This morning, nearly 136,000 candidates commenced the first round of the 2026 competency assessment organized by the Vietnam National University (VNU) in Ho Chi Minh City.
According to Nguyen Quoc Chinh, Director of the Testing and Quality Assessment Center of VNU Ho Chi Minh City, the first round of the competency assessment is taking place at 57 examination centers across 15 provinces and cities, from Hue to Ca Mau. Ho Chi Minh City hosts the largest examination center in the country, with over 67,000 candidates participating. The exam organization faced several unforeseen challenges, as a number of candidates arrived at incorrect venues and required guidance from volunteer youth teams to reach their designated rooms in time.
Specifically, examination center number 10, organized by the Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry, has over 6,700 candidates taking the exam at four venues. The main facility on Nguyen Van Bao Street has three examination venues, while the Nguyen Van Dung facility has one. Numerous candidates confused the two facilities and needed help from the university's volunteer youth to get to their exam rooms on time.
Similarly, the examination center at Nguyen Tat Thanh University has over 3,000 candidates participating, organized at two venues including examination venue number 32 (331A-331B An Phu Dong Ward) and examination venue number 33 (1165, An Phu Dong Ward).
A significant number of candidates arrived at the wrong examination venue.
Director Nguyen Quoc Chinh stated that the structure of the exam remains consistent with that of 2025, featuring 120 questions and a duration of 150 minutes.
The exam is designed to assess candidates' comprehensive abilities in language use (both Vietnamese and English), logical reasoning, and scientific thinking. Specifically, the language use section includes 30 questions in Vietnamese and 30 in English; the mathematics section consists of 30 questions; and the scientific thinking section comprises 30 questions, focusing on evaluating logical reasoning, data analysis, and scientific inference through practical scenarios across various fields such as science, technology, economics, and society.
Participating at exam center number 23 at the University of Industry in Ho Chi Minh City, 12 grader Huynh Ngo Phuong Trang from Nguyen Hien High School in Binh Tri Dong Ward, Ho Chi Minh City mentioned that her home is located on Le Van Quoi Street, approximately 20 km from the exam center, so her father drove her there starting very early. She approached the exam with a relaxed mindset.
At examination centers in Ho Chi Minh City, examination boards mobilized personnel, including staff, lecturers, and employees, while collaborating with local security and medical teams to ensure the safety of candidates.
At Nguyen Tat Thanh University, examination cluster No. 14 was organized comprehensively. The university established two examination centers including center 32 located at 331A-331B Do Muoi Street in An Phu Dong Ward, and center 33 at 1165 Do Muoi Street in An Phu Dong Ward.
This cluster comprised a total of 97 examination rooms, accommodating 3,058 candidates. To guarantee the safety of the examination process, the university mobilized staff, lecturers, and employees, in addition to coordinating with local security and medical personnel.
The institution meticulously prepared for the examination, which included reviewing facilities, arranging examination rooms, training invigilators, and formulating plans to ensure the security and safety of candidates. On the day of the exam, the examination areas were organized effectively to allow candidates quick access to their respective exam rooms.
Due to the exam location's closeness to a national highway that experiences considerable truck traffic, the school partnered with the An Phu Dong Ward Police and volunteer youth organizations to ensure a continuous flow of traffic in front of the school entrance.
At exam cluster No. 10 of Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry, the Hanh Thong Ward Police established checkpoints to prevent vehicles from entering Nguyen Van Bao Street, thereby avoiding traffic congestion. This cluster is noted for having the highest number of candidates in Ho Chi Minh City, featuring 4 exam locations and over 6,700 candidates.
Meanwhile, at examination sites such as Van Lang University, the University of Science, Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, and Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HUTECH), a significant number of law enforcement officers were deployed to manage traffic in front of the examination centers.
