Many provinces and cities choose English as the third exam subject.
According to the regulations on junior high school and high school admissions recently announced by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), there are 3 methods of admission to grade 10 of high school: entrance exam, selection or a combination of entrance exam and selection. The selection of the admission method is under the authority of the locality.
For the entrance exam method for grade 10 high school, localities will agree on a plan for 3 subjects/exams: Math, Literature and a third subject or exam selected by the Department of Education and Training. The third subject will be announced after the end of the first semester but no later than March 31 every year.
Up to now, more than 10 localities have announced the third exam subject - the 10th grade exam. Except for Vinh Phuc, which plans to choose a combined exam, the provinces and cities have chosen foreign languages (mainly English). Ho Chi Minh City is also one of the provinces and cities that have chosen English as the third exam subject for the 10th grade entrance exam.
According to the analysis of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, the education program at the secondary level ensures that students have access to basic knowledge and issues and determine their own orientation, which is the basis for choosing appropriate subjects at high school. Therefore, the third exam subject must ensure that it does not affect the psychology, review process and choice of subjects at the high school level of students.
Proactive review plan
In Hanoi, although the third subject - the 10th grade entrance exam - has not been announced yet, since the end of August 2024, to facilitate teaching and review for secondary schools and students, the Hanoi Department of Education and Training has announced the format structure and sample questions for the subjects: Math; Literature, English, History and Geography, Natural Sciences, Informatics, and Civic Education.
While waiting for the announcement of the third exam subject, Nguyen Bao Anh Quan - a 9th grade student at Hong Ha Secondary School (Dan Phuong District, Hanoi) has made a detailed plan for Math and Literature. During the recent Lunar New Year, the male student spent time doing sample questions to get used to the question types, maintain his study habits, and prepare for the advanced exam.
"If you master Math and Literature, you can focus on the third exam when it is announced" - Quan said.
Ms. Phan Thi Thuc Hanh - Principal of Phuong Mai Secondary School, Dong Da District, Hanoi - said that at present, although Hanoi has not announced the third exam subject for grade 10, all study and review plans of the school are still going according to plan.
"9th grade students study according to the program. When teachers teach a certain part, they will review the types of questions and answers according to the sample structure of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training so that students can grasp the knowledge. Every month, the school will test and survey the 9th grade students. From there, they will determine their current capacity and have a review plan" - Ms. Hanh shared and added that around March, in addition to reviewing, the school will promote career guidance and orientation for 9th grade students so that they can have choices suitable to their own capacity.
In Lang Son province, Mr. Ngo Van Hien, Head of the Department of Education and Training of Van Quan district, informed that the Department of Education and Training has finalized the plan for the 10th grade entrance exam for the 2025-2026 school year. In particular, for public schools, exams will be conducted in 3 subjects: Literature, Math and English.
"Currently, schools are strengthening review and training for students. In Van Quan district, a plan is still being developed to implement two phases: close review and subject review. The subject review phase will be implemented from April 2025. In this phase, students will be classified to review according to each level of study, thereby achieving the best exam results," Mr. Hien shared.
