Admission to 6th grade at 'hot' schools: End of the era of all 10s in report cards

In the 2025-2026 school year, Marie Curie Hanoi School will enroll 360 students in grade 6, divided into 12 classes. There will be 10 traditional classes with about 30-32 students/class; 2 bilingual classes with 26-28 students/class.

The school representative said that there are two admission methods: direct admission and students taking a test to assess their abilities. In particular, for the test to assess their abilities, students only take two tests: Math and English. The Math test consists of 40 questions, students take the test within 60 minutes; the English test consists of 60 questions, students take the test within 60 minutes.

Marie Curie School Hanoi also does not make any requests for students' records or transcripts during their 5 years of primary school.

Nguyen Tat Thanh Secondary and High School also only uses the form of testing to evaluate students' abilities and add bonus points for awards to enroll 6th graders, not considering academic records.

Exams with strict conditions and standards put a lot of pressure on students.

In particular, Cau Giay Secondary School, the high-quality public school most anticipated by parents, has just announced its method of enrolling students in grade 6. Unlike last year, this year the school has eliminated the method of considering the scores of the 5-year primary school transcripts and only conducts a test to assess students' abilities.

Accordingly, each candidate will take 3 written assessments of their abilities in the following subjects: Math, English, and Vietnamese. In this format, students will answer multiple-choice questions combined with essay questions, with content from the primaryeducation program, mainly in the 5th grade program.

There is no longer a high school transcript admission score, the admission score of this school is calculated as the total score of 3 tests, capacity assessment, plus priority points (if any). Candidates are given priority from 1-2 points for cases where the parents are ethnic minorities, students in areas with especially difficult socio -economic conditions or children of policy families...

Parents breathe a sigh of relief

Ms. Nguyen Thuy Duong, in Thanh Xuan district (Hanoi), whose child is a 5th grader, preparing to enter 6th grade this year, said that although her child has a total score of 9 and 10 at the end of the year, which is enough to qualify for admission to any secondary school, she still supports the removal of the review of academic records. Because if the 5-year academic records are calculated in primary school, it is a long process, putting a lot of pressure on children from an early age, right from the time they enter first grade, they have to struggle to get 9 and 10 points.

In addition, to complete the school year with excellence, the subjects that are not graded by score must also be rated Good by the teacher. If unfortunately, the student only achieves the result of Completing one subject, he/she is not considered excellent for that school year.

“Primary school students are still very young, the 5 years at this level are the time for them to learn and develop their qualities, ethics, and life skills. Therefore, parents should not force their children into a routine early just because of the goal of an entrance exam to a high-quality school,” said Ms. Duong.

The condition of 5 years of primary school report card scores is a barrier for many students to register to try their luck at high-quality secondary schools and "famous" private schools.

Many other parents also believe that assessing students' abilities through tests to get admission results as it is now reflects quality, and it is not necessary to consider the 5-year primary school transcript.

Some parents said they felt relieved when they no longer had to worry about their children's grades each year in elementary school.

Previously, when Hanoi Amsterdam High School for the Gifted recruited 6th graders, in order to eliminate students from the application round, the school set strict conditions from the application round. Therefore, in the list of students registering for 6th grade admission announced by this school, the school's report cards had five students with all 10s, shocking public opinion. Many people exclaimed that the students were "superhuman" right from primary school when they only had 10s in 5 years of study, not a single 9.

A heated debate broke out, many parents said that their children's Math, Vietnamese, and English scores were all excellent with 9 and 10 while their applications were rejected because the Music, Art, and Physical Education subjects were assessed as Completed, which was unreasonable.

Therefore, many parents believe that it is appropriate for "hot" schools to remove strict criteria on records and transcripts in 6th grade admissions.

Don't put too much emphasis on achievements and scores.

Dr. Nguyen Tung Lam, Chairman of the Education Council of Dinh Tien Hoang High School (Hanoi), said that we should not put pressure on children early, especially primary school students. At this level, children need to be educated to develop skills and cultivate character instead of just aiming for scores in subjects. The fact that schools put admission criteria based on 5-year primary school transcripts also puts pressure on children to achieve good scores.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Son, a psychologist from the Hanoi Association of Educational Psychology, also shared that students under pressure to study early are like fruits being forced to ripen prematurely. In the long run, not only will their physical and mental health be damaged, but their interest in studying will also decrease.

"In fact, schools today still set strict criteria, standards, and exams, placing a heavy emphasis on academic achievements and awards, putting a lot of pressure on students, while the 2018 General Education Program focuses on developing qualities, abilities, and practicing life skills," said Mr. Son.

Ha Linh

Source: https://tienphong.vn/tuyen-sinh-lop-6-truong-hot-cham-dut-thoi-hoc-ba-toan-diem-10-post1734600.tpo