A multi-faceted exam

(Baothanhhoa.vn) - After two days of official exams, the 2025 High School Graduation Examination concluded safely, seriously, and in accordance with regulations, leaving many emotions in the hearts of parents, students, and the public.

Many candidates taking the exam at Muong Lat High School were delighted to have completed the 2025 High School Graduation Exam. Photo: Linh Huong

This is a special exam, held simultaneously for both candidates taking the 2018 (new) General Education Program and the 2006 (old) General Education Program. The simultaneous existence of two generations of students – the “last” group taking the graduation exam under the old program and the “first” group graduating under the new program – highlights the unique nature of this year's exam.

Candidates applying under the new program take four exams: two compulsory exams in Mathematics and Literature, and two elective exams from the following subjects: Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Geography, History, Economics and Law Education, Informatics, Technology, and Foreign Language. Candidates applying under the old program will take exams in Literature, Mathematics, and Foreign Language, along with one of two subjects: natural sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) or social sciences (History, Geography, Civic Education).

This year's exam saw many changes in the exam structure and subjects, including the Literature exam not using textbook materials, the Geography exam not using atlases for candidates taking the exam under the new curriculum; a new multiple-choice answer sheet; and changes in the scoring method... causing confusion for students and parents.

Determined to organize the exam seriously, with absolute safety and respect for regulations, Thanh Hoa province organized one examination board chaired by the Department of Education and Training (GD&ĐT) comprising 85 examination centers with more than 1,800 examination rooms for over 41,000 registered candidates. 6,484 personnel were mobilized to participate in invigilation work (not including inspection and supervision forces). This included 85 examination center heads, 141 deputy examination center heads, and 141 secretaries...

At the most remote examination site in the province – Muong Lat High School (Muong Lat district) – during the two days of the exam, all necessary conditions were ensured, including security, traffic safety, environmental hygiene around the examination area, and communication systems. The site had 409 registered candidates. Of these, 315 were 12th-grade students from high schools, 46 were independent candidates, and 48 were 12th-grade students from the Muong Lat District Vocational Training and Continuing Education Center. The site had 18 official examination rooms, 2 reserve examination rooms, and 2 waiting rooms for candidates. All rooms were fully equipped to ensure the smooth running of the exam.

“To provide maximum support for disadvantaged candidates, especially those from distant areas taking the exam at the testing site, the school has arranged free accommodation at the Mường Lát High School Student Village for all candidates in need. The Student Village is a well-equipped boarding facility with 30 stilt houses, capable of accommodating approximately 250 boarding students, ensuring safe and clean living conditions for them,” said Lê Văn Minh, Principal of Quan Sơn High School and Head of the Mường Lát High School testing site.

The 2007 graduating class is perhaps the group of students who have experienced the most changes ever, from enduring a long period of online learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic during their junior high school years, to being the first group to implement Circular 29/2024/TT-BGDĐT regulating supplementary teaching and learning... They are also the first group to take exams under the new general education program with many innovations in testing and evaluation methods, exam structure, and scoring methods...

At the exam center at Dao Duy Tu High School (Thanh Hoa City), candidate Le Trung Hieu shared: “I already have an IELTS certificate, and according to the new regulations, I am exempt from the Foreign Language exam, so I only have to take the two compulsory subjects, Mathematics and Literature, and one elective subject. I chose Chemistry as my strong subject, and since I only have to take three subjects, I don't feel too much pressure or anxiety.”

Meanwhile, candidate Nguyen Ngoc Linh, taking the exam at Quang Xuong 1 High School (Quang Xuong), said: “Because I had researched beforehand and been informed by my teachers about the new aspects of this year's exam, and had thoroughly practiced the sample exam questions at school, I wasn't too surprised by the changes in the exam. I did quite well on the two compulsory subjects. I chose to take English and Economics and Law Education as elective subjects. However, I found the reading comprehension section of the English exam quite long and difficult; my vocabulary wasn't sufficient to do well on this part. I wasn't sure about the true/false questions either. Nevertheless, regardless of the result, I tried my best to complete the exam to the best of my ability.”

Throughout the two days of the exam, security and order inside and outside the examination areas were strictly enforced. The procedures for receiving, distributing, collecting, and storing exam papers were followed correctly. Relevant departments and localities deployed forces and focused on providing the best possible conditions to ensure the exam proceeded safely. Exam officials and supervisors worked with a high sense of responsibility, and candidates took the exam seriously. In Thanh Hoa province, there were no violations of regulations by candidates or exam supervisors.

To ensure the safety of the exam, at 85 examination centers across the province, police forces were deployed early to coordinate with the examination boards, ensuring absolute safety throughout the exam period. Police units and local authorities mobilized forces to manage traffic flow, prevent and promptly resolve any unexpected or complex situations related to security, order, and traffic safety that might arise; creating the most favorable conditions and ensuring the safety of candidates, invigilators, and teachers. In addition, the "Exam Support" activities have become an indispensable part of every exam season, with thousands of youth union members present at all examination centers to support candidates. All of this contributed to a safe and meaningful exam season.

The exam has concluded successfully. Besides those who performed well, many students made every effort until the very last minute to complete their exams according to regulations. It's inevitable that there were still tears of regret and hopes that might not have been fulfilled... Nevertheless, they all tried their best and have every right to be proud of what they achieved.

Linh Huong

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/ky-thi-nhieu-chieu-cam-xuc-253424.htm