Should I take 3 or 4 subjects to enter public grade 10 in Hanoi?

With a son preparing to take the 10th grade entrance exam for public high schools this year, Mr. Pham Van Tho (Hoang Mai district, Hanoi) said that these days, his whole family is very worried and anxiously waiting for information about the 4th exam subject to be announced.

" The announcement of the fourth exam subject in March is too close to the exam date, causing pressure on both students and parents when having to allocate time for this exam subject in the final stage," said Mr. Tho.

He hopes that the Hanoi Department of Education and Training will soon announce the official exam plan and only allow exams in 3 subjects instead of 4.

Most parents agree that students should take the 10th grade entrance exam in 3 subjects. (Illustration photo)

Agreeing with the above viewpoint, Ms. Van Anh (Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi) said that with about 3 months left until the official exam, reviewing 3 subjects for students with average and good academic performance is very difficult. If the 4th subject is not a strong subject, the pressure on students will increase even more.

In Hanoi, the 10th grade entrance exam for public high schools for the 2024-2025 school year is expected to be held in June 2024. However, up to this point, the Hanoi Department of Education and Training has not yet finalized the number of exam subjects.

According to statistics from the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, in the 2024-2025 school year, nearly 135,000 students are expected to graduate, an increase of more than 5,000 students compared to the 2023-2024 school year. Meanwhile, the enrollment rate in public high schools is not expected to increase, and the race to enter grade 10 will become even more fierce and fierce.

How many subjects should be included in the 10th grade entrance exam for public high schools?

It is not necessary to take 4 subjects.

Dr. Nguyen Tung Lam, Chairman of the Education Council of Dinh Tien Hoang High School (Hanoi) said that in addition to the three subjects of Math, Literature and Foreign Language, there should not be a fourth subject. Even if it is possible to "improve" further, only Math and Literature should be tested and Foreign Language should be eliminated.

Quoting the spirit of Resolution No. 29-NQ/TW on fundamental and comprehensive innovation in education and training, Dr. Lam said that it is necessary to try to reduce exam pressure for students, making learning voluntary, for personal development instead of scores.

Previously, many people often considered Literature, Math and Foreign Language as the three main and important subjects in every exam. To avoid students from studying unbalanced, we have added a fourth subject. However, from 2025, the high school graduation exam will only have two compulsory subjects: Literature and Math.

Even grade 12 only has 2 subjects and students can choose other subjects according to their interests and career orientation. "Therefore, the number of subjects for grade 10 entrance exams also needs to be recalculated to suit the reality and development of society," said Dr. Nguyen Tung Lam.

Literature and Mathematics are two instrumental subjects that help train students' thinking and are important in the entrance exam for grade 10. In addition to these two subjects, if Foreign Language is considered a really necessary subject, it can be included in the exam. For the remaining subjects, schools need to strengthen quality assessment during the learning process. It is essential to encourage students to learn substantially, avoiding perfunctory learning.

“Reducing the number of exams from 4 to 3 will significantly reduce pressure on students. At the same time, it will also reduce unnecessary extra classes, saving costs for parents as well as the state budget for exams,” Dr. Nguyen Tung Lam emphasized.

Many proposals to remove the 4th exam subject to reduce pressure on the 10th grade entrance exam.

Mr. Nguyen Cao Cuong, Principal of Thai Thinh Secondary School (Hanoi) also said that in reality, secondary schools in general and Thai Thinh Secondary School in particular are all ready for the upcoming 10th grade entrance exam. Whether the exam is 3 or 4 subjects, the school and students can meet the requirements.

"At this time, teachers in the school are still teaching calmly. If there is a fourth exam subject, the school will have a plan to enhance teaching for that subject, but still have to complete the comprehensive secondary school program, ensuring that the subjects that are not selected for the exam are not abandoned," said the principal of Thai Thinh Secondary School.

According to Mr. Nguyen Cao Cuong, the Hanoi Department of Education and Training's plan to announce the number of exam subjects in March is appropriate, ensuring that students study all subjects equally. If the announcement is made too early, students will give up on the remaining subjects, leading to a situation of uneven learning, causing knowledge gaps when entering high school.

The number of subjects in the 10th grade entrance exam for the 2024-2025 school year is a topic attracting public attention, especially parents in Hanoi. Up to now, more than 20 provinces and cities across the country have announced their enrollment plans.
Some localities have decided to reduce the number of subjects compared to last year to only 3 subjects such as: Hung Yen, Ninh Binh, Vinh Phuc, Da Nang, Can Tho, Bac Giang. This is also the last exam according to the old general education program. From the 2025-2026 school year, the exam will follow the content of the new general education program.

Kim Nhung

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