Ho Chi Minh City students get acquainted with high school graduation exam on computer

Confidence in knowledge, proactive skills, flexibility in responding and handling all situations are the goals that high schools in Ho Chi Minh City are aiming for in their education plans for 10th and 11th graders in preparation for the pilot project of organizing graduation exams on computers from 2027.

GET FAMILIATED TO THE COMPUTER-BASED EXAM FROM REGULAR TESTS

In the context of digitalizing the high school graduation exam format, principals of high schools in Ho Chi Minh City believe that it is impossible to wait until the Ministry of Education and Training issues the official exam questions before starting to prepare. A systematic, proactive roadmap with appropriate steps will help students prepare mentally and help teachers and schools master the entire process. Organizing regular online tests is an important first step for students to get used to the feeling of taking exams on computers, keyboard operations, mouse use, function button recognition, and practice concentration in the digital space, factors that traditional paper exams cannot fully simulate.

Many high schools plan to practice for students to take computer-based tests from regular tests.

ILLUSTRATION: DAO NGOC THACH

For example, at Bui Thi Xuan High School (Ben Thanh Ward), the "computer-based test" format was started from the regular test in the first semester of the 2025-2026 school year. The school's leaders said that this is not a short-term experimental activity but the result of a long-term preparation process. The school has developed a specific plan, reviewed the technology infrastructure, trained teachers on how to prepare questions, set up time and automatically export results. Students are guided on how to log in, submit assignments, get familiar with the interface and how to check results.

The tests are randomly mixed into 48 test codes from 2 original tests, the order of questions and answers is reversed to limit cheating. The system automatically marks, helping teachers reduce manual workload while still ensuring fairness and objectivity.

Announcing the results immediately after submitting the test helps students receive immediate feedback and know where they need to strengthen. Teachers can quickly analyze the score distribution and identify weak areas of students' knowledge to adjust teaching methods more appropriately.

Similarly, at Nguyen Hien High School (Binh Thoi Ward), Mr. Pham Le Thanh, head of the chemistry group, informed that the school has organized for students to practice taking online tests with strict monitoring procedures, limiting cheating. The system is programmed to automatically detect the behavior of leaving the screen. If students switch to another window, the system will automatically warn and give 5 seconds to return. If this time is exceeded, the test will be locked. When there is a warning or the test is locked, the teacher will immediately open the settings, review the problem and decide whether to allow students to continue taking the test or not depending on the level. From there, students feel confident and gradually get used to being tested and evaluated with digital technology .

FORMING SKILLS FOR THE OFFICIAL EXAM

When organizing this form of testing with 10th and 11th grade students, school leaders all recognized that the biggest goal of the familiarization phase is not the score, but the formation of habits: Students know how to operate quickly, stay calm in the face of small technical problems, clearly understand how to display questions, how to change questions, how to check their work before submitting. When these things become natural reflexes, students will be less pressured by the official exam, and will no longer be surprised by "taking the test on the screen".

In addition, Mr. Huynh Thanh Phu, Principal of Bui Thi Xuan High School, also said that the form of testing on computers brings many practical values. The school saves a significant amount of printing paper, costs for printing test papers and time for viewing and grading tests. Teachers do not have to spend hours grading papers, comparing answers or entering scores. "Distributing test papers" and "collecting test papers" takes place simultaneously in just a few seconds, helping to optimize the organization process and ensure fairness. In particular, students seeing their scores immediately after leaving the exam room creates strong motivation, helping them self-assess their progress and adjust their learning strategies accordingly. With the online form, the school can also organize many different tests without worrying about duplication, reducing pressure on one session.

After the test, all teachers agreed that this is a form of assessment that is in line with the new trend. Teachers save a significant amount of time grading papers, while also having accurate data to assess students' abilities.

Phan Gia My, a student at Bui Thi Xuan High School, said she felt more interested, proactive, and comfortable taking the test on the computer. "The score immediately after submitting the test made me feel like I was really learning, without having to wait or worry like before," My said.

After the skill formation phase, schools said they will continue to improve the digital question bank, expand its application to other subjects, and move towards forming an automatic assessment system and analyzing student capacity.

10th grade students of Nguyen Tat Thanh High School (Binh Phu Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) initially get acquainted with the computer-based test to prepare for the high school graduation exam.

Photo: Bich Thanh

N THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND

For computer-based testing to be feasible and safe, principals say the limitations must be clearly identified.

When a class opens a question, changes questions, and submits papers at the same time, the system may shake or respond slowly. This can easily cause psychological stress for students and affect the quality of their work. In addition, the number of computer rooms available is often not enough to meet the large scale of the exam, leading to having to divide the exam into many sessions in one session, prolonging the organization time and putting pressure on the invigilators and technicians.

Computer configuration, network quality, and processing speed are also important factors. Just one slow computer or one disconnection can cause the student's exam to be interrupted. According to principals, the biggest risk is always power outages, which can wipe out all the effort of the entire exam session if there is no backup plan.

Therefore, to implement effectively, Mr. Nguyen Quang Dat, Principal of Nguyen Tat Thanh High School (Binh Phu Ward), said that schools need a multi-layered plan from facilities to personnel. For example, it is necessary to standardize computer rooms, divide exam time reasonably, and arrange technical teams to be on duty continuously. Not only students need to get familiar with exam operations, but teachers, supervisors, and technicians must also be trained to promptly handle any arising situations.

"Computer-based exams are an inevitable trend. The important thing is that each school must build a suitable, safe, and systematic roadmap, gradually bringing students to a modern, transparent, economical, and effective exam environment. When well prepared, computer-based exams are no longer a challenge, but become an opportunity to affirm the digital capabilities of the new generation of students," said Mr. Dat.

The Ministry of Education and Training's expected roadmap for high school graduation exams on computers

- From April to May 2026: The Ministry of Education and Training will test computer-based exams with about 100,000 candidates and at the same time build a question bank.

- July 2026: The computer-based exam project will be submitted to the Government for consideration.

- October - December 2026: Issue procedures and regulations for computer-based testing. Localities will arrange a number of locations to pilot computer-based testing in 2027 and prepare to invest in facilities for these testing locations.

- April - May 2027: Organize testing of exam questions at locations planned to hold computer-based exams; Organize testing of exam questions on a large scale according to the process of building an exam question bank.

- June 2027: Organize high school graduation exams on computers at qualified locations and organize high school graduation exams on paper at other locations.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hoc-sinh-tphcm-lam-quen-voi-thi-tot-nghiep-thpt-tren-may-tinh-185251208181858578.htm