Hanoi University of Science and Technology's Admissions Office announced on 2/2 that the highest score achieved in the recent thinking assessment exam (TSA) was 96.1 out of 100. This initial exam batch, which took place one week ago, attracted nearly 17,000 candidates from various provinces and cities, including Hanoi, Hung Yen, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Da Nang, Thai Nguyen, and Lao Cai.

This year's top score is 2.51 points lower than that recorded by last year's highest-achieving candidate.

The score distribution for the first batch of Hanoi University of Science and Technology's 2026 thinking assessment exam is available.

The thinking assessment exam (TSA) is one of the large-scale independent examinations organized by Hanoi University of Science and Technology. Its primary purpose is to evaluate candidates' aptitude for undergraduate admissions.

The exam is structured into three distinct parts: mathematical thinking (60 minutes), reading comprehension (30 minutes), and scientific thinking/problem-solving (60 minutes). The questions are designed to assess candidates' cognitive abilities, focusing on their capacity for critical thought rather than directly testing specific subject knowledge. The total score achievable for the exam is 100.

Beyond this initial session, Hanoi University of Science and Technology plans to host two additional thinking assessment exam sessions on 14-15/3 and 16-17/5.

Registration and exam schedule for the 2026 TSA thinking assessment exam

Last year, the average score for nearly 28,700 candidates who took the thinking assessment exam was 55.23 out of 100. Approximately 50 universities across the country utilized these results for their admissions processes.

In 2025, Hanoi University of Science and Technology's admission cut-off scores, based on thinking assessment exam results, ranged from 46.48 to 86.97. The data science and artificial intelligence program recorded the highest cut-off score among all disciplines.

Duong Tam