In 2 days, January 24 - 25, 2026, nearly 17,000 candidates took the first phase of the thinking assessment (TSA) exam of Hanoi University of Science and Technology in 2026. The number of candidates who are students in grades 10 and 11 accounts for about 12%.
Mai Xuan Do - a student of Giao Thuy High School, Ninh Binh, moved to Hanoi with her father to take the 2026 Hanoi University of Science and Technology's first assessment of thinking. The two father and son came from last night, staying near the school to conveniently move to the exam site.
Do said that he had just returned from the provincial excellent student exam in Mathematics 1 month ago, so he did not have much time to review. Mostly, the male student reviewed the integral, reading comprehension and science part because he did not have a foundation of knowledge in this part. However, he was not too worried before entering the exam room.
I haven't had time to try a full exam, but I estimate about 60 points. This time I haven't put much emphasis on taking scores, if the score is high, I will apply to Hanoi University of Science and Technology, and if the score is not as expected, I will continue to study and take the exam in phase 2" - Do said.
If Do came to the exam site with a comfortable and pressure-free mindset, Pham Ngoc Anh - a 12B student, Tu Ky High School (Hai Phong) was in a high determination. To prepare for the exam, Ngoc Anh focused on reviewing for about 2 months recently and was most confident in the Math thinking part.
In addition to this exam, I also take the competency assessment exam of the National University and apply for admission based on high school graduation exam scores. For me, this exam is both a pressure and an opportunity, because it helps me get another admission ticket to university" - the female student said.
Ngo Long Truc, a student at Gia Loc High School, Hai Phong, is also an out-of-province candidate who came to Hanoi to take the TSA exam. In addition to this result, he plans to use admission based on high school graduation exam scores and some other methods for university admission.
I want this exam to be held more locally, although there are now exam sites closer, but I still choose to take the exam here because I like the atmosphere of Hanoi University of Science and Technology" - the male student expressed.
In 2 days, there were 3 exam teams at 28 exam sites in Hanoi and 10 other provinces and cities including Hung Yen, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Thai Nguyen, Lao Cai, Ninh Binh, Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, Ha Tinh, Da Nang.
Among them, the exam cluster with the largest number of candidates is at Hanoi University of Science and Technology with a total of 2,937 candidates. The exam site with the least number of candidates is in the Northwest region (the exam site in Lao Cai province) with 88 candidates.
In particular, more than 1,500 contestants participating in the competition in Hanoi will experience an automatic check-in system with a duration of about 10 seconds for each contestant.
Dr. Le Dinh Nam - Deputy Head of the Career Admissions Department - Hanoi University of Science and Technology said that to prepare for the TSA exam, the school has upgraded the software, exam organization system and computer rooms to serve exam organization. Thanks to this, the ability to meet the exam needs of candidates has increased compared to previous years.
The structure of this year's exam questions and papers is kept stable compared to last year. The exam questions are updated and supplemented annually, suitable for the current general education program, with many topical and attractive questions" - Mr. Nam shared.
This year, about 50 schools will use the results of the thinking assessment exam of Hanoi University of Science and Technology for admission consideration. Mr. Nam advises candidates to learn about the exam information to be more confident when participating and plan their studies and specific goals.
According to the plan, about 10 days after the exam, candidates will know the exam results on their MyTSA account.
