Candidate Khanh Linh (Nguyen Thai Binh High School) and her group of friends discussed the English exam after finishing the optional exam. Khanh Linh commented that the English exam was relatively difficult, due to the long structure and many new specialized words - Photo: NGUYEN KHANG
After the 2025 high school graduation exam, the Ministry of Education and Training held a press conference to inform about the successful results of the exam, including an assessment of the exam: "The exam was designed to assess competency, integrating many related knowledge. The exam is part of the generaleducation program, with good differentiation."
However, educational forums, social networks and newspapers have recorded many responses to this year's exam. Especially in the subjects of math, literature and English, which have exceeded the accessibility of many average high school students.
The test is "out of standard" compared to the general audience?
It is undeniable that the 2025 high school graduation exam has many improvements compared to before, especially the orientation of in-depth assessment of general competencies and specific competencies of subjects according to the 2018 general education program.
However, the "standard deviation" compared to the average high school subject with 3 subjects of math, literature and English. The main reasons include:
Firstly, the exam is unbalanced between assessment levels. Subjects that most candidates consider difficult have a bias towards application questions (difficult questions), while lacking questions at the recognition and comprehension levels (easy and medium questions).
This makes it difficult for average students to have a basis to do the test. This way of designing the test is more suitable for university admission goals than for the output assessment goal to recognize high school graduation.
Second, the language, data of the test questions and the way of asking are not friendly when using long texts, complex structures, sometimes technical, while the way of asking questions is often circular and abstract. Processing the questions becomes a challenge in reading comprehension techniques, no longer simply testing the knowledge learned, or more importantly, the ability that has been formed by students during the learning process.
Third, regarding the test creation technique, the process of generating questions from the matrix is applied in a way that deviates from the meaning and nature of the test matrix. The matrix is supposed to be a tool to guide the structure of the test, but the software randomly draws the questions without attaching detailed specifications to each question. This leads to test codes that are out of phase in difficulty and unbalanced in content.
In particular, the exam is still mainly built according to the traditional method, based on the experience of the expert team, lacking the support of a standardized question bank. There is no standard data of questions such as: difficulty, discrimination, nor is there a large-scale test, the exam is easily subjective and inconsistent between subjects.
Lack of synchronization between student context and teaching practice
This year's graduation exam is causing mixed opinions. In the photo: Candidates taking the 2025 high school graduation exam in Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: THANH HIEP
A deep but very important cause is the lack of synchronization between the actual context of students and the way teaching and assessment are organized.
The 2025 cohort is the first to follow the 2018 general education program, and is also the group most heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic during grades 9 and 10 - two foundational years. Prolonged online learning has severely affected the quality of knowledge, skills and learning psychology.
However, while the new program requires the development of thinking and problem-solving skills, in many localities, teaching methods still focus on practicing questions, memorizing and revising. Students have not been fully trained in integrated test-taking skills, handling open-ended situations, analyzing data or presenting arguments.
When faced with exams designed to assess competency, students fall into a passive state, lose direction and do not have enough academic tools to do the test.
Candidates from Nguyen Van Troi High School (Nha Trang City) discussed enthusiastically after completing the math exam - Photo: TRAN HOAI
In the spirit of the 2018 general education program, textbooks are tools to specify "requirements" - that is, the minimum competencies, knowledge and skills that students need to master after a period of study.
In principle, the graduation exam should be based on these requirements to ensure consistency and reasonableness in assessment. In fact, the 2025 exam - especially in the 3 subjects mentioned above - has many questions that go beyond the scope and level of presentation in the textbooks.
Complicated questions, strange language and high application requirements appear frequently, making it impossible for students to orient themselves to the content, even though they have actively studied the textbooks systematically. The gap between the textbooks and the exam questions can be described as "a world apart".
The inconsistency between teaching, learning and testing not only makes learning passive, but also affects a fundamental principle in general education: developing the ability to self-study. When textbooks are no longer a reliable basis for students to self-study, they are forced to rely on practice tests, extra study or rote learning based on feelings.
This disorients, dispels confidence and motivation to learn - eliminating the self-study goal that the 2018 program expects, leading to the consequence of eliminating students' motivation and ability to self-study.
When exams are no longer the universal standard
A graduation exam with too difficult questions does not only cause students to get low scores. It has serious consequences at many levels.
First of all, students lose direction and motivation to study, especially those who do not have a university orientation, only need a diploma to go to work or learn a trade. For them, a difficult exam is not a positive challenge, but an exclusionary barrier.
Schools and teachers are put in a difficult position when results do not accurately reflect the teaching and learning process, easily creating skepticism and disappointment, even discouraging those who are trying to innovate methods.
Society can also easily lose faith in the exams set by the Ministry of Education and Training - which is one of the tools to ensure fairness, standardization and educational orientation. When the exam no longer measures the actual spectrum of abilities but becomes a form of "top recruitment", the philosophy of general education for the majority will be reversed.
Need to restore the standard and universality of the exam
The high school graduation exam needs to be adjusted not only in terms of test techniques, but also in terms of approach philosophy. To ensure fairness and proper orientation, it is necessary to build a standardized question bank, strictly control the process of generating questions from the matrix - specification, and especially design the question structure to suit the average high school level.
At the same time, there must be a synchronization between the program - teaching - assessment. If the exam requires the development of capacity, students must be taught to master that capacity, not to memorize and do tricks.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/de-thi-tot-nghiep-thpt-2025-khi-chuan-danh-gia-vuot-qua-nang-luc-pho-thong-20250628115524719.htm
Comment (0)