VietNamNet Bridge – Thousands of students and their parents from various provinces arrived in Hanoi and HCM City on the afternoon of July 1, to prepare for the university entrance exams, which began on July 4. Hundreds of volunteers were at coach stations to assist students.

Nearly 700,000 candidates nation-wide sat Math tests on July 4 morning as part first phase university entrance exams.

A report released by the Education and Training Ministry on July 3 revealed that the number of registered candidates was around 220,000 less than on previous occasions.

This year's university entrance exams are set to take place at nearly 1,000 destinations consisting of 25,500 testing rooms.

Candidates are set to be tested on their 12th grade knowledge, according to Deputy Minister Bui Van Ga who added that, although the tests would not be overcomplicated, they would still sufficiently test candidate competence.

As part of the first phase, candidates are also set to sit a Physics test this afternoon and a Chemistry test tomorrow morning.

The second phase of entrance exams are set to take place next Saturday and Sunday while the final phase will be scheduled for the middle of July.

In Hanoi

Hanoi’s Giap Bat coach station was overcrowded from the early morning of July 1.





Students and their parents.





After a three-hour journey, Pham Cong Ba from the northern province of Thai Binh
and his father still looked fresh. Ba would attend the entrance exams to the Hanoi Polytechnic.





Volunteers who are students from Hanoi’s universities were at the coach station
for three days to welcome candidates. Ha and her mother was asking
 for the way to the nearest bus stop. Ha would attend the entrance exams to the Hanoi Pharma University.





Giang, from Nam Dinh province, was solicited by a xe om driver though they
were led to the gate by a volunteer.





Some candidates brought rice and food with them.





A female volunteer helped a candidate.




A male candidate got bus-sick.










Each candidate had a different mood.





A candidate named Minh luckily met a volunteer who is his old frie
nd at the coach station. Minh failed the university entrance exams last year.
This year he is determined to take the exam to the Irrigation University.
His friend is now a student at the Hanoi Construction University.





This girl was from Thai Binh province.

In HCM City

Traffic jams occurred on the National Highway 13, the way to Mien Dong coach station,
 for over one hour in the morning of July 1.





Coaches from southern provinces carried thousands of candidates to the coach station.





The chaotic scene in front of the coach station.















Local night-watchmen were mobilized to make order in front of the coach station.





At 10am, local police officers were sent to the coach station.





In scorching sun, thousands of students from HCM City’s universities worked as
volunteers at Mien Dong coach station, streets and schools where the
university entrance exams are held to assist candidates.





At the HCM City University of Technology, more than 10,000 candidates made traffic jams.





1,400 volunteers were at the Mien Dong coach station.




Volunteers at the HCM Teacher Training University.




Volunteers were also at the free-of-charge guest-house on Nguyen Xi Road, Binh Thanh district.









































Secretary of HCM City Youth Union Nguyen Van Hieu presented gifts to volunteers.

VNE