Get ready for a safe and serious exam.

(Baonghean) - On the first day of exam registration, it was observed that the number of candidates "increased" in schools in the Industrial and Engineering fields and "decreased" in those in the Economics and Finance fields, suggesting that this year's exam will hold many surprises. And the competition in mid-tier schools will become even more intense…

The difficulty in finding employment after graduation has also somewhat affected the university choices of this year's candidates. A general assessment from the Vinh examination cluster shows that in the first phase, the number of candidates who registered for the exam only reached 67.55%; among them, the University of Mining and Geology achieved the highest rate at 87.04%. Following that were several universities with many job opportunities, those focusing on engineering fields, such as: Hanoi University of Industry (72.8%), Hanoi Forestry University (74.19%), University of Natural Resources and Environment (70%), Academy of Educational Management (77.42%), University of Information Technology - Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (75.42%), Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry (89.06%)…

Candidates register for the exam at the Vinh University examination center. Photo: Nk

Surprisingly, many top-ranked universities, which have long been considered to have high entrance scores, saw relatively low numbers of applicants, such as: Hanoi Foreign Trade University (45.87%), National Economics University (50%), Hanoi Law University (52.85%), Banking Academy (54.5%)... This accurately reflects the current trend, as universities in the fields of economics and finance have the highest number of unemployed graduates and are facing a "surplus crisis".

A team of motorbike taxis provides free service at the gate of Vinh University for exam candidates.

Many parents have begun to worry as opportunities for university graduates are shrinking, and the figure of over 160,000 unemployed graduates remains a heavy concern. The case of Mr. Tran Song Thao and his daughter in Hamlet 11, Nghi Lam Commune (Nghi Loc District) is an example. Last year, although his daughter passed the entrance exam for the Faculty of Education at Vinh University, she decided not to attend. This year, he is taking her to take the entrance exam for Vinh Medical University again. He confided: “I have four children. The first two had to go to Saigon to find jobs after graduation. Now I have a daughter, and I just hope she studies a field that makes it easier to find a job. She sees that the medical field is currently short of doctors, so she's determined to take the exam. But I don't know if she'll pass because this school usually has very high admission scores.”

Anxiety was also something we sensed when speaking with Ms. Truong Thi Du (Cam Hung commune, Cam Xuyen district, Ha Tinh province) as she brought her second son, Nguyen Xuan Hoang, to Vinh to take the entrance exam for the Forestry University. Last year, Hoang had an accident while preparing for the exam. This year, once again, the trauma remains. She knows that compared to many other candidates, her son's chances are smaller because of his limited health, and it will be harder for him to find a job after graduation because there aren't many jobs for people with disabilities. But she hides her worries and tries to be strong to give her son more strength. Fortunately, from the 2nd of the month, when she took the bus from Cam Xuyen to Vinh, she received enthusiastic guidance from volunteers. In particular, she and six other families were given free accommodation at the Truong Thi Ward Health Station, just 10 meters from the exam location. She said, "My family are farmers, so we're in a very difficult situation. Before the exam, we even had to borrow money from our neighbors. Now that we're staying in free accommodation near the school, my mother and I have saved nearly a million dong on transportation and rent. Everyone was also very kind enough to lend us fans, beds, and bedding."

The pressure of this year's exam will undoubtedly be heavier because, according to the Ministry of Education and Training's projections, this may be the last year after 13 years of implementing the "three common" exam (common exam questions, common exam period, exam date, and common use of results). In fact, according to the Ministry's requirements, by September this year all universities must announce their own exam plans, and in the next few years, universities must be proactive in their admissions process. For example, in 2014, many universities used their own exam plans in the first round, such as the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, the Ho Chi Minh City University of Architecture, the Vietnam Fine Arts University, and Vinh University. This shows that top-tier universities tend to tighten their admissions criteria. Conversely, universities with lower admissions requirements offer more opportunities. However, the number of applications to universities that use this system is not large. This is because most of these are less attractive majors, with low job placement rates and high unemployment rates after graduation. Experience also shows that if there are changes to the exam format, candidates who fail this year will face many disadvantages next year in choosing schools and exam subjects because the exam subjects may change, deviating from the "three common subjects" format and depending on the specific characteristics and requirements of each school and major.

Regarding preparations for this year's exam, Associate Professor, Dr. Dinh Xuan Khoa, Rector of Vinh University and Chairman of the Vinh examination cluster council, stated: “At this point, all preparations for the 2014 university and college entrance exam in the Vinh examination cluster have been completed. Vinh University, as the head of the examination cluster, has contacted and rented facilities to serve the candidates. A special feature this year is that candidates will not have to take the exam at primary schools but at secondary schools, high schools, and vocational schools in Vinh City and Nghi Loc district.” In a pre-exam discussion, Mr. Le Viet Thuy, an official from the National Economics University, expressed: “Although our university has nearly 1,000 candidates, we are very confident in entrusting the exam to Vinh University. Even though Nghi Loc 3 High School is far from the city center, we have been fully prepared.”

Also on the first day of the exam registration process, the examination boards in the Vinh examination cluster discovered many errors or mistakes regarding the surnames, given names, middle names, dates of birth, eligibility criteria, priority areas, exam subjects, schools, and majors of many candidates. Some candidates lost or forgot to bring their exam cards or other necessary documents. However, all were guided by invigilators to write a declaration for the examination center supervisor to review and handle, or the school's admissions officer confirmed the information on registration form number 2 and updated it in the computer system.

The weather forecast for today and tomorrow (July 5th) indicates that temperatures in Vinh City and surrounding areas will remain at 36-37 degrees Celsius. Therefore, candidates and their families should pay attention to their health and prioritize food safety and hygiene for the candidates.

My Ha