From 2025, entrance exams for grade 6 will be abolished for all schools. This is the new content in Circular 30 on the Regulations on Secondary School and High School Admissions recently issued by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET). Concerns are being raised about this new regulation.
Accordingly, from 2025, secondary schools must select students for grade 6 and will not be allowed to organize exams, even at high-quality schools. This means that "key" secondary schools in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi will have to abandon the entrance exam and switch to the selection method.
Announced before March 31 every year
The Ministry of Education and Training said that the admission criteria are guided by the Department of Education and Training of each province and city; ensuring fairness, objectivity and suitability to the actual situation. For secondary schools belonging to the university sector, the admission criteria may follow the instructions of the governing body or the locality where the headquarters is located. Regarding the process, the People's Committee at the district level will approve the 6th grade admission plan, including information on subjects, quotas, locations, criteria, admission time and announcement of results. The admission plan is announced before March 31 every year.
In fact, for many years, most public secondary schools have recruited students by selection, according to the route. In places where the number of registered students exceeds the quota, schools organize exams, mainly in three subjects: Math, Literature, and English. Particularly in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, high-quality or advanced model schools, international integration schools all have annual entrance exams. In big cities, there are secondary schools with a competition ratio of up to 1/20 to enter grade 6, many times higher than the competition level to enter grade 10, even university entrance exams.
Specifically, in the 2024-2025 school year, many schools in Hanoi will organize exams and tests to enroll students in grade 6, most of which are high-quality schools, private schools and schools affiliated with universities such as: Foreign Language Secondary School (under the University of Foreign Languages, Hanoi National University), Nam Tu Liem Secondary School, Thanh Xuan Secondary School, Cau Giay Secondary School, Le Loi Secondary School, Nguyen Tat Thanh Secondary - High School (under the Hanoi National University of Education)... At Nguyen Tat Thanh Secondary - High School (Hanoi), nearly 6,000 candidates took the competency assessment exam to enter grade 6 while the school only recruited 270 students. Thus, the competition rate to enter the school is 1/24. This is also the school in Hanoi with the highest competition rate to enter grade 6. At Tran Dai Nghia Secondary - High School in Ho Chi Minh City, 4,301 students registered to take the exam to enter the school, of which only 350 students were recruited. Thus, each student must compete with 12 other students to get a place at this school.
With the spirit of Circular 30, the phenomenon of high competition for the entrance exam to grade 6 will no longer exist. Many experts believe that organizing the exam for grade 6 creates pressure on students because they are still young. However, the explanation from the schools shows that this is a fair way to do it because each school has limited quotas.
Fear of achievement disease
Immediately after the new Junior High School and High School Admission Regulations were announced (effective from February 14, 2025), on parent forums, the majority expressed surprise at this change. Many people are concerned that the admission process is unfair and could lead to negativity. Ms. Kim Xuan (in Hanoi) shared that considering transcripts is also difficult to accurately reflect students' abilities because school exams often tend to test basic knowledge. Considering transcripts for admission to grade 6 will benefit those who participate in many awards and competitions, because this will be a plus point for the application. Meanwhile, there are currently countless disguised, chaotic, and insubstantial competitions. If the education sector does not do it properly, many other exams will arise to chase achievements.
In addition, parents and students are in a difficult situation when they do not know how to achieve their goals. Because since the previous school year, some families have invested a lot of money and effort in sending their children to study hard with the hope of getting into "hot" middle schools in Hanoi in the 2025-2026 school year.
Previously, many "top" secondary schools in Hanoi (including those belonging to the university sector) had announced enrollment information. For example, Foreign Language Secondary School (under Hanoi National University) announced enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year from November 24, 2024. The school plans to hold the competency assessment test on June 1, with 3 exams as every year including English, Math and Natural Sciences, Vietnamese and Social Sciences. However, due to the adjustment of Circular 30, the school's enrollment plan may have to change. The leader of Foreign Language Secondary School said that the school is asking for opinions from the leader of the University of Foreign Languages (Hanoi National University) on the new enrollment regulations. At the same time, many secondary schools are also waiting for instructions and directions from the Hanoi Department of Education and Training to adjust the enrollment plan for grade 6 accordingly.
Source: https://daidoanket.vn/bo-thi-tuyen-vao-lop-6-10298053.html
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