Nghe An: Number of students taking 10th grade entrance exam decreases but public school enrollment quota does not decrease

New exam "makes it difficult" for students

The 9th grade Statistics Math problem was developed by teacher Tran Tuan Hung - teacher at Ho Tong Thoc Secondary School (Yen Thanh) through the form of a real math problem.

According to Mr. Hung, incorporating practical exercises into teaching is an urgent requirement when the 10th grade entrance exam this year has many adjustments in content, especially applied math problems. With many years of experience teaching and managing the Natural Science group, he believes that rural students will encounter many difficulties with this type of problem. Therefore, in addition to imparting solid theory, teachers need to increase practice to help students get used to the new structure of the exam.

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We predict that scores of 7 and above will be rare this year because the reference questions are more difficult and there are many new types of Math. Teachers are also facing challenges because they do not have enough time to teach extra lessons and practice questions. In the short term, we will try to make the most of class time to equip students with basic knowledge, while also assigning more self-practice exercises and providing guidance on how to solve them at home.

Teacher Tran Tuan Hung - Ho Tong Thoc Secondary School

At An Trung Secondary School (Dien Chau), teacher Phan Van Phu is also taking advantage of afternoon tutoring sessions to focus on correcting math problems for 9th grade students.

The teacher also said that with this year's exam, it is very difficult for rural students to get 5 and 6 points: This year's exam is nearly 2 pages long, I am afraid that students will be overwhelmed, many of them may not read the whole exam. Meanwhile, we only have about 10 sessions to practice exam questions for students, very few compared to previous years.

English is also a concern for many teachers and students. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hao, a teacher at An Nguyen Secondary School (Dien Chau), worried: "I am very worried about students this year because this is the first year the exam applies the new general education program. Although the number of English questions has been reduced from 50 to 40, practical questions, communication, and long conversations have been increased, making students feel confused. In our area, students mainly study in class and have few opportunities to take extra classes, so their knowledge and skills are still limited. Teachers have proactively researched the new exam questions and tried to practice more with students, and provided free make-up lessons. However, the goal of achieving 4.5 - 5 points is also a big challenge."

Concerns about the "recurrence" of the situation of massive changes in wishes after the exam

After the Provincial People's Committee announced the 10th grade enrollment plan for the 2025-2026 school year, the Department of Education and Training quickly issued detailed documents for implementation.

Notably, according to the guidance of the Department of Education and Training, this year students are still allowed to register 3 wishes and especially they have the right to adjust their wishes after completing the exam. The purpose of this is to create maximum conditions for candidates to make the most suitable choice based on their exam results. However, this regulation also raises concerns and worries in the parent community.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong, a parent whose child is preparing for the 10th grade entrance exam in Vinh city, shared: "I have carefully studied the entrance exam for the previous school year and am really worried that changing preferences will cause unpredictable fluctuations in the number of candidates. I personally hope that, with the inherently stressful nature of the 9th grade exam, my children will not have to endure additional pressure from changing preferences. In addition, if the Department of Education and Training allows adjustments to preferences, I hope the Department will make public and transparent related information to avoid the situation where parents and students change their preferences en masse, causing disadvantages to the overall admission results."

Adjusting preferences after the exam is also a problem that many schools worry about, because in reality, many students have missed the opportunity to enter their desired school because they changed their preferences at the last minute.

Sharing about this issue, teacher Dau Thi Thanh Huong - Vice Principal of Quan Bau Secondary School (Vinh City) emphasized: "The entrance exam for grade 10 plays a very important role, a turning point in the learning journey of students. Especially in Vinh City, this is an exam with great pressure, and this year that pressure seems to have doubled".

Ms. Huong further analyzed: "The firstThis year's exam is organized according to a new exam structure, requiring students to have a broad and diverse knowledge base, including both theory and practical application. The questions in the application section are all highly applicable.Monday, pressure in Vinh also comes from the often very high admission scores to public schools, forcing students and parents to consider carefully to choose a school that suits their abilities. This school year, the pressure has increased due to the influence of Circular 29 and the approaching exam, which has shortened the review time of students. Students mainly have to study at home in addition to their regular school time."

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We hope that this year's exam will be conducted smoothly, reducing pressure on students. At the same time, I also propose that the Department of Education and Training should make adjustments to the regulations on changing wishes, and should not prolong the adjustment period.

This can affect the psychology of both students and parents, as well as lead to many cases of changing wishes that are not really consistent with the exam results."

Teacher Dau Thi Thanh Huong - Vice Principal of Quan Bau Secondary School (Vinh City)

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Although the number of students taking the exam this year has decreased, we still maintain the same educational plan of the schools as previous years to ensure the rights of the students and increase the chances of being admitted to public schools.

Besides, although this is the first year of organizing according to the 2018 General Education Program, the Department has proactively announced the exam subjects, exam structure and directed schools to review closely to facilitate students' review.

At this time, we also hope that students should not worry too much but focus on studying. Changing wishes should be carefully considered based on the test and should have advice from teachers and the school's admissions consulting board.

Mr. Nguyen Tien Dung - Head of Secondary Education Department - Department of Education and Training