After the Ministry of Education and Training announced the score distribution for the 2026 high school graduation exam , Literature continued to be the focus of attention.
Before and after the exam, many expressed concerns that the open-ended nature of the literature exam would lead to low scores or difficulty in ensuring fairness across regions, but the actual results showed the opposite.
Candidates arrive to register for the exam at the Tan Mai Secondary School exam center (Tuong Mai ward, Hanoi ). Photo: Lan Chi.
The score distribution is considered balanced, with reasonable differentiation, accurately reflecting students' abilities and simultaneously meeting two objectives: assessing graduation eligibility and serving as a basis for university admissions.
This year, the percentage of students scoring 7 points or higher in the Literature exam was around 35%, significantly lower than the over 65% of previous years. However, according to experts, this is not a sign of declining student quality but rather a result of the reform in exam design and assessment methods, which are geared towards developing competencies.
Open-ended questions put an end to rote learning and cramming.
According to Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Duc Son, Rector of Hanoi Pedagogical University, the distribution of scores in Literature this year is "quite good" and different from many people's predictions before the results were announced. More importantly, the score distribution reflects the process by which high schools have adapted to the new testing and evaluation requirements of the 2018 General Education Program.
He argued that during the teacher training process, we have been training teachers to assess using new theories, such as the Rubric.
When implementing the ETEP program (a program to develop teacher training institutions to enhance the capacity of teachers and administrators in general education), teachers are trained in tools and methods of testing and evaluation based on a competency-based approach.
After about two years of synchronized implementation, both teachers and students have become familiar with the new teaching and learning methods. Therefore, this year's exam results show that the reform process is on the right track and meets the goal of developing students' qualities and competencies.
This year's score distribution reflects the process by which high schools have adapted to the new testing and assessment requirements of the 2018 General Education Program. Photo: Lan Chi.
Sharing the same view, Associate Professor Bui Thanh Hoa, senior lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Tay Bac University, assessed that the 2026 literature exam had very successfully fulfilled both tasks: assessing graduation eligibility and serving university entrance examinations.
According to her, the most notable change is that the exam no longer tests students' ability to "remember" or "learn by heart," but focuses on evaluating their ability to apply knowledge, critical thinking, language skills, and literary appreciation. This also marks a milestone, indicating that rote learning and memorization have almost completely ended in the subject of literature.
Notably, initial concerns that the exam's use of non-textbook materials, its inclusion of technological elements, or international figures might disadvantage students in disadvantaged areas did not materialize. According to Associate Professor Bui Thanh Hoa, the score distribution shows that students' abilities were assessed fairly nationwide, evidenced by the fact that many previously less prominent localities have risen to the top group in the literature subject, with Lai Chau province entering the top 10 for the first time.
The new scoring method builds confidence in the quality of the assessment.
Not only the exam questions, but also the grading method is considered a significant step forward in this year's exam. Associate Professor Bui Thanh Hoa stated that the application of the rubric with clear criteria and requirements (with a ceiling limit) has significantly reduced the discrepancies between examiners within the same examination board, and between examination boards nationwide.
Instead of relying heavily on personal feelings, grading is based on clearer criteria, while still allocating appropriate points to acknowledge students' creativity, expression, and reasoning abilities.
According to Professor Dr. Le Anh Vinh, Director of the Vietnam Institute of Educational Sciences, if one only looks at the score distribution, many people will find it difficult to recognize the changes in the Vietnamese language subject. However, the change in grading methods towards objectivity and transparency has contributed to improving the quality of assessment and will continue to be effective in the coming years.
According to Professor Nguyen Dinh Duc, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, this year saw a significant improvement in the differentiation of exam quality, evidenced by the absence of a "flood of high scores" and a higher percentage of average scores. Photo: VGP.
From the perspective of university admissions, Professor Nguyen Dinh Duc, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, commented that this year's score distribution clearly shows the differentiation of the exam questions. The decrease in the percentage of high scores compared to previous years is not a negative sign but accurately reflects students' abilities, creating a reliable basis for universities to use the exam results in admissions.
He argued that the high school graduation exam is increasingly fulfilling its "two-in-one" objective, serving both graduation requirements and university admissions, thus reducing pressure and costs for both students and educational institutions.
“Literature remains the subject with the highest percentage of excellent scores and the lowest percentage of below-average scores. We need to pay more attention to exam design and assessment so that literature not only tests knowledge but also nurtures the soul, emotions, learning methods, and reading culture of students. Only then can we train individuals who are both morally upright and professionally competent. The reform of literature exam questions should involve even more significant improvements,” emphasized Professor Nguyen Dinh Duc.
It can be seen that the distribution of scores in the 2026 Literature exam not only reflects the results of an exam but also shows the clear changes in the process of reforming general education.
Opener exam questions, more objective grading methods, and competency-based teaching approaches are gradually creating a more substantive assessment system, while also providing universities with a more reliable basis for selecting candidates.
Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/ngu-van-thoat-bong-hoc-thuoc-hoc-tu-d819285.html
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