Virtual School in Vietnam: The Grade Ten Crossroads, From Hue to the Mekong Delta

By Brendaliz Chelangat, Head of Academics · October 2026 · 9 min read

Grade nine is the hinge of Vietnamese schooling. Compulsory education for Vietnamese nationals runs through lower secondary, and at the end of it students in the big cities face the grade ten entrance examinations for public high schools, which many families treat as the most stressful moment of school life. After that come three years of upper secondary and the national high school graduation examination. For most students that route is the right one. But for families who want an international qualification, the years after grade nine are when it either gets built or does not, and outside Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City the English-medium options at that level are few. This guide is about that crossroads, and about the cities where a virtual school is the realistic route.

The crossroads at grade ten

At fifteen, a Vietnamese student either secures a place in upper secondary through the entrance process or looks for another route. Because upper secondary sits outside compulsory education, families have more room to choose. There are three sensible options. Continue in the Vietnamese route toward the graduation examination and the national universities. Move to a full-time international route, with Cambridge A-Levels, Pearson Edexcel International A Levels or the American curriculum with AP. Or run both for a year while the family decides. A full-time international route is a big step in Vietnam, and families planning it should confirm their position with the Ministry of Education and Training or the provincial Department of Education first. We help them write down what the plan is.

Da Nang and Hue

Da Nang has grown quickly, with software firms, tourism, a port and a growing community of returning Vietnamese and foreign families. It has some international schooling, but much less than the two big cities, and the upper-secondary subject range is narrow. Hue, a couple of hours north, has its university, its hospitals and a long tradition of scholarship, and very little international schooling. A student in either city who wants A-Level Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry, or AP courses toward a US application, will find few schools that teach them. A live class supplies the teacher, in a small group, with the same teacher across the two years. Students who keep a local school place can run it alongside, so the choice does not have to be made all at once.

Can Tho and the Mekong Delta

Can Tho is the delta’s main city, with Can Tho University, agricultural research, trade and a population that looks to Ho Chi Minh City for most specialist services. Upper-secondary education in English toward international examinations is rare here and rarer in the provinces around it. For a delta family, the alternative is often to send a fifteen-year-old to Ho Chi Minh City to live with relatives or board. A virtual school lets the student stay home and still build an international record, which for many families is the deciding factor. Broadband in Can Tho and the delta towns is generally good enough for a live class, and we check the connection during the assessment. The one real cost is travel: examination sittings usually mean a trip to Ho Chi Minh City, which families plan for at the start of each year.

Running the years well

We plan upper secondary around the target. Three A-Levels chosen for the course are better than four chosen out of ambition, and for US plans a focused set of AP courses with SAT preparation where it is needed is often cleaner. Vietnam is four hours ahead of Nairobi all year, so Nairobi morning teaching lands in the Vietnamese afternoon, and later classes run into the early evening, which suits students who are also in a Vietnamese school. Every lesson is recorded. Cambridge and Pearson Edexcel examinations are sat at authorised exam centres, mainly in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, so students in Hue, Da Nang or Can Tho usually travel for the sitting. Families book the centre, and it is confirmed per family, per session.

Where the record leads

In Vietnam, RMIT University Vietnam, Fulbright University Vietnam, VinUniversity and the British University Vietnam all admit students with international qualifications, with requirements set per programme and worth checking early. The national universities have their own admission routes for international qualifications, which vary by institution. Abroad, UK universities read A-Levels through UCAS, US universities read AP and the American diploma through the Common Application, and Canadian universities can be reached through the Ontario Secondary School Diploma, earned online through our Ontario partner school. Australian, Japanese, Korean and Singaporean universities assess these qualifications routinely. A student in Can Tho applies on the same terms as one in Hanoi, with a record that does not depend on where the family happened to live.

Grade nine is the point where Vietnamese families choose, and outside the two big cities an international route has usually meant sending a child away. A live class lets students in Da Nang, Hue and the Mekong Delta build the same record from home, with the Vietnamese route still open. Book an assessment for your child, or start with our Vietnam hub and the Da Nang page.

Frequently asked questions

Is upper secondary compulsory in Vietnam?

Compulsory education for Vietnamese nationals runs through grade nine. Families planning a full-time international route after that should still confirm their position with the Ministry of Education and Training or the provincial Department of Education.

Should we skip the grade ten entrance exam?

Usually not until the family is sure. Many students sit it, take an upper-secondary place and run two or three international subjects alongside for a year before deciding.

We live in Can Tho. Where would exams be sat?

Usually in Ho Chi Minh City, at an authorised exam centre the family books. The centre is confirmed per family, per session.

What time are classes in Vietnam?

Vietnam is four hours ahead of Nairobi with no daylight saving. Morning classes in Nairobi fall in the Vietnamese afternoon, later ones in the early evening, and all are recorded.

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