What Subjects Do Grade 10 Students Study? The 2018 General Education Curriculum and the International Pathway What subjects do Grade 10 students study? Under Vietnam’s 2018 General Education Curriculum, students take 8 compulsory subjects, choose 4 of 9 elective subjects, have 2 optional subjects and a cluster of specialised study topics. Parents also need to understand how to choose a subject combination, as this decision can affect all 3 years of upper secondary school and their child’s university direction. How many subjects do Grade 10 students study under the 2018 General Education Curriculum? Under the 2018 General Education Curriculum, Grade 10 students take 8 compulsory subjects, choose 4 of 9 elective subjects, have 2 optional subjects and a cluster of specialised study topics. This structure lets students begin learning with a focus on their strengths and competencies, rather than studying almost every subject within a fixed framework. The content of this article is based on the 2018 General Education Curriculum issued with Circular 32/2018/TT-BGDĐT, as amended by Circular 13/2022/TT-BGDĐT and with related updates in Circular 17/2025/TT-BGDĐT. 8 compulsory subjects The compulsory group is what every Grade 10 student must study. As well as the core subjects, the curriculum includes career guidance activities and local education content. Content group Subject or activity Core subjects Literature, Mathematics, Foreign Language 1, History Physical education and national defence Physical Education, National Defence and Security Education Educational activities Experiential Activities and Career Guidance, Local Education Content Experiential Activities and Career Guidance help students build skills, take part in projects and learn about different careers. Local Education Content is usually linked to the history, culture, economy and life of the area where students live. 4 elective subjects The elective group directly affects the subject combination students follow for 3 years of upper secondary school. Students choose 4 of 9 subjects, depending on their abilities and the combinations the school can offer. Subject group Elective subjects Natural Sciences Physics, Chemistry, Biology Social Sciences Geography, Economic and Legal Education Technology and the Arts Technology, Computer Science, Music, Fine Arts In theory, students have many possible combinations. In practice, many schools only offer a set number of combinations, depending on their teachers, class sizes, facilities and each school’s organisational plans. 2 optional subjects and specialised study topics The two optional subjects are an Ethnic Minority Language and Foreign Language 2. Whether they are offered depends on each school’s circumstances, so not every student has both options. Students also take a cluster of specialised study topics. These provide more depth in 3 of the elective subjects the student wants to develop further. Each topic set has 35 periods a year and is usually designed to be applied or project-based. For example, students might take a topic such as Chemistry in Everyday Life or Python Programming in Practice. Once parents understand the 8 + 4 + 2 structure, it becomes easier to picture the Grade 10 curriculum. The next step is to look at how many periods your child has each week and how the time is allocated. The Grade 10 subject structure under the 2018 General Education Curriculum How many periods a week do Grade 10 students have? Under the 2018 General Education Curriculum framework, Grade 10 students usually have around 29–31 core periods a week. This doesn’t include clubs, extra lessons, tutoring or each school’s own activities. Typically, students attend 6 main sessions from Monday to Saturday. Some schools add extra sessions for supplementary activities. Each period lasts 45 minutes, with an average of around 4–5 periods a day. Time is allocated across the subject groups as follows: Subject group Periods per week Literature, Mathematics, Foreign Language 1 3–4 periods per subject History, Physical Education, National Defence 1–2 periods per subject The 4 elective subjects 2–3 periods per subject Experiential activities Around 1 period Specialised study topics 1–2 periods This is the minimum time set out in Ministry of Education and Training guidance. State schools usually follow this framework closely. Private and bilingual schools, meanwhile, may add extra English lessons, interdisciplinary projects or academic clubs. When looking at the Grade 10 curriculum, parents should also consider each school’s model. If your child attends a full-day or boarding school, their total time at school will be longer than the 31 core periods. This extra time is usually spent on independent study, sport, the arts or extracurricular activities. It is also a factor that makes a clear difference between learning environments. How to choose a Grade 10 subject combination Choosing 4 elective subjects in Grade 10 isn’t just a decision for one school year. It is the combination students will follow throughout 3 years of upper secondary school, and it directly affects their university entrance exam combinations and future career direction. Parents should therefore consider 3 factors: career direction, university entrance exam combinations and their child’s actual abilities. Choosing by career direction If your child already has a clear career direction, their subject combination should closely follow that field. Parents can refer to the following common fields: Direction Subjects to prioritise Information Technology, Engineering Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, Technology Medicine, Pharmacy, Applied Biology Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology Economics, Marketing, Law Mathematics, Literature, Economic and Legal Education Languages, Communication, International Relations Literature, Foreign Language, History Architecture, Design Mathematics, Fine Arts, Computer Science Liberal Arts study abroad A broad combination, plus academic English Alongside this, your child should also prepare international qualifications such as IELTS or the SAT, or follow an international curriculum framework such as the IB MYP (Middle Years Programme). Choosing by university entrance exam combination Many Vietnamese universities still admit students based on traditional exam combinations. The 5 most common are: A00: Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry A01: Mathematics, Physics, English B00: Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology C00: Literature, History, Geography D01: Mathematics, Literature, English An easy rule of thumb is that the 4 elective subjects should include at least 2 subjects from the target exam combination. This helps students stay on track and reduces the need to catch up on their own in the final years. Choosing a Grade 10 subject combination based on career direction or university entrance exam combination 7 questions to ask before choosing a combination Before registering for a Grade 10 subject combination, parents should work through some key questions with their child. These questions help families avoid choosing on instinct or based only on the subjects their child currently enjoys. Which subject is your child strongest in, based on their Grade 9 marks and teachers’ comments? Does your child have a specific career or field of study in mind yet? Does the family prioritise university in Vietnam or studying abroad? Does the combination your child wants match the target exam combination? Does the upper secondary school your child plans to attend offer that combination? If your child changes direction partway through, what is the backup plan? Is the Vietnamese national curriculum still suitable if your child wants to study abroad early? The last two questions are especially important for families with an international direction. If your child wants to study abroad, parents should think early about the learning environment, English proficiency and the application timeline from Grade 10. Families considering a change of system can find out more about international upper secondary schools in Hanoi to compare before deciding. Visiting in person and talking with the academic team will help parents understand more clearly how well a school suits their child. A diagram for choosing a Grade 10 subject combination based on career direction and study abroad plans Can you change a subject combination if you choose the wrong one? Students can request to change an elective subject, but this shouldn’t be seen as an easy option. Whether a change is possible depends on a valid reason, the school’s decision, class sizes, teaching staff and the school’s reporting plan to the education authorities. If students switch to a new subject, they usually have to catch up on the content they missed on their own. Choosing the wrong combination can therefore cost your child extra time, increase academic pressure and put them out of step when preparing for university entrance exams. This is why many parents look into programmes that don’t require students to narrow down their subjects too early. The IB MYP is one option to consider, as it maintains a broad structure of study until the end of the MYP, before students specialise further at the next stage. How is Grade 10 different in an international programme? At the same age of 15–16, students following the 2018 General Education Curriculum and students in the final year of the IB MYP (Year 5, equivalent to Grade 10) have different learning experiences. The differences lie in the subject structure, assessment and preparation for university. Comparing the Grade 10 structure under the 2018 General Education Curriculum and the final year of the IB MYP This comparison isn’t intended to judge which system is better overall. Each programme suits a different set of goals, depending on the family’s university plans, the student’s English proficiency and the family’s financial plans. The subject structure of the IB MYP IB MYP stands for the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme. It is for students aged 11–16 and is designed to develop academic ability, skills and international-mindedness. The IB MYP has 8 subject groups: Language and Literature, Language Acquisition, Individuals and Societies, Sciences, Mathematics, Arts, Physical and Health Education, and Design. These are broad subject groups that help students continue to develop in a balanced way before specialising further in the IB DP (International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme). Unlike the 2018 General Education Curriculum, the MYP doesn’t focus on choosing 4 elective subjects in Grade 10. The programme emphasises interdisciplinary learning, critical thinking and the ability to apply knowledge in real-world contexts. Parents can find out more about the IB MYP at Westlink International School Hanoi to see how the school organises subjects and projects and supports secondary students. Westlink students combine theory, projects and interdisciplinary activities in the MYP Assessment and outcomes The 2018 General Education Curriculum assesses students mainly through marks combined with teachers’ comments, with the national upper secondary graduation exam as the final outcome. The IB MYP, by contrast, assesses students against 4 criteria for each subject: knowledge and understanding, analysis, application and evaluation. A notable difference in the final year of the MYP is two required elements: The Personal Project: a long-term individual project in the final stage of the MYP. Students choose their own topic, plan, create a product and evaluate their learning process with guidance from teachers. Service as Action: community service through action. Students apply their knowledge in real contexts, record their experiences and reflect on their learning. University and study-abroad pathways After the MYP, students usually go on to the IB DP in Grades 11–12, if their school is authorised to offer the DP. This is a two-year academic programme that is widely used in applications to international universities. In Vietnam, foreign qualifications may be considered for recognition under Ministry of Education and Training regulations. Parents should check the requirements for qualification recognition and the specific admission requirements of each university before choosing a pathway. For families planning to study abroad, the advantage of an international pathway doesn’t lie only in the programme’s name. What matters more is that students are prepared early in academic English, research skills, personal projects and independent learning. When should you switch to an international programme? Not every family needs to move their child to an international programme before Grade 10. However, this is a good time to think seriously about it if your child already plans to study abroad or wants to learn in a multinational environment. Some signs parents should look out for: The family has already decided to study abroad after Grade 12. Your child’s English is at around B1 or above, or improving quickly. The upper secondary school your child plans to attend doesn’t offer the combination they need. Your child is strong in projects, creativity and independent thinking. The family wants their child to experience criterion-based assessment. At Westlink International School Hanoi, the IB MYP runs from Grade 6 to Grade 10, alongside the Bilingual Middle Years Programme (Grades 6–9), which combines Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training framework with a US core curriculum. Westlink International School Hanoi is currently an IB World School authorised for the PYP and the MYP. For the IB Diploma Programme, Westlink is a candidate school and is working towards authorisation to offer the DP. The school is part of the International Schools Partnership (ISP), a network of 121 schools in more than 26 markets with around 118,000 students worldwide (as at October 2026). It offers a multinational learning environment with students of more than 30 nationalities, personalised English as an Additional Language (EAL) support for students who are not yet fluent in English, and an admissions team committed to responding within 24 hours. Parents can visit Westlink to understand the MYP pathway before choosing a programme Grade 10 is a time when parents need to look beyond a single school year, because subject choices can affect your child’s whole upper secondary and university pathway. If your family is weighing up the 2018 General Education Curriculum against an international programme, book a consultation with Westlink’s academic team for a personalised analysis of your child’s Grade 10 pathway, an assessment of how well the programme suits your child and a tour of the MYP learning environment before you decide.
