Phan Huy Chu - Dong Da High School, located in Lang ward, announced on 28/4 that it will award 50 million dong to students who achieve first prize at the provincial level or are the overall valedictorian for 10th grade entrance, provided their academic records for mathematics, literature, and English are 9,2 or higher. The school also provides scholarships of 25 million dong and 12,5 million dong for students ranking in the top two and three, respectively, based on their 10th-grade entrance exam scores. These scholarships require academic records of 9,1 and 9. Phan Huy Chu - Dong Da operates as a high-quality public high school, utilizing a distinct admission process that considers both academic records and the Department of Education and Training's 10th-grade exam scores. This year, the school aims to admit 400 students, with a monthly tuition fee of 6,1 million dong, making it the highest among public schools.

Other public schools are also implementing similar initiatives. Tu Lap High School, in Tien Thang commune, has offered a 10 million dong reward to its 10th-grade entrance exam valedictorian this year. Additionally, the next 10 highest-scoring students will each receive 500.000 dong. Similarly, Do Muoi High School in Yen So ward is presenting an electric motorbike to its valedictorian. Principal Do Van Nam explained that these incentives are designed to attract gifted students and encourage them to excel.

Do Muoi High School, a newly established public school in the capital, commenced admissions last year. This year, it received over 900 first-choice applications for its 675 available slots, highlighting the strong demand for quality education.

These incentives come as Hanoi's public 10th-grade entrance exam remains highly competitive. For the 2026 academic year, the competition ratio across 122 public schools in Hanoi has been officially announced.

Students taking the 10th-grade exam in Hanoi in 2025. *Photo: Tung Dinh*.

This year, nearly 125.000 of the 147.000 junior secondary graduates in Hanoi registered for the public 10th-grade exam. With over 82.600 available places, the estimated pass rate is around 56%. The examination period is scheduled from 30/5 to 1/6. Public 10th-grade exam scores and benchmark scores for Hanoi are anticipated to be released between 19 and 22/6.

Thanh Hang