Will I pass the 10th grade public school?

In just a short time, grade 9 students in Hanoi will take the entrance exam to grade 10 public schools. Meanwhile, at this time, extra teaching and learning in schools is limited by new regulations. This makes many students lack confidence before the upcoming exam.

According to the plan, the entrance exam for grade 10 of public high schools in Hanoi for the 2025-2026 school year will take place on June 7 and 8, 2025. This school year, Hanoi has about 127,000 junior high school graduates, a decrease of nearly 6,000 compared to last year. The total target for public schools is 79,000. Thus, the rate of students passing the public high school entrance exam is more than 62%.

The competitive pressure is so great that the closer the exam date gets, the more stressed students become. Especially at this time, 9th grade students are not allowed to take extra classes at school according to the new regulations of Circular No. 29/2024/TT-BGDDT.

Students taking the entrance exam for grade 10 of public high schools in the 2023-2024 school year in Hanoi. Photo: Nguyen Hoai.

Nguyen Phuong Chi, a 9th grade student at Thanh Tri Secondary School (Hoang Mai District) said that since Circular 29 took effect (from February 14), her in-school enrichment classes have been suspended. Chi is currently looking for a tutoring center outside of school.

“For nearly a month now, outside of class, I have spent all my time studying on my own. However, if I don’t study more, I won’t be confident for the upcoming exam,” Chi shared.

The 2025-2026 school year is the first year that the 10th grade entrance exam will be conducted according to the 2018 General Education Program. Therefore, the structure of this year's exam will also have many changes. In particular, the language materials in the Literature exam may not be used in textbooks.

Ms. Nguyen Thu Phuong, a parent of a child studying at Phuc Xa Secondary School (Ba Dinh District), said that this will be a very stressful exam. If we want our children to do well on the exam, the teaching and learning methods also need to change. Meanwhile, children are no longer allowed to take extra classes at school. It is rare for a family to have a child in their final year who does not take extra classes and practice for the exam.

To prepare for the upcoming exam, Ms. Phuong has found a place for her child to study at a center. However, Ms. Phuong said that the tuition at the center is quite high, and the quality is not as good as the teachers at the extra school.

In response to the concerns of students and parents, Nguyen Xuan Thanh, Director of the Department of Secondary Education (Ministry of Education and Training), said that Circular 29 stipulates extra teaching in schools for 3 groups, including final year students. However, this extra teaching is only to a certain extent. According to Mr. Thanh, students do not necessarily require a lot of extra teaching, but should be proactive in self-studying, combined with teachers' guidance and review.

According to the Principal of Dich Vong Secondary School (Cau Giay District) Luu Van Thong, students studying on their own does not mean disconnecting from teachers, but changing the way they connect. If before, students studied directly in class, now they need to be proactive in self-studying, if they encounter difficulties, they should contact their teachers for guidance. The organization of review sessions for 9th grade students is maintained according to regulations. The school always provides maximum support, helping students feel most confident when entering the exam. Parents also need to accompany their children in self-study.

Regarding the implementation of new regulations on extra teaching and learning in Circular 29, the Hanoi Department of Education and Training said that the city is an area with a large number of students and schools, so immediately after Circular 29 took effect, schools in the city informed and propagated to students and parents to grasp the implementation.

Schools have also had solutions to provide training and support for groups of students, especially review for final year students before the transfer exam under the new regulation that does not allow collecting fees from parents.

Director of Hanoi Department of Education and Training Tran The Cuong said that the city currently has a roadmap to support funding for schools.

As every year, this year each candidate can register to apply to a maximum of 3 public high schools, ranked in order of preferences 1, 2 and 3.

Candidates choosing their first and second choices must be in the prescribed admission areas; their third choice can be in any of the city's 12 admission areas. Students who are admitted to their first choice will not be considered for their second or third choices.

Candidates should note that the method of calculating the admission score for grade 10 this year has changed compared to last year. The admission score is the total score of the subjects and exams calculated on a 10-point scale, instead of multiplying the math and literature subjects by a factor of 2 as in previous years.

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/khong-hoc-them-lieu-co-do-vao-lop-10-cong-lap-10300895.html