Prior to 2015, Vietnam had two national-level examinations (from 2002 to 2014): the high school graduation exam for graduation purposes and the "Three Common Exams" (common exam questions, common exam period, common results) for university admissions. At that time, the high school graduation exam was entirely the responsibility of local authorities to organize. Universities played the main role in the "Three Common Exams" under the direction and guidance of the Ministry of Education and Training . The Ministry's role was primarily supervisory and exam question setting.
From 2015 to 2019, the two exams were combined into a single national high school graduation exam, serving both as a graduation exam and a university entrance exam. The Ministry's role shifted to a new level, gaining the authority to mobilize tens of thousands of university lecturers as authorized inspectors (on behalf of the Ministry) to participate in the exam. The national high school graduation exam reduced exam time and costs. However, as the exam's weight increased, and it was organized at the local level, linking it to the interests and opportunities for university admission of candidates, serious irregularities still occurred in three provinces (Son La , Ha Giang, and Hoa Binh) despite the authorized force acting on behalf of the Ministry of Education and Training (in 2018).
In 2020, the Ministry of Education and Training announced the transformation of the national high school graduation exam into a high school graduation exam with the main goal of assessing graduation eligibility, evaluating the overall quality of education nationwide, and potentially serving as a reliable basis for university admissions. Thus, the role of the exam diminished, and pressure on students and parents eased. However, this year, the Ministry of Education and Training has made a 180-degree turn, asserting that the high school graduation exam serves two purposes: assessing graduation eligibility and university admissions through a strong differentiation of exam questions.
Exams have never cooled down and have become a "specialty" of several Asian countries, including Vietnam. When exams come around, the whole society seems to go into a frenzy. Strangely, in Vietnam, students take entrance exams from grade 1, and again in grade 6. In reality, there are only two important exams: the grade 10 entrance exam and the high school graduation exam for university admission.
During a recent questioning session with Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son, National Assembly representative Nguyen Cong Long (from the Committee on Law and Justice) expressed his desire to end the "horrific exam" that millions of students and parents face every summer: the high school entrance exam. He stated that the Ministry does not deeply intervene in this exam, only issuing admission regulations; the organization and subject selection are left to the People's Committees of provinces and cities.
In the high school graduation exam, the Ministry sets the questions, appoints inspectors to supervise the exam, decides the exam date, and determines the subjects. Local authorities are responsible for organizing the exam, including facilities, invigilators, and grading. It's clear that the Ministry's role still accounts for 50% of the high school graduation exam, so whether the exam serves one or two purposes is entirely up to the Ministry, and its "weight" or "weight" is determined by the Ministry.
Perhaps the high school graduation exam should be entirely entrusted to local authorities, with a national testing center, independent of the education sector, to organize the exam and assist universities in student admissions. In this scenario, the Ministry of Education and Training would revert to its role as the agency managing education and ensuring quality, while universities would rely on the assessment results of an independent body for student selection.
Source: https://tienphong.vn/bao-gio-thi-cu-ha-nhiet-post1753854.tpo
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