This year's national exam is organised on December 25-26. Son La province has 89 candidates from the Son La High School for the Gifted; the provincial Boarding High School for Ethnic Minorities; the Nguyen Du Secondary and High School; the Binh Minh Primary, Secondary and High School; the Moc Ly High School; the Gia Phu High School; the Chieng Son Secondary and High School; the Mai Son High School; and the Phu Yen High School.

They take the exam in nine subjects: Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Literature, History, Geography, Information Technology and English.

Son La has established an examination board at the Son La High School for the Gifted, with the examiners being teachers from Ha Giang province, and the Viet Bac Mountainous High School, and the inspectors from the Department of Education and Training of Bac Ninh province. The province has arranged full equipment, facilities, technology and personnel to ensure the exam is safe, serious and in accordance with regulations.

The exam is organised annually by the Ministry of Education and Training, aiming to motivate and encourage teachers and students to promote their creativity, and good teaching and learning, contributing to promoting the improvement of teaching and learning quality, management and direction of educational management levels. It is also to discover students with aptitude in subjects for training, helping realise the goal of training talents for the country.