New structured competency assessment exam, students worried, what do experts advise?

Candidates for the second round of capacity assessment in 2024

PHOTO: NHAT THINH

Some people only study by themselves to take the competency assessment test.

On the morning of March 29, Thanh Nien Newspaper organized the 2022 Exam Season Consulting program at Truong Dinh High School (Go Cong City, Tien Giang Province), attracting more than 1,000 students from 3 high schools in Go Cong City. The event took place in the context that in less than a day, more than 128,000 candidates, most of whom are final year students, will take the Ho Chi Minh City National University's competency assessment exam.

Notably, for the first time since its organization, the competency assessment exam will change its exam structure. Two notable points are that Ho Chi Minh City National University will adjust the content and number of questions for the knowledge groups, and at the same time require candidates to take the exam in all 11 knowledge groups instead of choosing 3 out of 6 groups as previously shared by the school. These are all challenges that require students to develop appropriate review strategies.

Speaking to Thanh Nien on the sidelines of the event, Bui Thi Nha Tran, a 12/3 student at Binh Dong High School, said she wanted to apply to the University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Ho Chi Minh City National University. That was the reason why the female student chose to register for the university's own entrance exam to improve her chances of admission and started studying a few months ago. "I mainly study by myself," the female student said.

Specifically, Tran compiled study materials and mock tests on the internet, then printed them out to study and do, then corrected them herself according to the available answers. "The most difficult thing for me was the 30 math questions, even though I was also studying the natural science group, I still found it too much. Meanwhile, with social science questions such as history and geography, I learned knowledge from the exam itself and this was hardly a big obstacle," Tran shared.

Vo Thanh Danh, a 12D3 student at Truong Dinh High School, started studying for the competency assessment test about 4 months ago. To save money and because there were no competency assessment test preparation centers in the area where he lived, Danh and a group of close friends pooled money to buy an online course to study together. "In this course, teachers will livestream to teach subjects and give different types of questions," Danh said.

"In the final days before the exam like today, I mainly practice the questions and keep a relaxed mind to do the test effectively. I'm also worried because now we are divided into natural science or social science groups but the test is given to everyone together. Honestly, if we talk about chemistry and biology now, we don't know anything," said a student studying social science. "In my class alone, the percentage of students taking the competency assessment test must be up to 90%."

Candidates discuss about the competency assessment test

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Dang Nguyen Lan Anh, a classmate, shared that in addition to the Ho Chi Minh City National University's competency assessment exam, she also registered for the specialized competency assessment exam of Ho Chi Minh City University of Education to apply for the primary education program at this unit. "In general, both my parents and I are very worried about the recent innovations in the exam, not to mention that this year is the first year of implementation, so we don't know how difficult it will be," Lan Anh confided.

What do experts advise?

Mr. Dang Duy Hung, manager of the Lasan - Helius Education center system, which specializes in reviewing private exams in Ho Chi Minh City, advised that after receiving the exam, candidates should spend 3 minutes going through all the questions and choose to do the questions that take less time to do or can quickly choose the answer. "Those are easy math, Vietnamese, English questions and the first questions in the reading comprehension series of 6 natural sciences and social sciences," the male teacher said.

"In my opinion, difficult math questions and logical thinking will take up the most time of candidates, so you need to avoid spending too much time on these questions, and by the time you finish, you won't have enough time for the remaining questions. Another important thing to note is that after you have decided on a question, immediately fill in the answer for that question, and avoid waiting until the end of the exam to start filling in, which can easily lead to panic or even not have enough time to fill in everything," Mr. Hung noted.

Master Bui Van Cong, a teacher specializing in online competency assessment training in Ho Chi Minh City, advises candidates to do the easy questions first and then the difficult ones, and to allocate appropriate time for each part, rather than dividing the time equally for each part, "because each student has their own strengths and weaknesses". To optimize their scores, candidates should also focus on the 90 math, Vietnamese, English questions and 12 logic and data analysis questions.

"Before starting the test, you must take the time to go to the toilet, because even 5 minutes will affect the results. During the test, students should concentrate and do their best, avoid the mentality of taking the test just for the sake of it or following the trend, which will only result in half-hearted work, ultimately losing a chance to pass the exam," Mr. Cong advised.

Mr. Nguyen Vo Minh Tam, co-founder of TTE - The Learning Center (District 3, Ho Chi Minh City), also advised candidates to allocate time according to the principle of "doing easy things first, doing difficult things later". At the same time, use the method of elimination, "if you are not sure about the answer, eliminate the wrong or least likely correct options to increase the chance of choosing the right one", Mr. Tam shared.

"The exam not only requires memorization but also requires the ability to analyze and reason, so use your reading comprehension skills, especially in the language and logical thinking sections. You also have to read the questions carefully because sometimes there are important keywords that help guide the correct answer. The important thing is to stay calm, before entering the exam room, take a deep breath and believe in your ability," Mr. Tam advised.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thi-danh-gia-nang-luc-theo-cau-truc-moi-hoc-sinh-lo-chuyen-gia-khuyen-gi-185250329211411221.htm