Relief washed over Tang Hai Tuan, homeroom teacher of class 9C2 (physics-focused) at Archimedes Academy, after the Hanoi Department of Education and Training announced the 10th-grade entrance exam results on 4/7.

30 of his 32 students had already secured places in the specialized physics programs at the High School for Gifted Students, Hanoi National University of Education, and the High School of Natural Sciences.

"I was very worried. When the scores came out, I checked the remaining two students first. Seeing they were accepted into the physics programs at Nguyen Hue and Chu Van An High Schools, I was overjoyed," Tuan said. Thus, 9C2 achieved a 100% acceptance rate into specialized programs, with 17 students accepted into three or more schools.

Archimedes Academy also saw similar success with its 9A1 and 9A2 classes (both English-focused), where all 61 students gained admission to specialized programs.

Tran Thi Minh Chau, the homeroom teacher of these two classes, said almost all 9A1 students were accepted into three schools: the High School for Gifted Students, Hanoi National University of Education, Hanoi - Amsterdam High School (Ams), and the High School for Gifted Students in Foreign Languages. Some students were accepted into specialized programs other than English, such as Nguyen Thanh Ha, who was admitted into chemistry programs at three different schools, and Dao Duc Toan, who was accepted into specialized programs for Chinese and history.

"This is the 9th consecutive year our school has achieved this," said Nguyen Son Nam, the school's vice principal.

All 32 students of class 9C2, Archimedes Academy, were accepted into specialized physics programs at Hanoi's specialized high schools. Photo: Provided by the interviewees

All 32 students of class 9C2, Archimedes Academy, were accepted into specialized physics programs at Hanoi's specialized high schools. Photo: Provided by the interviewees

Yesterday was also a sleepless night for Pham Thi Huong, homeroom teacher of class 9HM at Hoang Mai Secondary School. All 24 of her students secured places in specialized high schools.

"This is the first time our school has had a class achieve this. I am very proud of them," she shared.

According to Huong, most of her students were accepted into the High School of Natural Sciences, the High School for Gifted Students in Foreign Languages, Nguyen Hue High School, and Chu Van An High School.

"Most students were accepted into math, computer science, physics, and literature," Huong added. Three students, Tran Bao Huy, Dong Thanh Mai, and Nguyen Ngoc Mai Thuy, were accepted into four schools each.

Huong (in the red Ao Dai) and the students of class 9HM, Hoang Mai Secondary School. Photo: Provided by the interviewees

Huong (in the red Ao Dai) and the students of class 9HM, Hoang Mai Secondary School. Photo: Provided by the interviewees

Earlier, on 9/6, when the High School of Natural Sciences announced its results, all 28 students from class 9A at Hanoi - Amsterdam High School who applied were accepted. 16 of them were accepted into the math program, with the others admitted into computer science, physics, and chemistry.

According to Nguyen Dac Thang, the class had 29 students, but one didn't apply to this school due to other aspirations.

"That student was accepted into the specialized math programs at both the High School for Gifted Students, Hanoi National University of Education, and Ams," Thang said.

The Hanoi 10th-grade entrance exam took place over two days, 7-8/6, with nearly 103,000 candidates. Approximately 13,000 candidates registered for the specialized subject exams.

For specialized programs, the admission score is the combined score of math, literature, and foreign language, plus twice the specialized subject score, with a maximum of 50. The four specialized high schools set admission scores ranging from 24 to 42.75 out of 50, with the highest being for the specialized chemistry program at Hanoi - Amsterdam High School.

Binh Minh