10th grade admission in Ho Chi Minh City this year will be easier

Students learn information at the 2025 10th Grade Confidence Festival organized by Muc Tim publication (Tuoi Tre newspaper) - Photo: DUYEN PHAN

On April 2, Tuoi Tre newspaper reporters had an interview with Mr. Nguyen Bao Quoc, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City, about the 10th grade entrance exam for the 2025-2026 school year.

Mr. Quoc said: The 10th grade entrance exam for the 2025-2026 school year will basically remain stable in terms of technology, including registration steps and registration process.

Candidates should note the following: Registration and adjustment of 10th grade admission wishes are all done online, through the information portal at https://ts10.hcm.edu.vn.

This address will have full information about enrollment targets, school education programs, 2-session/day educational activity plans, characteristics, achievements... of each high school.

Especially the regulations and organization of elective subjects of high schools when implementing the 2018 General Education Program. That is, the information portal will provide all the necessary information for 9th grade students before registering their wishes to enter public 10th grade.

This year, candidates will be able to register for a maximum of eight 10th grade options. Including three regular 10th grade options, two specialized 10th grade options, and three integrated 10th grade options.

Determine targets according to new regulations

* It is known that the determination of grade 10 quotas will not depend on the plan for student streaming after junior high school as in previous years. Could you please elaborate on this issue?

- In previous years, the determination of grade 10 quotas had to be based on Decision No. 522/QD-TTg on student streaming for the period 2018 - 2025. In which, junior high school graduates were only allocated 60 - 70% to public high schools, the remaining 30 - 40% to study in other types of schools.

From the 2025-2026 school year, the determination of grade 10 quotas will be based on Decision No. 1705/QD-TTg dated December 31, 2024 approving the education development strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2045.

In particular, point b, clause 2, section II allows localities to maintain the rate of students from junior high school to high school and other levels at 95%. This will create flexibility, suitable for the conditions and specific development strategies of each region, making the enrollment work easier.

Currently, the Department of Education and Training is actively conducting a comprehensive review of the facilities, staff, and development strategies of each educational institution in order to come up with a reasonable plan for allocating quotas.

* This year is the first year that 9th graders will take the 10th grade entrance exam according to the 2018 General Education Program. How does the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training plan to set the exam questions? What percentage will high-level application questions account for, sir?

- 2025 is the first year that 9th grade students will take the 10th grade entrance exam according to the 2018 General Education Program. Therefore, the distribution of knowledge levels in the exam will also be adjusted, reducing the level of recognition and understanding, and increasing the application rate.

In fact, the City Department of Education and Training has included questions requiring candidates to apply their acquired knowledge to solve practical problems in the 10th grade entrance exam for many years now.

Specifically, for entrance exams from 2024 onwards, due to the application of the 2006 General Education Program, the number of questions at the level of recognition and understanding will account for 70 - 75% of the knowledge in the exam. The rest are application questions.

From 2025, the number of questions requiring recognition and understanding will decrease to 60%, and the number of questions requiring application will increase to 40%. This adjustment aims to assess the ability to apply learned knowledge to solve practical problems - according to the orientation of the 2018 General Education Program.

As early as October 2024, we announced the structure of the 10th grade entrance exam along with sample questions for teachers and students to refer to.

With the above orientation, teachers need to innovate teaching methods towards developing students' capacity; equipping and training students with self-study and problem-solving skills, avoiding the situation of rote learning.

Students of Nguyen Du High School (HCMC) in the school introduction at the 10th Grade Confidence Festival organized by Muc Tim Publishing Group (Tuoi Tre Newspaper) - Photo: DUYEN PHAN

Admission to specialized 10th grade is not as stressful as feared

* In the 2025-2026 school year, four high schools Nguyen Thuong Hien, Gia Dinh, Mac Dinh Chi, and Nguyen Huu Huan will no longer enroll students in specialized 10th grade. In addition, Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted will enroll students nationwide. Many people think that the entrance exam for specialized 10th grade this year is extremely stressful. What do you think about this issue?

- The entrance exam for 10th grade specialized schools this year in Ho Chi Minh City is not as stressful as many people worry. Because the quota of two specialized high schools, Le Hong Phong and Tran Dai Nghia, will increase, in order to meet the learning needs of students as well as create conditions for students with outstanding abilities to have an environment to develop their strengths.

Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted recruits students nationwide without affecting the rights of students in the city. Experience from the recruitment model at Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted shows that the rights of all students are still guaranteed.

Moreover, this diversity also enriches the source of training excellent students, creates healthy competition among specialized schools, and meets the strategic goal of developing high-quality human resources of the city.

Not to mention, this year is also the first year that the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee allows specialized 10th grade classes to enroll 20% more students than the initial quota. This is also a new, positive point in this year's enrollment season.

In addition, schools that previously had specialized classes, although no longer enrolling specialized students, still maintain the quality of teaching. At the same time, these schools are also allowed to increase enrollment quotas for regular 10th grade to compensate for changes in class structure.

In fact, students still prioritize these schools as their first choices among their three regular choices, proving that their learning opportunities have not been narrowed.

* According to you, what should 9th grade students pay attention to during the process of registering their wishes and reviewing to prepare for the 10th grade entrance exam?

- Before registering for public grade 10, students need to find out the following issues:

The first is to see if your own abilities are suitable for which high schools with standard scores.

Second, it is necessary to consider the geographical location. Parents and students should prioritize schools near home for convenient travel and to ensure health.

Third, it is necessary to find out whether the subject combinations selected according to the 2018 General Education Program of high schools are suitable for students' career orientation or not.

Finally, the school registering for the first choice must have a clearly different admission score from the high school where the student will register for the second choice; the school registering for the second choice must have a clearly different admission score from the high school where the student will register for the third choice.

Registering this way increases the chance of being admitted to grade 10 in a "simple" way.

Determining the number of students entering public grade 10 this year will aim to ensure the right to study and meet the legitimate aspirations of parents and students in the city.

Balance between study and sports

Mr. Nguyen Bao Quoc added: "Regarding study and exam preparation methods, I advise students to have a specific plan, build a reasonable schedule for each subject, and prioritize improving subjects that are not their strengths.

During the exam preparation process, you should focus on the core knowledge of the secondary school program; if possible, you should form and study in groups to exchange knowledge and support each other in solving difficult exercises.

Finally, the most important thing in studying is self-discipline and concentration. Students need to seriously implement the study plan they have set out, need to balance between study time and sports, ensuring health and spirit until the official exam day."

Number of 9th grade students decreased by 25,605 students

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, the expected number of 9th graders graduating in the 2024-2025 school year is 88,772 students (a decrease of 25,605 students compared to the previous school year). The reason for the decrease is that 9th graders were born in 2010 (the year of the Tiger), this year the birth rate is much lower.

The number of 12th graders graduating from public high schools in the 2024-2025 school year is 64,765 students, a difference of 24,007 students compared to the number of 9th graders preparing to enter 10th grade (public, private and other types) in the 2025-2026 school year. This will ensure a reduction in pressure between input and output of all types of high schools in general and public types in particular.

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HOANG HUONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tuyen-sinh-lop-10-o-tp-hcm-nam-nay-se-nhe-nhang-hon-20250403081024391.htm