HCMC grade 10 exam reform: what tutoring centers must do now

HCMC grade 10 exam reform: what tutoring centers must do now

Key takeaways

- HCMC plans to replace competitive Grade 10 entrance exams with an admissions-based model starting 2027, shifting evaluation from a single test to middle school transcripts, extracurricular records, and interviews.

- The traditional luyện thi lớp 10 (exam prep) business model faces disruption — but demand for tutoring itself won't disappear, it's shifting to continuous academic support and portfolio building.

- The centers that pivot early will reposition from exam cram schools to comprehensive academic development partners, targeting students across all three years of middle school rather than just the final exam season.

HCMC is replacing the Grade 10 entrance exam

In May 2026, Ho Chi Minh City confirmed what had been rumored for months: the city is actively researching a transition away from the competitive Grade 10 entrance exam, replacing it with an admissions model based on academic transcripts, extracurricular achievements, competency certificates, and interviews Thanh Niên. The pilot phase is expected in 2026, with full implementation by 2027.

Hanoi has simultaneously set targets for one public high school per 30,000–50,000 residents. Education experts across Thanh Niên, Tuổi Trẻ, and VnExpress have debated the implications — and the near-unanimous take: this is the biggest shift for Vietnam's tutoring industry in years.

For center owners running luyện thi lớp 10 programs, it's the most direct business model challenge they've faced.

What's actually changing

The current system is straightforward: eighth-graders take a single high-stakes exam covering Math, Literature, and English. Their score determines which public high school they qualify for. This creates a predictable, concentrated demand cycle — parents pour money into exam prep during Grade 9, typically from September through May.

The new model shifts evaluation to:

| Criteria | Current system | Proposed system (from 2027) | |---|---|---| | Admission basis | Single exam score | Holistic evaluation | | Middle school transcript | Not considered | 3-year academic record reviewed | | Extracurriculars | Not considered | Portfolio, clubs, competitions | | Competency certificates | Not required | English certs, coding certs, etc. | | Interview | Not required | Possible for specialized schools |

This means the demand for tutoring won't vanish — it will spread across three years of middle school instead of concentrating in the final year. Students will need ongoing support to build strong transcripts, develop extracurricular profiles, and earn competency certifications.

Why demand isn't going away

Some owners hear "exam reform" and assume the worst. International experience tells a different story.

In Taiwan and South Korea, similar shifts from single-exam to holistic admissions didn't reduce tutoring spending — they redirected it. Parents still invest heavily in academic support; they just buy different services. A Korea Development Institute study found that after Korea's high school diversification policy, private education spending actually increased as families sought portfolio-building services alongside traditional academic support.

Same pattern in Vietnam. When the Ministry of Education abolished the standalone university entrance exam in 2015 and folded it into the national high school graduation exam, tutoring centers that adapted thrived. Those that kept teaching the old format struggled.

The takeaway: the market is changing, not shrinking.

Three business model shifts to make now

1. From exam prep to transcript excellence

The biggest shift is from a 9-month sales cycle (Grade 9, exam prep) to a 3-year relationship (Grades 6–9, continuous support). This is actually better for business — recurring revenue from long-term students is more predictable and profitable than seasonal cram surges.

What to offer:

- Semester-based academic coaching aligned with the middle school curriculum

- Progress tracking and report cards for parents

- Subject-specific enrichment that shows up as improved transcript grades

2. Build portfolio and enrichment services

Transcripts alone don't distinguish students — extracurriculars and competency certificates do. This opens new service lines with higher margins.

What to offer:

- English certificate preparation (IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge, and the new certificates entering Vietnam)

- Coding and STEM enrichment programs

- Debate, public speaking, and leadership workshops

- Academic competition coaching (Olympic teams, science fairs)

- College and career counseling for high school track selection

3. Offer parent-facing transparency tools

When parents invest in 3-year programs instead of one-time exam prep, they expect to see progress. Technology — parent portals, automated reports, grade dashboards — turns from a nice-to-have into table stakes.

What to offer:

- Regular academic progress reports

- Parent portals with attendance tracking, grade trends, and tutor feedback

- Automated session reminders and billing (Zalo, email, SMS)

- Dashboard showing portfolio status (certificates earned, activities completed)

Platforms like Flowcenter can handle the scheduling, billing, and parent communication side — letting you focus on the academic programming.

What the successful centers will look like in 2028

The centers that adapt will share common characteristics:

- Year-round enrollment instead of seasonal exam-prep cohorts

- Multi-year student relationships with retention rates above 80%

- Broader service mix — at least 30% of revenue from non-exam-prep services (enrichment, certificates, portfolio)

- Technology-enabled operations with automated parent communication and billing

- Data-driven marketing targeting middle school parents early (Grade 6, not Grade 9)

The centers that don't adapt will face declining enrollment as the Grade 10 exam prep market shrinks from 2027 onward.

The timeline is shorter than you think

The official timeline: pilot programs run during the 2026–2027 academic year, with full implementation by 2027. That gives centers roughly 12 months to test new services, train staff, and adjust marketing before the old model starts losing relevance.

Centers that wait until 2027 to change will find themselves competing for a shrinking pool of Grade 9 exam-prep students while early movers have already captured the Grade 6–8 continuous support market.

How to start the transition this week

1. Audit your current student pipeline — what percentage of your revenue depends on Grade 9 exam prep?

2. Survey your middle school parents — what non-exam needs do they have (English certificates, STEM, study skills)?

3. Pilot one new service — pick the highest-demand non-exam offering from your survey and launch a small cohort

4. Set up the technology — get your scheduling, billing, and parent communication systems ready for year-round operations

5. Adjust your marketing — start targeting parents of Grade 6 and 7 students with continuous academic support packages

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Flowcenter helps tutoring centers manage scheduling, billing, parent communication, and student progress tracking in one platform. Whether you're pivoting your model or scaling existing services, we can help. Start a Free Trial at flowcenter.vn.

FAQ

Will HCMC really eliminate the Grade 10 exam?

Yes — the city has officially confirmed it is researching a transition. Pilot programs are expected in 2026, with full implementation targeted for 2027. The exact criteria are still being finalized, but the direction is clear.

Does this affect private and international schools?

The reform focuses on public high school admissions in HCMC. Private and international schools have their own admissions processes, though they may also adjust their criteria in response to the broader shift.

What about other provinces — will they follow?

Hanoi has announced similar expansion plans for public high schools. Other major cities like Da Nang and Can Tho are likely to observe HCMC's pilot results before making their own decisions.

Is this like China's double reduction (双减) policy?

No. Vietnam's reform changes how students are evaluated for high school admission — it does not ban private tutoring. Tutoring remains legal and regulated under Decree 86/2018/ND-CP. The reform shifts what students need tutoring for, not whether they need it at all.