It's difficult, but I still chose it. Why?

The sample English exam for the 2025 high school graduation exam is considered long and difficult, especially since it must be completed in 50 minutes. However, according to statistics from several schools, the percentage of students choosing English as their graduation exam subject remains overwhelming. Why is that?

The English test focuses on reading comprehension skills, consisting of 40 questions with changes such as omitting stress questions, correcting errors, etc., and introducing new question types such as placing sentences in the correct position and arranging sentences in the correct order within a paragraph.

Students in Ho Chi Minh City after taking the 2024 high school graduation English exam.

Having an advantage thanks to studying for the IELTS exam.

After taking a practice test, Dieu Hoang Cat Tien, a 12th-grade student from Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High School (District 3, Ho Chi Minh City), commented that the test was quite long with 5 passages and increasing difficulty, while the time allotted was only 50 minutes. "I still chose English in my exam combination because I have experience preparing for the IELTS," the female student shared.

According to Cat Tien, the questions focused on reading comprehension and vocabulary, with the last two passages requiring students to find synonyms, antonyms, and the meaning of the passages, similar to the reading section of the IELTS exam. Applying skimming, scanning, and rephrasing techniques from IELTS, Tien analyzed the questions and found better answers.

Studying at the same school, Dong Minh Khanh also chose English as part of his high school graduation exam because he plans to study abroad. The male student said that studying for IELTS and SAT not only helps with his study abroad applications but also helps him prepare effectively for the graduation exam.

"For the sample test, I applied selective reading skills from IELTS and the method of finding evidence from the SAT reading section to fill in the blanks. Thanks to practicing for these two certificates, I feel more confident with my vocabulary, especially since this year's sample test has many advanced words," Minh Khánh added.

Le Uyen Nhi, a 12th-grade literature student at Huynh Man Dat Specialized High School ( Kien Giang ), also has an advantage in this subject thanks to her IELTS preparation. The female student said that she accumulated vocabulary through IELTS reading passages and read additional English texts on social media to improve her reading comprehension skills.

The sample English test focuses on students' reading comprehension skills and vocabulary.

Mr. LH, an English teacher at a high school in District 3, commented that although the 2018 General Education Program only requires level 3 (B1), the vocabulary and length of the reading passages in the sample test reach levels 4-5, and even level 6 in some sections. "Students who have studied for the IELTS exam will have an advantage because they have been exposed to vocabulary at the B1-B2 level, equivalent to levels 4-5," Mr. H. said.

Predicting the distribution of English scores in the upcoming high school graduation exam, the male teacher believes that scores may decrease compared to last year because students are not yet familiar with the new exam format and many students' reading comprehension skills are not yet strong. "However, the decrease will not be significant because those who chose to take the English exam have carefully considered their abilities," Mr. H. informed.

I chose English because it was "familiar and easier than other subjects."

Uyen Nhi chose to take the English exam in the high school graduation exam because she was familiar with the subject. "Since 10th grade, I've focused on the subjects in the D01 combination (mathematics, literature, English) to apply to my desired major. Therefore, even though the sample exam was difficult, I didn't change my choice," the female student confided.

Students in Ho Chi Minh City have finished the English exam in a 10th-grade entrance exam.

Meanwhile, Nguyen Ngoc Duy Khang, a 12th-grade student from Kien Luong High School (Kien Giang), chose to take the English exam because it's easier to achieve a high score. "I plan to apply to the Computer Networks and Data Communication major using the A01 combination (Mathematics, Physics, English). This major also accepts the A00 combination (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry), but I feel the Chemistry exam is harder to get a high score on than the English exam," the male student shared.

Mr. Le Van Thuong, head of the Foreign Language department at Kien Luong High School, said that some students still choose English because they don't know what other subject to choose. "They don't choose social science subjects because they require memorizing a lot of information. Meanwhile, with English, they have already accumulated knowledge beforehand, so choosing it is the obvious choice," Mr. Thuong explained.

Regarding the review strategy, Mr. Thuong shared that the school focuses on ensuring students receive sufficient knowledge, without omitting any content from the curriculum. Then, in the second semester, students will be given practice tests to familiarize themselves with and adapt to the requirements of the exam. According to Mr. Thuong, although the English textbook chosen for teaching and learning at the school is Global Success , he and the teachers also refer to the other eight textbooks approved by the Ministry of Education and Training to supplement students' knowledge.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thi-tot-nghiep-thpt-mon-tieng-anh-kho-nhung-van-chon-vi-sao-185241102110532515.htm