The literature exam for gifted students in Quang Nam was criticized by the online community as "confusing". What did the Department of Education say?

Question 2 of the 11th grade (specialized) Literature exam for the second round of the provincial-level high school student excellence competition in Quang Nam, posted on Facebook.

According to our research, the literature exam that is causing a stir online belongs to the second round of the provincial-level high school student excellence competition for the 2023-2024 school year, organized by the Quang Nam Provincial Department of Education and Training, held on March 15th.

You've already commented, why clarify further?

The content of question 2 is causing controversy because it provides an excerpt and asks for "commentary and clarification of the opinion above".

There are many opinions on social media regarding the way the exam questions were formulated. Firstly, the two requirements, "comment" and "clarify," are contradictory because they are two separate commands that cannot be performed simultaneously, leaving candidates confused. Explanation and commentary are acceptable, but commenting and clarifying at the same time is not.

Furthermore, the question emphasizes the failure of "many" writers, and asks for commentary to clarify this emphasized point. Logically, the candidate should find these failed writers and their failed works to comment on and clarify.

There are also opinions that this kind of question makes it difficult for students, as they don't know how to write the answer.

What does the Department of Education and Training say?

Temporary office of the Quang Nam Department of Education and Training - Photo: LE TRUNG

Speaking to Tuoi Tre Online , Mr. Thai Viet Tuong, Director of the Department of Education and Training of Quang Nam province, said that he would have the matter investigated and then provide an update.

Meanwhile, Mr. Le Van Hiep, a specialist in secondary education and the officer in charge of literature at the Department of Education and Training, said that it is normal for the online community to have both positive and negative opinions regarding the literature exam.

Those responsible will receive and select useful information to serve their professional work.

"Regarding the assessment of whether the question was good or bad, I will not comment. Everyone has their own interpretation; I don't deny different approaches, and I'm not discussing the question itself," Mr. Hiep said.

Further explaining the question, Mr. Hiep said that there are two requirements here. Firstly, the commentary requirement is for candidates to demonstrate their ability to understand, evaluate, and discuss the issue.

Commentary employs a combination of reasoning techniques; it includes proof, but the proof in commentary is usually used to illuminate the argument.

The requirement to "clarify" is to ask students to select works and authors to analyze and prove the issue in more depth.

This is a requirement for candidates to demonstrate their reading comprehension skills and ability to apply their knowledge to clarify the issues being discussed in the question, especially in the selection exam for gifted 11th-grade students in specialized literature.

"Therefore, the examination board intended to test both the students' reasoning skills in solving a problem and their ability to apply literary knowledge to shed light on the issue they were discussing. These are the two requirements and viewpoints that the examiners have maintained from the beginning, and they remain stable. Quang Nam has consistently selected high-quality students for the exam," he informed.

Regarding the opinion that the question requiring commentary and clarification of contradictions is confusing for students, Mr. Hiep affirmed that such a requirement is not confusing for a high-achieving student specializing in the subject and they can still do well: "After the students comment on and solve the problem, they can prove it or combine commentary and proof; this is not confusing, it's normal."

Students understood the exam questions and performed well.

"The recent exam had good quality papers with clear differentiation, and there were no complaints about the grading. When students were notified of their results by the Department, there were no issues. People have given very positive feedback on the exam preparation and grading. The exam results also differentiated students, reflecting that they understood the questions and answered them well," said Mr. Le Van Hiep.

Mr. Hiep also stated that the exam questions are prepared by a question-setting committee and a review board.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/de-thi-van-hoc-sinh-gioi-o-quang-nam-bi-cong-dong-mang-che-roi-ram-so-giao-duc-noi-gi-20240325100245139.htm