Comments and suggested answers for the Literature graduation exam according to the 2018 General Education Program

(ĐN) - On the morning of June 26, candidates completed the Literature exam of the 2025 High School Graduation Exam. Candidates were quite excited and commented that the exam was suitable for their abilities. The Literature exam according to the new program has a consistent theme of love for the Fatherland, so students had many emotions. This is also a factor that helps them do well on the exam.

Literature exam. Photo: Hai Yen

Ms. Pham Thi Lich, former Literature teacher at Long Thanh High School, commented that in general, the test questions were suitable for the curriculum and had a high ability to classify students. The Reading Comprehension section with the topic of war had some relatively easy questions to make candidates feel comfortable because they had studied carefully in the "Literature Knowledge" section from grade 6 to grade 12. Question 5 in the Reading Comprehension section was relatively difficult because it had to be compared, this question was intended to differentiate students.

According to Dr. Do Thi Cam Van, lecturer at Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, this year's Literature exam has had many reasonable adjustments in terms of materials, questions and especially integrated thinking, showing an increasingly closer approach to the competency development orientation of the 2018 GeneralEducation Program.

Firstly, the selected, modern, humanistic materials integrate historical - geographical - cultural knowledge (Nghe An, Tay Nguyen, Hanoi , Red River...). The reading comprehension text is extracted from the short story Different Sky Zones by writer Nguyen Minh Chau - a work with a strong narrative quality, deeply expressing the soldier's feelings for his homeland and comrades. The materials are both familiar and emotional, especially the connection between Le and Son - two soldiers who went to war from different lands but shared the same sky of the Fatherland - this is the central image that serves as an important basis for the reading comprehension questions and the writing section.

The intertextual integration with a poem in The Song of the Ship by poet Che Lan Vien is also a highlight of the exam. This clever integration not only helps to evoke depth of thought but also creates conditions for students to mobilize the literary knowledge they have learned, demonstrating the ability to connect and synthesize.

Second, the reading comprehension question system is reasonable and has gentle differentiation. The reading comprehension questions range from high level of recognition to application. Third, the essay writing section integrates effectively and evokes personal emotions. It is proposed in the direction of closely linking the reading comprehension and writing sections. The social essay question (200 words) requires students to analyze the feelings of the character Le for Son - a humanistic topic that easily evokes emotions in students when writing.

Candidates at the Vinh Cuu High School exam site discuss the Literature exam after the first exam session ends. Photo: Hai Yen

The literary essay (600 words) raises the issue of "any homeland's sky is the Fatherland's sky" which not only requires students to be able to analyze the content of the text but also requires the ability to think in general, make connections, and express personal perspectives on love for the homeland - country.

This topic both arouses the sacred sentiment towards the Fatherland and affirms the role of each land and each person in the cultural and historical map of the nation. The issue is also highly topical, suitable for the current social situation. The topic opens up opportunities for students to apply interdisciplinary knowledge: literature, geography, history and even life experience into their work - in line with the integrated spirit of the new program.

According to Dr. Do Thi Cam Van, besides the outstanding advantages, the exam still has some points that can be further adjusted to better suit the average level of students nationwide.

In particular, the prose text is relatively long and contains many place names and metaphors. This can cause difficulties for students in areas with limited access to modern literature or with limited vocabulary.

Although literary essays are interesting, they require large capacity and multi-level knowledge connections, which can easily put time and psychological pressure on average students.

The exam lacks questions that require direct perception, close to students' experiences, such as personal thoughts about details/characters/life values.

* Suggested answers for Literature exam

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Hung, a Literature teacher in Tan Phong ward, gives some suggested answers to the Literature exam as follows:

Sentence 1: The narrative point of view used in the text is third person.

Sentence 2: Le's hometown and Son's hometown are associated with Lam River and Red River.

Question 3: Candidates need to point out both objects. That is the image of the "artillery company" compared to "a large banyan tree, the sap here radiates into two branches". Then, candidates analyze the effect of the comparison in terms of art, for example, increasing the evocative power, increasing the vividness of the expression... In terms of content, candidates can analyze the strength of the artillery company like the strength of the large banyan tree; the sap from the same tree radiates into two branches, showing the solidarity, close attachment, comradeship, and camaraderie of the soldiers.

Question 4: Candidates can state the role of this detail in helping the text become vivid, attractive, impressive, and emotional for the reader, and contributing to expressing the content of the text.

Most candidates were happy because the exam was suitable for their abilities and they did well. Photo: Hai Yen

Candidates can refer to similar ideas as follows: The image of “sharing a sleeping mat, a few shirts smelling of gunpowder” shows that the living and fighting conditions of the soldiers are extremely difficult, lacking everything, but they still share the hardships, love each other and share with their comrades. They are brave, courageous, optimistic soldiers, ready to face all challenges and overcome them with warm comradeship.

The image of "sharing the sky of the Fatherland above" shows the deep and intense patriotism of people who share the same noble ideal: fighting with all their might to protect the Fatherland.

Question 5: This is an application-level question, requiring candidates to point out similarities in the meaning of the two texts. It could be deep love, nostalgia, longing, and attachment; it is the attachment of people to the places they have lived, experienced, and "passed through". Those places have left deep emotional imprints and unforgettable memories in people's hearts. From there, the two texts affirm the important role of experience because it creates a special, deep connection in people's memories and souls...

For the Writing section, according to Ms. Pham Thi Lich, the Social Essay section deals with the topic of homeland and Fatherland. Candidates need to present their personal views, provide compelling arguments, reasons, and evidence that are closely related to reality, not clichéd and creative. The content must show love for homeland and country; pride in the country's innovation.

Dr. DO THI CAM VAN commented:

“Compared to the 2024 exam, the 2025 exam more clearly reflects the spirit of the 2018 General Education Program: integrating knowledge, developing reading comprehension - writing - perception - connection skills, stimulating critical thinking and encouraging students to express their personal thoughts. The exam both ensures graduation requirements and has the ability to classify and create conditions for teachers to innovate teaching methods.

In the Literary Argumentation section on the topic of war, Nguyen Minh Chau is one of the outstanding writers in Vietnamese prose, he is very successful in the topic of war. This section mainly analyzes the two characters Le and Son. It is necessary to rely on the details, images, and narrative style of the two characters to see the deep feelings of the character Le for Son. That is comradely love; sharing, sympathy, especially analyzing the feelings after having to part when Son was seriously injured. When analyzing, it is necessary to pay attention to the narrator.

The two characters express their love for their homeland, their attachment and sharing. During wartime, the love for their homeland of these two characters was a great driving force; expressed in their hatred for the enemy and their determination to protect the Fatherland. During peacetime, patriotism was a deep and sincere love of Le and Son. All things and people born and raised in their homeland left a beautiful impression on the hearts of these two soldiers.

Hai Yen

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/xa-hoi/giao-duc/202506/nhan-xet-va-goi-y-dap-an-de-thi-tot-nghiep-mon-ngu-van-theo-chuong-trinh-giao-duc-pho-thong-2018-8cd069e/