How do 8 specialized high schools in Hanoi set admission scores?

(Dan Tri) - Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted has a standard score 5-12 points higher than Son Tay High School, while specialized schools affiliated with universities organize their own exams.

In the 2025-2026 school year, with Son Tay and Chu Van An schools becoming specialized schools, Hanoi will have 8 specialized high schools. Of which, 4 schools are managed by the Hanoi Department of Education and Training (DET) and 4 schools are affiliated with universities: Hanoi Pedagogical University, Foreign Languages University, Natural Sciences University, Social Sciences University and Humanities University.

Specialized schools under the Department hold a common exam. Admission is limited to candidates with Hanoi household registration or parents or guardians with Hanoi household registration.

Accordingly, candidates must take the general public 10th grade entrance exam and take an additional specialized subject exam. As in previous years, the formula for calculating scores for admission to specialized schools in Hanoi is as follows:

Admission score = (math + literature + foreign language) + specialized subject x 2.

Each candidate can register for a maximum of 2 specialized wishes, but it is not necessary that both wishes must be from the same school.

At the same time, candidates can register for 2 different specialized subjects, provided that the exam dates of those specialized subjects do not overlap.

In 2024, the target for 4 specialized schools in Hanoi is 2,970. This year, the target for specialized 10th grade is expected to increase significantly.

Regarding the benchmark scores, Hanoi - Amsterdam High School for the Gifted leads in all specialized subjects. Next are Chu Van An, Nguyen Hue and Son Tay schools. The benchmark score gap between Ams and Son Tay schools is quite wide, from 5 to nearly 13 points.

Math majors lead in benchmark scores across all schools. Benchmark scores are lower for biology, geography, and history majors.

4 specialized schools affiliated with universities organize their own admissions with different methods. The admission targets are junior high school students nationwide.

The High School for the Gifted in Natural Sciences organizes exams in three subjects: mathematics, literature, and a specialized subject. Candidates must achieve a minimum score of 4 points in each subject to be eligible for admission. However, the literature score is not included in the admission score.

The formula for calculating scores to enter this school is as follows: General math + specialized subject x 2.

In 2024, the High School for Natural Sciences will enroll 525 students for 5 specialized classes: Math, IT, Physics, Chemistry, Biology. Each class has 105 students. The highest standard score every year always belongs to the specialized math class.

The High School for Social Sciences and Humanities only enrolls students in three specialized subjects: literature, history, and geography.

In 2024, the school will innovate the exam by organizing a single specialized subject exam. Previously, candidates needed to meet academic requirements such as an average score of 7.0 or higher in math, literature, and foreign languages in 4 years of middle school.

The school believes that taking only one specialized subject is enough to evaluate and enroll candidates who are truly talented and capable of studying and doing in-depth research, while also reducing exam pressure.

The school's enrollment quota for 2024 is only 140, of which 70 are for literature majors and 35 are for history and geography majors each. Candidates who score 8 points or higher in literature will be admitted.

Last year , the University of Education High School for the Gifted opened a new specialized subject, geography, bringing the total number of specialized subjects to eight, including: Math, physics, chemistry, biology, information technology, English, literature, and geography.

To apply to the school, candidates need to take 3 exams in math, literature and a specialized subject. In which, the specialized subject has a coefficient of 2. Math, English and Literature are the 3 specialized subjects with high competition rates to enter the school.

Foreign Language High School enrolls 7 specialized groups: English, French, Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and German. In 2024, the school's quota is 525.

Candidates must take 3 exams: Foreign language proficiency assessment (coefficient 2), math and natural science proficiency assessment (coefficient 1), literature and social science proficiency assessment (coefficient 1).

The highest competition rates are usually in the French, Chinese and English majors.

Details of admission scores to 8 specialized schools in Hanoi in 2024: