The HSA competency assessment test lasts for 195 minutes and comprises two mandatory sections: mathematics and data processing (50 questions, 75 minutes) and literature - language (50 questions, 60 minutes). The third section, similar to last year, allows candidates to choose between science and English (50 questions, 60 minutes).

If choosing the science section as the third test, candidates select three out of five subjects: physics, chemistry, biology, history, and geography. Each subject has 16-17 questions.

Questions come in two formats: multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank. The literature - language section exclusively uses multiple-choice questions.

Content-wise, approximately 60% is from grade 12 knowledge, 30% from grade 11, and 10% from grade 10. For physics and biology topics, the proportion of knowledge from different grade levels may vary by about 5%. In the English test section, grade 12 curriculum knowledge accounts for about 45%, while integrated and higher-level application knowledge makes up about 15%.

Candidates take the test directly on computers. The software automatically scores based on the number of correct answers.

The detailed syllabus for the HSA 2026 exam content is as follows:

Candidates and parents at the HSA competency assessment exam in 2025. *Duong Tam*

This year's Hanoi national university HSA competency assessment exam will have six sessions, with each session expecting 20,000 candidates. The total number of test-takers will reach 120,000, an increase of over 30% compared to last year, marking the highest number to date.

The exam schedule runs from march to may in Hanoi, Thai Nguyen, Hai Phong, Hung Yen, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, and Ha Tinh.

Candidates can register for the exam from 1/2 to 7/2. The system will open for candidates to select a second test session, if slots are available, from 8/2 to 14/2. The exam fee for one session is 600,000 VND.

The specific HSA 2026 exam schedule is as follows:

The HSA is one of the two largest independent exams nationwide, attracting approximately 60,000-90,000 candidates annually. Last year, the average score for candidates was 78,8/150, an increase of two points compared to the previous year.

Nguyen Duy Phong from Chuong My A high school in Hanoi, topped all six test sessions, achieving 130/150 points. Over 60% of test-takers scored 75 points or higher.

Approximately 100 universities use these results for admission. As the Ministry of Education and Training requires equivalent conversion of admission scores across different methods, Hanoi national university analyzed data and calculated that an HSA score of 129/150 is equivalent to a 30-point graduation exam score in the A00 combination (mathematics, physics, chemistry) and 27,75 for the D01 combination (mathematics, literature, English).

Duong Tam