12th grade students and their worries before the changing high school graduation exam

Grade 12 students at Ham Rong High School, Thanh Hoa City are actively reviewing for the "final" stage of the high school graduation exam.

The 2025 high school graduation exam marks many new points compared to previous years. According to information from the Ministry of Education and Training , for candidates following the new program, this year's exam will take place on June 26 and 27, with three exam sessions, one session less than in 2024. The three exam sessions will include the subjects: Literature (120 minutes), Math (90 minutes) and an optional exam of 2 subjects (each subject 50 minutes). For candidates following the old program, they will take 5 exams: Math, Literature, Foreign Language and two combined exams (natural sciences or social sciences). In addition, the graduation rate will also be adjusted, with 50% of the transcript score and 50% of the exam score. Bonus points from vocational certificates were eliminated and international language certificates were no longer converted to 10 points. These changes forced students to adapt quickly, while increasing the pressure to review and prepare for exams.

Mai Anh ( Dien Bien ward, Thanh Hoa city) shared: “This year's exam has many big changes, so the amount of knowledge I have to review is also greater, forcing me to constantly change my study method. Previously, because I wanted to convert my English score to 10 points like previous years, I invested a lot of time to study and take the IELTS certificate, but now with the new regulations, I have to focus on reviewing all subjects. Every day I study until 12 o'clock at night, sometimes even until 1 o'clock in the morning, which makes me quite stressed”. In addition, with the reduction in the number of exam sessions but still ensuring quality and fairness in assessment, students have to face a large amount of knowledge in a short time. Many students have to participate in a series of mock exams, competency assessment exams, and thinking assessments organized by universities.

Faced with major changes in the 2025 high school graduation exam, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hai, Vice Principal of Ham Rong High School (Thanh Hoa City), said: "This year, the review work for 12th grade students has many changes. Firstly, the school must follow Circular 29, subjects are only taught 2 periods/week, so it will be difficult for students to deeply understand the knowledge they have learned, so the school has mobilized teachers in the school to teach students for free and supplement knowledge for weak students. Secondly, as soon as the Ministry of Education and Training announced the new exam structure of the 2025 high school graduation exam, Ham Rong High School quickly let students access and familiarize themselves with the exam early and will implement review until the exam date."

Not only has there been a change in the exam regulations, but this year, the high school graduation exam also has many new points. The 2025 high school graduation exam will not simply be a test of book knowledge but will strongly shift to assessing the ability to apply knowledge to practice. The exam will increase the number of questions related to specific situations in life, science, society, etc., thereby helping candidates realize the value of applying knowledge, instead of memorizing in a formulaic way. Studying and taking exams become a journey of discovery and deep understanding, no longer a heavy "race for scores". In addition, the proportion of questions at the "application" and "high application" levels has increased, of which about 30% of questions require candidates to know how to analyze, argue, and solve practical problems. For Literature, this year's exam can use texts outside of textbooks, requiring students to have good reading comprehension skills and flexible thinking.

For 12th graders this year, the pressure to study is not only limited to the amount of knowledge but also having to get used to the new exam structure and change to a completely new learning method in a relatively short time. Dang Khoi (Dong Tho ward, Thanh Hoa city) shared: "What I worry about the most are the questions at the "application" and "high application" levels. These questions are completely new and cannot be guessed or "rehearsed" in advance, so they require me to practice much more carefully than before. The true-false multiple choice part also makes me worried because the 4 questions have 16 answers, if I get each answer wrong, I will lose 2 points." Ms. Le Thi Hong Hanh, Math teacher at Ham Rong High School, said: "This year, with this new exam structure, I think it will be difficult for candidates to achieve high scores. In previous years, in the mock exams organized by the school, the number of students achieving a score of 6 and below was quite small, but this year, the number of students achieving this score has increased. Therefore, to help students feel secure in the upcoming important exam, we are actively reviewing for the exam and at the same time helping them stabilize their psychology, avoiding excessive anxiety that will affect the exam results. In particular, we have students review very carefully and grasp the basic knowledge, theory, and types of exercises before moving on to advanced types of exercises for them to limit errors during the exam."

In addition to academic pressure, many students also have to bear great expectations from their families and society. Comparing with friends, the pressure to get into a prestigious university or a "hot" major makes many students feel tired and worried. Familiar sayings: "How many points did you get on the test? Why is your score so low this time? Friend A got a very high score on the test!" - seem harmless but are invisible knives that make many students lose confidence. In particular, the pressure becomes heavier when many families have plans for their children to get into public universities, "hot" majors, and "top" schools. There are students who, despite having their own passions and aspirations, are forced to give up due to their parents' plans. Parents are not wrong in guiding their children to good schools and open careers, but the plan needs to be based on understanding their children, listening to them, and respecting their personal choices. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong (Ngoc Trao Ward, Thanh Hoa City) has a 12th grader who is studying for the upcoming high school graduation exam. She shared: "I see that my child is studying harder this year than in previous years, so my family encourages him to try harder in his studies and take care of his health. Although I am very worried about his upcoming exam results, I do not put too much pressure on him, telling him that as long as he tries his best, that's all that matters."

There is only a little over a month left until the 2025 high school graduation exam officially takes place. This is an important time, requiring 12th graders to have a reasonable study strategy to achieve high results in the exam that determines the turning point of their lives. Ms. Pham Thi Lich, Head of the Literature Group, Dao Duy Tu High School (Thanh Hoa City), said: "The final stage of the year is always a stressful time for 12th graders. To support them in achieving good results in the upcoming exam, we always identify ourselves as not only knowledge transmitters but also guides and companions for them on this important journey. Specifically, over the past time, we have advised and helped students choose a career that suits their abilities and the trend of the times, arranged a reasonable schedule, and coordinated well with parents to take care of their physical and mental health, especially during the final exam preparation period". At this stage, students need to focus on systematizing knowledge instead of studying widely. In addition, maintaining good health, a positive spirit, avoiding comparing scores with friends and believing in yourself are extremely necessary. In particular, family and school need to become a solid "support" for students, creating a healthy learning environment, reducing stress and promoting comprehensive development of students. In the journey to overcome the "gate" of exams, what students need most is not pressure, but faith, companionship and a positive spirit to firmly overcome challenges.

Article and photos: Phuong Do

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/hoc-sinh-lop-12-va-nhung-noi-lo-truoc-nbsp-ky-thi-tot-nghiep-thpt-nhieu-thay-doi-249875.htm