To make exams a motivation

In recent years, the high school graduation exam has been conducted rigorously and gradually improved towards assessing competence. However, behind the impressive score distributions, there are still questions that trouble society: What is the exam encouraging? What are students studying for? And are their true abilities being developed in the right way?

This year's high school graduation exam further highlights the strategy of students choosing subjects based on ease, low competition, and high scores. In the first year that foreign languages ​​became optional, over 60% of students did not choose a foreign language. Furthermore, over 40% of students focused on history and geography in the 2025 high school graduation exam.

This reflects a worrying message: Easy learning and easy exams are the safe path. If this continues in the future, we are inadvertently contributing to a short-sighted mindset, deviating from the mission of education to develop well-rounded individuals with independent thinking, creativity, and practical problem-solving skills. Not to mention, it will lead to a shortage of high-quality human resources for key scientific and technological fields.

Based on this reality, adjustments are needed so that exam questions are designed not to make things difficult, but to ensure correct answers. A literature exam could place students in a social context to present their personal views, a math exam could simulate a hypothetical economic situation, or a foreign language exam could be linked to a real-life communication context. This is how exams can become engaging learning experiences, helping students develop critical thinking, application skills, and creativity.

In addition, the structure of exam subject combinations also needs to be reviewed. Freedom of choice is necessary, but absolute freedom can easily lead to imbalances. Students avoiding fundamental subjects such as foreign languages, natural sciences , or computer science is causing an imbalance in the structure of the future workforce.

Exams should also serve as a career compass. Each subject, when linked to specific career fields such as physics with engineering, biology with medicine, foreign languages ​​and geography with tourism and diplomacy, computer science with technology, etc., will help students have a clearer direction for their future. When students understand that today's choices can open doors to tomorrow, exams will no longer be a race for scores, but a journey of self-discovery.

Reforming the examination system cannot be achieved without the role of teachers. As the Chairman of the Committee on Culture and Society, Nguyen Dac Vinh, once emphasized: If the exam reform is truly effective, teachers will change their teaching methods, students will change their learning methods, parents will change their expectations, and society will change its perspective on education. Learning is not just for exams, but for accumulating knowledge, developing abilities, perfecting character, and integrating internationally. That is the goal that every exam should aim for.

In the digital age and with artificial intelligence, exams that only test memorization skills will quickly become outdated. But if they are a place to tap into life skills, thinking abilities, and aspirations for development, then exams will become a true driving force. We need to abandon the mindset of "just getting the exam over with" or "taking the exam for admission"; instead, we should focus on "taking the exam to grow," "taking the exam to reflect on our learning journey," and "taking the exam to prepare for the road ahead."

A truly effective exam should not only assess abilities but also awaken the potential, passion, and character of the candidates.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/de-thi-tro-thanh-dong-luc-185250719220002887.htm