Ho Chi Minh City National University said that the 2nd phase of the competency assessment exam had more than 172,000 registered candidates. This is also the exam phase with the largest number of candidates ever.
The exam takes place on May 24 in 15 provinces and cities, including: Ho Chi Minh City, Hue, Da Nang, Quang Ngai, Gia Lai, Khanh Hoa, Lam Dong, Dak Lak, Dong Nai, Tay Ninh, Dong Thap, Vinh Long, An Giang, Can Tho and Ca Mau.
According to regulations, candidates must be present on time as stated in the exam notification paper. Candidates who arrive 15 minutes after calculating the exam time (after 8:45 am) will not be allowed to take the exam.
When taking the exam, candidates are required to bring valid personal papers, which are the original ID card/civic identification card or passport for foreign candidates, along with the exam notification.
In case of loss of personal papers, candidates must come to the exam council room at least 30 minutes before the gathering time to be considered and resolved. If they arrive after 7:45 am, they will not be processed to enter the exam.
Candidates are allowed to bring pens, black pencils, compasses, erasers, rulers, calculators to the exam room; handheld calculators without the functions of drafting text, sending - receiving information, recording audio - video and without memory cards to store data.
Candidates are not allowed to bring into the exam room: scratch paper, exam paper, carbon paper, eraser, documents, stealth pens, weapons, explosives, flammable substances, beer, alcohol; mobile phones, communication equipment, information receiving, transmitting, and storing equipment; smart wearable devices, smart glasses and other high-tech devices that may be exploited for cheating during the exam. If candidates bring into the exam room, even if they have not used them, they will be suspended from the exam.
During the exam, candidates who look at papers or exchange papers may be reprimanded; copying papers, allowing copies to be copied may be warned. Cases of bringing prohibited items into the exam room, taking exam papers out or receiving answers from outside will be suspended from the exam.
Candidates who are suspended from the exam will get a score of 0 and are not allowed to use the exam results to register for admission to universities and colleges.
Previously, phase 1 took place on April 5, 2026, recording more than 133,000 candidates taking the exam. The exam was organized in 15 provinces and cities with 57 exam clusters, 119 exam sites and nearly 10,000 invigilators.
According to statistics, the score distribution in phase 1 is in a near-standard distribution form, both average and mid-range scores reach 682 points, standard deviation 141.2. About 30% of candidates achieve below 600 points, 55% below 700 points and about 6% achieve from 900 points or higher. Valedictorian achieves 1,098 points.
