Nearly 11,000 students compete for specialized 10th-grade spots

Around 10,800 students will undergo at least four exams to secure a place in specialized 10th-grade classes at three high schools in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, starting on the morning of 23/5.

The entrance exams for the High School for Gifted Students, University of Natural Sciences; the High School for Gifted Students, University of Social Sciences and Humanities (both under Vietnam National University, Hanoi); and Pho thong Nang khieu High School (under Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City) mark the beginning of the 10th-grade enrollment season nationwide.

All candidates will take the first common subject, Literature, for 100-120 minutes in an essay format. Following this, students will complete common Mathematics and English exams before sitting for their specialized subject tests.

School	Exam schedule - Subjects	Competition ratio
Pho thong Nang khieu	23/5: Literature, English (morning), Mathematics (afternoon) 24/5: Specialized English, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Informatics (morning); specialized Mathematics, Literature (afternoon)	Quota: 595 Ratio: 1/8
High School for Gifted Students, University of Natural Sciences	23/5: Literature (morning), Mathematics, English (afternoon) 24/5: Specialized Mathematics, Informatics, Biology (morning); specialized Physics, Chemistry (afternoon)	Quota: 109 per class Ratio: Mathematics (1/10), Physics (1/7,2), Chemistry (1/7,3), Biology (1/5,2), Informatics (1/6,9)
High School for Gifted Students, University of Social Sciences and Humanities	23/5: Literature (morning), Mathematics, English (afternoon) 24/5: Specialized Literature, History, Geography (morning)	Quota: 150 Ratio: Literature (1/14), History (1/5), Geography (1/4)

This year, most specialized schools received a significant increase in applications compared to last year, resulting in generally higher competition ratios. At the High School for Gifted Students, University of Natural Sciences, the specialized Mathematics class is the most competitive, with an average of one student admitted for every ten applicants. The specialized Literature class at the High School for Gifted Students, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, is the most sought-after, with a 1/14 ratio.

In the South, Pho thong Nang khieu High School did not disclose detailed registration numbers for each subject, but its average competition ratio of 1/8 is the highest in the past 8 years.

As these three schools are affiliated with universities, they conduct their own independent admissions processes, separate from the general 10th-grade entrance exams organized by the Department of Education and Training.

Among them, the High School for Gifted Students, University of Natural Sciences, and Pho thong Nang khieu High School are two of the oldest and most accomplished specialized schools in the country. Last year, the specialized Mathematics classes at both schools had the highest benchmark scores, at 19,5/30 and 33,75/40 points, respectively.

The High School for Gifted Students, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, established in 2019, is the first and only specialized school focusing on Social Sciences. Its specialized Literature class consistently leads in benchmark scores, reaching 22,75/30 in the previous exam season.