On the morning of April 5, the first phase of the capacity assessment exam of Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City officially took place in 15 provinces and cities calculated according to administrative units after the merger, including: Hue, Da Nang, Quang Ngai, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Khanh Hoa, Lam Dong, Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Tay Ninh, Dong Thap, Vinh Long, An Giang, Can Tho and Ca Mau.
This is a large-scale exam with more than 137,000 candidates taking the exam. The exam results are expected to be announced on April 17.
Recorded at the exam site of the University of Science - Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (Cho Quan ward), from early morning, candidates were present to complete procedures and prepare to enter the exam room.
Many candidates said they had prepared psychologically in advance. Chung Ngoc Quyen, a student at Hung Vuong High School, shared: "I was quite calm when taking the exam. I participated to gain more experience and lay the foundation for the next exam session.
According to Quyen, the review process mainly relies on materials provided by teachers, combined with self-searching online. "I also plan to use the exam results to apply for majors such as journalism, sociology or economics," Ngoc Quyen said.
Similarly, Nguyen Tran Khanh Huy, a student of Hung Vuong High School, said that he started reviewing from about November last year, mainly self-study.
The exam helps me systemize my knowledge. I plan to use the results to apply for the University of Economics and Law, Civil Law major," Khanh Huy said.
Meanwhile, To Chi Nguyen, a student at Saigon Practice High School, considers this a "test" before the main exam. "I take the exam to experience and get acquainted with the type of question. The main goal is still the high school graduation exam," Nguyen shared.
The male student said that he has combined class, group study and self-study through online platforms.
The competency assessment exam of Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City in 2026 is organized in 2 phases. The exam results are currently used by 118 higher education institutions nationwide in admissions.
The structure and content of the 2026 competency assessment exam are built on the basis of the exam structure that has been adjusted and applied since 2025, in accordance with the 2018 General Education Program.
The exam consists of 120 objective multiple-choice questions with many choices, a test time of 150 minutes, and is organized in the form of paper exams.
The exam structure includes three parts: Language use: 60 questions (30 Vietnamese questions and 30 English questions); Mathematics: 30 questions; Scientific thinking: 30 questions.
