The 2026 high school graduation examination produced a highly unusual outcome, with two independent candidates emerging as national toppers in the C00 and D07 subject combinations. It is believed to be the first time such an achievement has occurred in decades of Vietnam's national graduation exam.

According to the 2026 high school graduation exam results released by Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training, Nguyen Thanh Binh (candidate number 01002344, born in 2006) achieved the highest score nationwide in the C00 combination with a total of 28.75 points, including 9.25 in Literature, 9.5 in History and a perfect 10 in Geography.

Notably, Binh is an independent candidate born in 2006, making him more than two cohorts older than this year's graduating class. He registered for the examination in Hanoi and is a former student of Nguyen Du High School for the Gifted in Dak Lak Province.

Similarly, Pham Duc Minh (candidate number 01071371, born in 2007) topped the nation in the D07 combination with a total score of 29.5, including a perfect 10 in Mathematics, 9.75 in Chemistry and 9.75 in English.

Minh is also an independent candidate, born in 2007 and one cohort older than this year's graduating students. He registered to take the examination in Hanoi and is a former student of Nguyen Hue High School for the Gifted.

This year, Vietnam recorded five candidates with perfect 30-point scores: one in the A subject combination and four in the B combination.

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, the certification of high school graduation must be completed no later than July 3.

Applications for score reviews will be accepted by examination registration centers from July 1 through July 5.

For students graduating in 2026, eligibility to apply for university admission under any admission method requires a minimum total score of 15 out of 30 across three subjects in the chosen admission combination (or Mathematics, Literature and one additional subject), excluding bonus and priority points. This requirement does not apply to candidates granted special graduation consideration.

For the 2026 university admissions cycle, applicants may register up to 15 university preferences, replacing the previous system that imposed no limit.

Teacher-training institutions will only consider applicants' first through fifth preferences, while military and public security academies will follow separate regulations issued by the Ministry of National Defence and the Ministry of Public Security.

Candidates are therefore advised to prioritize and arrange their university choices carefully. In addition to reviewing admission benchmarks from the past two or three years, applicants should also consider subject combinations, tuition fees, academic orientation, institutional reputation and post-graduation career prospects.

Thanh Hung