The "special" exam has come to an end.

The 2025 high school graduation exam is a special milestone in the history of Vietnamese education, as it is the first time it has been organized according to the new plan of the 2018 General Education Program. This year's exam has many new features, but with the perspective of "Putting students at the center, the subject - teachers as the driving force - schools as the support - families as the foundation - society as the basis," the organization work in Quang Ninh province has been meticulously and focusedly carried out, with the efforts of the entire political system to ensure the exam is successful, smooth, safe, and serious; and has been recognized and highly appreciated by parents and students.

A special exam with many innovations.

After two days and four examination sessions, the 2025 High School Graduation Examination in Quang Ninh province concluded successfully, marking the end of 12 years of diligent study for over 19,900 students and opening a new chapter in their journey to adulthood. The exam, held on June 26th and 27th, attracted widespread attention due to several new aspects compared to previous years, including the examination method and structure, exam questions, scoring system for admission and graduation, and examination organization.

The examination supervision by the Examination Board was conducted seriously, safely, and in accordance with regulations.

Notably, this was the first exam for students studying under the 2018 General Education Program, while still ensuring that students under the 2006 General Education Program who had not yet graduated or needed to retake the exam for university admission could also participate. In addition, the entire country was implementing administrative reforms, streamlining the apparatus, transitioning to a two-tiered local government system, and restructuring and reorganizing the inspection and police systems from the central level.

In Quang Ninh province, the 2025 High School Graduation Examination has 19,930 registered candidates, an increase of 1,966 candidates compared to the previous year. Of these, 19,594 candidates registered to take the exam under the 2018 General Education Program (98.3%); and 336 candidates registered to take the exam under the 2006 General Education Program (1.7%). The entire province will organize one examination council with 40 examination centers (an increase of 3 centers compared to 2024), corresponding to 849 examination rooms (an increase of 64 rooms compared to 2024).

In this year's exam, candidates following the 2018 General Education Program take four subjects: two compulsory subjects (Vietnamese Literature and Mathematics) and two elective subjects (from the remaining subjects studied in grade 12, including: Foreign Language, History, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, Economics and Law Education, Informatics, and Technology). These candidates take the exam in three sessions: one for Vietnamese Literature, one for Mathematics, and one for a combined elective subject (two subjects). Candidates taking the exam under the 2006 General Education Program take the exam in four sessions: one for Vietnamese Literature, one for Mathematics, one for an elective subject (Natural Sciences or Social Sciences), and one for a Foreign Language.

This year's official exam also features several new changes. Instead of one exam session as before, there are now two sessions per day. Notably, five different subjects can be tested simultaneously in a single exam room – something unprecedented in previous exams. Another new feature is the doubling of the number of exam codes. Previously, subjects (except for Literature) had only 24 codes, but this year, each subject has 48 codes. This increase in codes aims to curb rote learning and ensure fairness.

Officials from the Ministry of Education and Training were present at the Hon Gai High School examination site on the morning of June 26th, thoroughly checking all aspects of the exam organization. Photo: Song Ha

According to statistics from the Department of Education and Training, Geography is the elective subject with the highest number of registered candidates, at 10,741. Subjects appearing for the first time in the high school graduation exam include: Informatics (only 113 candidates), Technology (Industry) (1 candidate), and Technology (Agriculture) (182 candidates). The exam questions are structured with 40% at the knowledge level, 30% at the comprehension level, and 30% at the application level. Simultaneously, there is an increased emphasis on connecting and applying knowledge to practical situations, aiming to accurately assess students' abilities.

Most notably, there was a change in the exam format, especially for Literature. This year's Literature exam featured the essay topic "Every homeland's sky is the sky of the Fatherland" - a highly relevant topic in the current context. The exam placed higher demands on candidates' text analysis skills, independent thinking, and ability to grasp current events. Immediately after the exam, most candidates commented that this year's exam was innovative, with a broad but manageable topic. Ngo Duc Dai Duong, a student from Bach Dang High School in Quang Yen town, shared: "This year's exam closely followed the knowledge and skills that our teachers had reviewed. Moreover, the topic was very relatable, giving candidates the opportunity to be creative and express their thoughts."

For multiple-choice tests, different question types are used to provide flexibility in thinking and knowledge assessment, while also ensuring differentiation in student abilities.

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Along with new features in the exam format, according to the 2025 High School Graduation Exam Regulations, 50% of the graduation score will be calculated from the high school graduation exam score, and the remaining 50% will be taken from the academic results throughout the three years of high school, a significant increase compared to the 30% of the previous year. Foreign language and Vietnamese language certificates (for foreign candidates) will continue to be used for exemption from the exam in the high school graduation recognition process, but will not be converted to a perfect score as before; vocational certificates will no longer be added to the score for all candidates; and computer skills, foreign language, and vocational secondary school diplomas will no longer be added to the score for candidates in continuing education programs.

Youth union members provide water for the exam candidates.

Accompanying students as they "pass the crucial exam"

To organize the 2025 High School Graduation Examination, the Department of Education and Training, in coordination with the Provincial Police and the Department of Health, mobilized approximately 3,500 officials, teachers, and staff to participate in invigilation duties according to the Examination Regulations and guidelines of the Ministry of Education and Training. Personnel participating in invigilation, especially those in charge of each stage of the examination organization, were selected based on the prescribed standards and conditions regarding competence, character, and professional skills to ensure successful completion of their duties. To ensure the honesty, objectivity, and fairness of the High School Graduation Examination, inspections and audits by the three levels of the Ministry, province, and department were carried out at all stages.

Security and safety measures, medical services for disease prevention and control, food safety and hygiene, electricity and water supply, contingency plans, and response measures in case of extreme weather, natural disasters such as floods and heatwaves are also ensured and meticulously prepared to promptly respond to any unforeseen situations. Objective, strict, and effective control measures are in place to prevent malpractice in examinations, especially regarding the examination process, transportation of exam papers, and invigilation and management of exam papers.

Ms. Mai Thi Hoa, Deputy Head of Examination Center No. 14, Cam Pha High School, said: "The examination center closely coordinated with relevant agencies, meticulously prepared facilities, and strictly followed all regulations and guidelines. Thanks to this, the two days of the graduation exam went quite smoothly, adhering to the rules, and most candidates were confident and enthusiastic, performing well on their exams. We hope that this year's results will be higher than in previous years, reflecting the efforts of teachers and students throughout the province in teaching and learning."

To ensure that candidates arrive at the examination site safely and on time, the Department of Education and Training of Ba Chẽ district has arranged accommodation for 45 students who live far from the examination site. Photo: Pham Tang

To facilitate the candidates, each locality in the province has arranged between 1 and 9 examination centers. The Department of Education and Training, in coordination with local authorities, has proactively reviewed and implemented measures to support candidates, ensuring that no candidate has to miss the exam due to economic difficulties, transportation problems, or other objective obstacles. For remote areas with many candidates living far from the examination centers, schools have proactively ensured adequate facilities in the canteen area, organized meal services for candidates (who need them) throughout the examination days, and arranged transportation to safely and punctually bring candidates from distant areas to the examination centers.

Ms. Le Thi Anh, Vice Principal of Nguyen Trai High School in Tien Yen district, said: "The school has demonstrated a high sense of responsibility in preparing the best possible conditions in terms of facilities, coordinating with parents to ensure full care for food, accommodation, and transportation, guaranteeing absolute safety for the candidates. At the same time, we have proactively prepared 15 free dormitory rooms with a maximum capacity of 250 students, helping them feel secure and achieve the best possible results in the exam."

Adhering closely to the exam question guidelines that assess candidates' abilities, the Quang Ninh education sector has proactively reformed teaching methods and improved the quality of exam preparation. All public high schools in the province organize free exam preparation courses for 12th-grade students. In addition, the Department of Education and Training has organized a province-wide mock high school graduation exam to realistically assess teaching and learning outcomes, providing a basis for classifying students and organizing further in-depth review sessions. This not only helps students build a solid foundation of knowledge for the 2025 high school graduation exam but also contributes to improving the effectiveness of exam organization.

The 2025 high school graduation exam is a particularly important exam, therefore, all forces and units have been mobilized. Quang Ninh Power Company has deployed personnel to be on duty at 40 exam locations to operate backup generator systems; generators have been arranged to ensure a stable power supply for the entire school, including lighting, air conditioning, fans, printers, etc. In addition, the Traffic Police Department and other professional departments (Provincial Police) have mobilized maximum forces and resources, and implemented comprehensive measures to ensure smooth traffic flow for candidates and parents during the exam days.

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Lieutenant Colonel Le Van Tuyen, Deputy Head of Road Traffic Police Team No. 2, said: "We have increased patrols at intersections to ensure safe and smooth traffic. Patrol officers also proactively monitor the situation along the route, promptly detecting any incidents to provide timely assistance to candidates and parents, ensuring that candidates arrive at the examination centers safely and on time."

The candidates were happy in the embrace of their families after completing the exam.

The Provincial Youth Union established 40 volunteer youth teams at 40 examination sites during the 2025 High School Graduation Examination, with over 1,500 union members and young people participating to support candidates and their families. These teams coordinated traffic management and flow control, ensured security and order at examination sites, assisted candidates with registration procedures, provided volunteer motorbike taxi services to transport candidates to examination locations, and arranged safe accommodation and meals for candidates and their families throughout the examination period. Youth Union branches at all levels also mobilized nearly 500 cartons of milk and drinking water, 300 support packages, nearly 700 free meals, snacks, and school supplies, with a total value of nearly 200 million VND.

With the perspective of "Putting students at the center, teachers as the driving force, schools as the support, families as the foundation, and society as the basis," along with thorough and meticulous preparation, close attention from all levels, sectors, and localities, and the efforts of the candidates, the 2025 High School Graduation Examination took place safely, smoothly, seriously, objectively, thoughtfully, efficiently, reliably, and effectively, reducing pressure, costs, and creating consensus. All 40 examination centers in the province actively and synchronously implemented the tasks with a high sense of responsibility. All examination centers strictly adhered to regulations, ensuring the safe and effective organization of the examination. According to the plan, the 2025 High School Graduation Examination results will be announced on July 16th. Students will begin registering and adjusting their university admission preferences from July 16th to 28th.

Hoang Quynh

Source: https://baoquangninh.vn/khep-lai-ky-thi-dac-biet-3364355.html