This morning, August 9, the Hanoi National University Examination Center announced the reference test for the 2025 High School Student Assessment (HSA) exam. The reference test is designed to serve test takers who are students studying the new high school program participating in exams held from 2025.

The exam structure consists of two compulsory parts and one optional part. The two compulsory parts include 50 questions on mathematics and data processing, and 50 questions on literature and language.

The third part allows candidates to choose between science or English. The time limit for the third part is 60 minutes. Candidates choose 3 out of 5 topics: physics, chemistry, biology, history, geography; each topic has 17 questions (including 1 test question) to complete the science part. The English option consists of 50 objective multiple-choice questions designed to serve the admission of foreign language training programs.

Wrong answer will not be deducted points

The HSA exam questions are approximately 75% multiple choice questions with 4 options and 25% fill-in-the-blank questions. From 2025, the competency assessment exam will add cluster questions in all sections and topics.

Cluster questions include general questions and specific questions that develop and assess candidates' abilities from low to high levels. Cluster questions will exploit rich data sources, assess students' thinking in each field and across fields. These are qualitative changes in building a question bank for competency assessment exams.

The sample test provides the question format and test structure for students to build a study plan that meets the requirements of the exam. The Hanoi National University Examination Center has opened the test portal so that candidates can try the test on computers from September 1.

In the sample test as well as the official test, the questions are not arranged from easy to difficult but are randomly shuffled according to a fixed matrix. Candidates take the sample test to get familiar with the test format, review and supplement knowledge and skills, and practice time control when taking the test.

The test score is calculated based on the total number of correct answers, with no deductions for incorrect answers. In the official test, the score achieved on the computer will appear after the candidate finishes the test. Most universities that use the results of the competency assessment test can accept applications based on the total score of the test.

However, some schools may have additional requirements for selected topics in the science section (part 3). The English section is designed to assess foreign language proficiency for admission to foreign language training programs.

Candidates can see the HSA exam sample questions here.