The test was difficult but the English score was not low because only good and excellent students took the test.

The Ministry of Education and Training has announced the distribution of high school graduation exam scores. There were 351,848 candidates taking the English exam. The average score was 5.38, the median score was 5.2. There were 141 10s and 2 0s in English.

Most of the candidates who choose to take the English test are students with good or excellent academic performance.

Different from previous years when English was a compulsory subject, this year it is an optional subject. The number of candidates taking the exam decreased by 2.6 times, to only 351,848 (while last year it was 906,549. Compared to the total number of candidates taking the graduation exam this year, the number of candidates taking the English exam is only about 1/3. Perhaps only students who need to use English for university admission or are confident in their ability choose this subject for the graduation exam.

As usual, Ho Chi Minh City leads the country in the number of candidates choosing English for the graduation exam with 61,917 students. Hanoi ranks second with 59,586 candidates. The number of candidates in both cities accounts for about 1/3 of the total number of candidates registered for the exam. And it is not surprising that both cities have the highest average English score and the number of 10 points in the country.

Master Phung Quan - admissions expert, Ho Chi Minh City University of Science , said that the English graduation exam scores in 2025 will not improve but will decrease. The score range is narrowing, there are few breakthroughs in high scores, the majority of candidates with scores below 7 (nearly 85%), this makes the admission combinations with English subjects lose competitiveness.

English score distribution for high school graduation exam 2025.

Mr. Quan predicts that the benchmark scores for majors using English for admission may decrease by 0.5-2.5 points, depending on the major and school. Therefore, candidates should not be subjective if they use the A01, D01 combination for admission. If the total score is above 24, candidates will have an advantage at many mid-ranked schools.

Mr. Pham Thai Son, Admissions Director, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade, said that English is an optional subject for the graduation exam, so this year few candidates from the provinces chose it. On the contrary, this subject is chosen by many students in big cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, so the score distribution is similar to last year, that is, the average score is 5.48 (last year it was 5.51).

Mr. Son said that the English score distribution in the 2025 exam was clearly differentiated with a large number of candidates scoring below average, while a few candidates scored high. The number of 10 points in English in 2025 was only 141, lower than last year's 565 points, and much lower than other subjects, especially compared to Geography or Physics, subjects with a very large number of 10 points. This shows a high level of differentiation in this subject, with many candidates scoring below average and only a few truly excellent. The average score for English this year is similar to last year, but the number of high scores of 8 or higher is much smaller.

Associate Professor To Van Phuong, Head of Training Department of Nha Trang University, said that the English score distribution in the 2025 high school graduation exam showed some notable points. Although the exam was assessed as quite difficult and highly differentiated, the average score was still 5.38 - not too low compared to the general level. "This may be because most of the candidates who choose English are those who have good or excellent academic performance in this subject or choose it for the purpose of university admission. On the contrary, candidates who only need to take the exam for graduation often do not choose English," said Associate Professor Phuong.

Meanwhile, Math is compulsory, so all candidates must take the exam, including those who only need to meet the graduation requirements. This may contribute to the lower Math score range. From the above analysis, it can be predicted that this year's university entrance exam scores will tend to decrease slightly in many schools. Particularly at Nha Trang University, the expected score will decrease by 1-3 points depending on the major.

Benchmarks will drop sharply

Mr. Phung Quan said that according to the score distribution of the 2025 high school exam, only about 12% of candidates scored 7 points or higher in Math, while this rate was 54% in Physics and 34% in Chemistry. Up to 85% of candidates scored below 7 points in English. Math scores decreased sharply compared to previous years, while other subjects fluctuated slightly and insignificantly.

In 2025, except for the direct admission method, the remaining methods will all be based on a common score for admission, leading to the possibility of adjusting the benchmark score in many industries.

Mr. Quan commented that for majors with benchmark scores of 28 or higher in previous years, this year's benchmark scores may decrease slightly, but not significantly. Majors with benchmark scores below 28 will tend to decrease sharply, commonly from 1 to 2 points, applicable to most combinations such as A00, A01, B00, D01.

Specifically, for the A00, A01, B00 groups, it is expected to decrease by 1.5-2 points in many majors, especially in the engineering, technology, and medical groups. In the D01 group, it may decrease slightly, about 0.5-1.5 points, but majors such as Economics , Languages, and Law will still maintain their competitiveness if the quota does not increase. The above "hot" majors can still maintain high scores thanks to the combined admission method and other priorities. Other majors will be clearly affected, and the standard score is likely to decrease sharply this year.

Mr. Pham Thai Son predicts that this year's benchmark scores will decrease for top universities such as Economics, Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, by 0.5-1.5 points. As for middle-ranking universities such as Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry, Finance - Marketing, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade, the top majors will decrease by a maximum of 1 point, while middle-ranking majors with scores of 22 or less will remain the same. The remaining universities will remain the same because the high scores, from 8 points or more, are lower than last year.

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/de-kho-nhung-diem-mon-tieng-anh-tot-nghiep-thpt-2025-khong-thap-2422112.html