Reducing pressure through several new approaches.

The 2025 high school graduation exam is expected to have several new features compared to exams from 2024 and earlier, such as the addition of two new subjects and more multiple-choice question formats. However, the exam organization plan will be streamlined and less stressful.

Students at Phan Dinh Phung High School (Ba Dinh district) take a survey for the high school graduation exam under the new curriculum. Photo: Minh Khang

Several adjustments need to be noted by students.

The 2025 high school graduation exam will be the first graduation exam for students studying the new curriculum and textbooks compiled according to the 2018 General Education Program. Therefore, the draft regulations for the new high school graduation exam have many adjustments compared to the high school graduation exams from 2024 and earlier.

According to the draft, the 2025 high school graduation exam will include two additional subjects: informatics and technology. Thus, the exam will have a total of 11 subjects, including: Mathematics, Literature, History, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, Economics and Law Education, Informatics, Technology, and Foreign Languages ​​(English, German, Russian, Japanese, French, Chinese, and Korean).

Regarding the exam format, only the Literature exam will be essay-based, while the remaining subjects will be multiple-choice. According to Huynh Van Chuong, Director of the Quality Management Department ( Ministry of Education and Training ), the difference in the multiple-choice exams for the 2025 high school graduation exam is that, in addition to the familiar multiple-choice question format (4 options, choose 1), there will be two new question formats. The first includes true/false questions (each question has 4 parts, students must answer true/false for each part); the second includes short-answer questions (similar to essay questions, students fill in the answers on a form). The time allotted for the Literature exam is 120 minutes, for Mathematics 90 minutes, and 50 minutes per subject for the remaining subjects.

A notable new point in the draft is the regulation increasing the percentage of assessment results from grades 10, 11, and 12 used to 50%. Under current regulations, this percentage is only 30% and only grade 12 results are used. Regarding graduation recognition, from 2025, foreign language certificates will no longer be counted as 10 points as under current regulations.

Ready for the first exam under the new program.

According to the draft of the new exam regulations, despite adding two subjects and some new points, the Ministry of Education and Training aims to organize the 2025 high school graduation exam in a streamlined manner to reduce pressure on candidates. Specifically, the exam duration will be shortened from the current four sessions to three sessions. The number of subjects will be reduced from six to four, including two compulsory subjects (mathematics and literature) and two elective subjects from the remaining subjects studied in grade 12. The Ministry is also developing plans and guidelines for localities to arrange exam locations and rooms according to the principle of maximum support, ensuring that candidates only take the exam in one room throughout the entire exam period.

Expressing his agreement with the new points in the draft, Le Viet Duong, Principal of Truong Dinh High School (Hoang Mai District), stated: Increasing the percentage of assessment results from all three years of high school to 50%, instead of 30% and only using the 12th-grade results, is necessary and appropriate for comprehensive and objective evaluation. This adjustment also provides more peace of mind for students as their entire learning process is assessed, preventing them from focusing solely on the 12th grade. Nguyen Thi Quynh Chi, a student from Nguyen Van Cu High School (Gia Lam District), added: “Having only four subjects to take the exam, including two elective subjects, is a huge advantage. I will focus on studying the two elective subjects well to achieve good results in the exam.”

According to Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong, after receiving feedback, the Ministry will finalize the draft and is expected to issue the new examination regulations in November 2024. The Ministry will also develop and publish sample exam questions to provide students and teachers with more information to better guide the organization of teaching and learning.

The 2025 high school graduation exam is scheduled to take place on June 26th and 27th. In the 2024-2025 school year, Hanoi has over 100,000 12th-grade students, making it the leading locality in terms of the number of students taking the high school graduation exam annually. Determined to organize the first high school graduation exam under the new curriculum safely and successfully, the Hanoi Department of Education and Training has implemented numerous solutions to support students.

According to Vu Dinh Ha, Principal of Tran Hung Dao High School in Thanh Xuan District, in March 2024, students citywide took a survey based on the structure and format of the sample high school graduation exam under the new curriculum. This helped them get a sense of the changes compared to previous exams. However, this is the first group of students to study and take the exam under the new curriculum, so anxiety is unavoidable. The school is urgently developing sample exams, including questions in the new multiple-choice format, to provide students with regular practice sessions.

Source: https://danviet.vn/du-thao-quy-che-thi-tot-nghiep-trung-hoc-pho-thong-giam-ap-luc-bang-nhieu-diem-moi-2024091109585786.htm