Top 6 Essential Tips for Studying History for the 10th Grade Exam

Practicing past papers and identifying keywords is definitely an essential skill you need to start using now to perform well in the exam room. The advantage of multiple-choice questions is that you don’t need to know the exact answer, as luck can be on your side. In addition to reviewing knowledge, focusing on test-taking skills is crucial for doing well. Practice time management, set a timer to avoid exceeding the time limit, and start with the easier questions. Begin preparing now by working through multiple-choice practice questions to get comfortable.

For essay-style questions, you need to structure your answer with a clear introduction, logical explanations, and a scientific presentation of events. But for the 40 multiple-choice questions, you can take a simpler approach—trust your instincts. If you’ve practiced enough, you might recognize the correct answer from previous practice, as the key historical events often remain the same, just with slight changes in how they are asked.

To avoid being misled by tricky questions, make sure you identify the keywords in each question. Focus on understanding what the question is really asking to avoid losing points unnecessarily. Develop the habit of underlining the question, key content, time references, and the event being asked about, then focus on finding answers related to those key terms.

Note: Develop the habit of identifying keywords in each question to stay on track, avoid multiple confusing answers, and prevent unfortunate mistakes.

Considered one of the most effective study methods, especially for multiple-choice exams, mind mapping can help you condense a large amount of knowledge. By using mind maps with key terms arranged in an abstract way, you can significantly improve your brain's ability to memorize. The mind maps you create will be easier to remember and study compared to the rigid text in textbooks.

Flashcards help you better remember key terms, dates, and events. They allow you to study actively anytime, anywhere without the need for heavy books, making it easier to remember all the essential details of your study plan.

Using mind maps to illustrate knowledge: This method not only helps students easily organize events and figures, but it also uses visual elements that enhance memorization. When studying any topic, create a mind map with the main keyword representing an event, figure, or historical period, and use branches to break down related details. Studying history with mind maps not only improves exam performance but also helps you retain historical knowledge in the long term.

Note: Study using mind maps and flashcards. Each lesson, chapter, or historical period can be organized into a mind map for easier recall and reference. Additionally, you can use sticky notes to jot down the key points of each lesson, event, or figure.

When studying History, students should not use too many study materials. Mastering the content from your textbooks will already put you in a good position to score well. If you’re aiming for top marks, you can supplement with 1-2 advanced History books to refine skills such as comparison, application, and argumentation. Avoid overwhelming yourself with too many resources, as there are many non-official History books on the market that even contain incorrect historical information.

The content in textbooks is already comprehensive enough, so there's no need to cram in additional knowledge from reference books. Most high-scoring questions are based on reasoning and can be categorized into middle-level and application-level questions. Focus on mastering the fundamental concepts, and you'll likely score at least a 7. For the remaining questions, pay attention to explanations, causes, and meanings to find your answers. It’s more effective to focus on practicing different types of questions than to collect too many unverified study materials.

Note: Instead of gathering endless materials, invest your time in understanding the different question formats and practice with past papers to improve your response time and accuracy.

This year’s exam format is different, with the addition of a fourth subject, which may seem difficult as it involves memorization. There’s a lot of information to absorb, and it’s easy to forget what you’ve learned. However, by carefully analyzing the mock exam, you’ll see that the 40 multiple-choice questions are designed to test your general knowledge rather than depth, so focusing on key events and dates will be sufficient. First and foremost, don’t panic! Don’t focus only on one topic, but instead, focus on analyzing the mock exam format.

Most of the History content is from the 9th-grade curriculum, with 90% of the questions testing recognition and understanding. So, students only need to ensure they have a strong grasp of the basic knowledge from 9th grade to perform well. After the announcement of the fourth subject, parents and students shouldn’t worry too much and feel compelled to take extra classes, as this would not only be costly but also add unnecessary stress to students.

Focus on mastering the core content, but don’t focus on a single topic because the events are easily confused, especially when it comes to the sequence of events. The answer choices in the exam are often very similar, so without a solid understanding, you may end up selecting the wrong answer. Students often confuse the Battle of Dien Bien Phu with the 12-day airstrike over Dien Bien Phu, or mix up the Geneva Accords with the Paris Peace Accords. Therefore, students should be sure about what they’ve learned and retain it as they go along.

The mock exam indicates that the History exam will focus on testing the recall of historical events, figures, and key dates, as well as assessing students' understanding of the main characteristics of each historical period. A comprehensive understanding of the entire historical era is necessary to answer interdisciplinary questions.

Note: Stick to the mock exam format for your preparation, ensuring you cover all topics evenly and follow a structured plan, so you don’t miss out on scoring points on world history, as the questions in this section are usually easier to score.

Time is running out, and while it may seem like there's no time left to waste, don’t panic or think it’s too late. It’s more effective to study less but with better focus than cramming too much without retaining anything. To achieve this, you must have a structured and scientific review plan. In March, focus on reviewing the content from the 9th-grade curriculum, in April you can start practicing with test papers and fill in any gaps in your knowledge, and in May, intensify your practice with timed mock exams, replicating real test conditions and improving your multiple-choice answering skills. The questions in the exam are not difficult, but with ample practice, you’ll develop reflexes that minimize mistakes and avoid losing precious points.

Organizing knowledge chronologically: To easily grasp historical knowledge, candidates should study events in a timeline, then expand on related topics. When studying a historical event, it typically covers the following: time, context, causes, developments, outcomes, lessons learned, and its historical significance. It's also important to distinguish between events by recognizing similarities and differences in the associated content.

Note: Set clear review goals and create a study timetable that distributes your time across subjects. Plan which sections to tackle first and which later, and decide the best way to approach each part. Master the fundamentals before moving on to practice exams!

In a multiple-choice exam, the breadth of knowledge to review is extensive, so it's crucial to memorize key points from each stage and each lesson in order to have the best foundational understanding. Thoroughly study the chapter summaries to grasp the developments of history within each period, thus gaining a comprehensive view of the subject. These summaries are often well-structured in textbooks or review materials provided by teachers, so all you need to do is rephrase them in a way that suits your personal study method.

The best approach is to create your own summarized material, organized in a way that makes sense to you. This will make it easier to pinpoint smaller, more specific facts during your studies. Organize the material by topic, chapter, historical period, and, notably, by world history and Vietnamese history.

Note: Build your own summary of knowledge and study thoroughly to avoid losing points on questions that can be answered through deduction or elimination using general knowledge. The end of each textbook chapter usually contains a summary.