, his eyes flashing with worry.

Nam lives with his mother and younger sister in a small house on Bach Mai Street. His father died early, and Minh's mother works as a worker in a garment factory near their home. Life is not easy, but the mother puts all her hopes on her son's 10th grade exam.

“I know my mother is very worried. Whenever she has free time, she asks me how my studies are going and if I need to take time off work to take her to extra classes. I love my mother so I try my best, even though sometimes I feel really tired and pressured,” Minh shared.

Not having the means to attend exam preparation centers, Minh chose to study in groups with friends or ask for help from teachers at school. Every evening, after a simple meal, he spread his books out on the kitchen table to study until late at night, while his mother diligently sewed clothes for customers under the dim yellow light.

Many nights, the 15-year-old student wondered, “What if I don’t pass? Will I be considered a failure?” But then he reassured himself that he had to try his best and not disappoint his mother. “I have prepared myself for every situation. If I don’t pass, I will choose to learn a trade or study a supplementary education, as long as I don’t drop out of school. As long as I can support my mother and take care of my sister, that’s all that matters,” Minh said.

Students are stressed before the 10th grade entrance exam. (Illustration photo)

Aiming to take the entrance exam to Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted, Le Khanh Chi (student of Cau Giay Secondary School) voluntarily entered the stressful review process, not because anyone forced her but because of the desire to test herself and prove her own abilities.

Chi's day starts at 5am with learning English vocabulary and reviewing old lessons before going to school. In the evening, she continues to study at the center and only returns home after 10pm. After a late dinner, Chi sits at her desk to do exam papers until 1am.

“There was a day when I fell asleep on the table, and my mother had to wake me up and make me go to sleep. But after I fell asleep, I dreamed of taking exams, of not being able to finish on time, of getting low scores. I thought I was under pressure without realizing it,” Chi said.

It is worth mentioning that Khanh Chi's pressure does not come from her family but from herself and the competitive learning environment. In class, everyone studies hard. Every time she tries a test and her score is not as expected, the female student blames herself and is determined to study harder.

Mr. Pham Quoc Hung, a Math teacher with more than 10 years of experience in training 10th graders in Hanoi, said that this is the first exam under the new generaleducation program, so candidates are even more stressed.

“There are students who are good at studying and have a lot of potential, but because of the pressure of exams, they lose their composure and have trouble with their test-taking strategies. The pressure does not come from the exam questions, but from comparing themselves with their friends, from their family's expectations, and from the fear of failure," Mr. Hung shared.

According to Mr. Hung, the worrying reality today is that many students are overloaded and lack systematic learning. “There are students who solve dozens of problems every day but do not learn from their experiences or spend time correcting their mistakes. Learning like that can easily lead to exhaustion and ineffectiveness,” he said.

Mr. Hung advised candidates to study in depth, follow the exam structure closely, do less but do it well, and keep a stable mentality. “Don’t study hard but still have the wrong strategy. At this stage, 70% of success depends on spirit,” he emphasized.

In addition, Mr. Hung also sent a message to parents: " The biggest pressure sometimes does not lie on the exam paper, but in the eyes of parents' expectations. Believe in your child, accompany them properly, and do not just look at the score to evaluate their ability."

This year, Hanoi has about 127,000 students graduating from junior high school. At least 64% have places in public 10th grade, equivalent to more than 81,000 students.
The 10th grade public high school entrance exam for the 2025-2026 school year in Hanoi will take place over 2 days from June 7-8 with 3 subjects: Math, Literature and Foreign Language.
It is expected that around July 4-6, the Department will simultaneously announce the exam scores and grade 10 benchmark scores. Successful candidates will confirm their enrollment from July 10-12.

Lam Hoang

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/ty-le-choi-vao-lop-10-nghet-tho-nam-mo-em-cung-nghi-den-de-thi-diem-thap-ar943123.html