Further analysis of the 2025 national high school graduation exam results of Son La province

The 2025 high school graduation exam is the first year of taking the exam according to the 2018 innovation program for most candidates, while there are not many candidates following the 2006 innovation program. These two groups of candidates take the exam according to different sets of questions. The two compulsory subjects are Math and Literature (1 subject less is a foreign language compared to 2024); 2 elective subjects from the remaining subjects are Foreign Language, History, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, Economic and Legal Education (replacing Civic Education) and 3 new subjects are Information Technology, Agricultural Technology and Industrial Technology. Thus, candidates have more options to choose from than previous years. Literature is an essay subject, the rest are multiple choice like in 2024. The graduation score is different from 2024 in that the structure between the exam score and the transcript score (3 years of grades 10, 11, 12) has been changed from 70/30 to 50/50, creating conditions for candidates to pass higher graduation scores.

The structure of candidates nationwide is 97.71% according to the 2018 program; 2.29% according to the 2006 program. This rate in Son La is 93.9% and 6.1%. Candidates from the cultural supplementary system and independent candidates nationwide account for about 10%, Son La accounts for more than 17%. The structure of candidates in Son La is more or less disadvantaged than the whole country in terms of exam scores, because candidates from the cultural supplementary system and independent candidates often get lower scores than candidates from the general education system. Over 70% of candidates nationwide take the combined exam for graduation and university admission, only less than 30% take the exam for graduation. On the contrary, more than 70% of candidates in Son La take the exam for graduation, and less than 30% for university admission. Such a structure of candidates reflects actual wishes, but also shows that the ability and motivation to take the exam of Son La candidates is lower than that of the whole country.

Nationwide, in addition to the two compulsory subjects, candidates choose the most subjects: history, geography, physics, English, accounting for nearly 75% of the exam subjects. Candidates from Son La choose the most subjects: history, geography, economic and legal education, about 75% of the exam subjects. Candidates from Son La choose the least subjects: foreign languages, information technology, agricultural technology, industrial technology.

Based on the score distribution and general information sources of the Ministry of Education and Training and the departments of education and training, the press has also just briefly reported on the results of the 2025 exam, mainly the score distribution and average exam scores. Up to now, there has been no comparison between exam scores and academic transcript scores, and there is also only scattered information on the graduation rates of the provinces.

The 2025 progress score of Son La candidates is the first time that the Foreign Language (English) subject has surpassed the average score threshold, reaching 5.26 points, not only that, but also surpassed to rank 12/34 nationwide and 3/9 in the region (new province). In particular, the subject of Information Technology was included in the high school graduation exam for the first time, Son La province achieved 7.19 points, ranked 9th nationwide, entered the top 10, ranked 4th in the region. But the average score of Son La's exam subjects decreased quite deeply compared to 2024. Of the 9 traditional exam subjects, Son La had 2 subjects with increased scores: Foreign Language and Physics, while 7 subjects decreased scores (Nationwide, 8 subjects decreased scores, only 1 subject increased scores: Physics). Son La's exam subjects are all above average, except for Math and Biology, which have surpassed the average score for several years, but are now below average: Math 3.66 points, the lowest in the country; Biology 4.79 ranked 32/34 nationwide and 7/9 in the region. The average score of all subjects nationwide also decreased quite significantly, especially in Math, 56% of candidates scored below average. However, the number of 10 points also increased, from 10,878 points to 15,331 points, an increase of 41% compared to 2024. However, the score of 10 points of Son La candidates decreased from 168 points to 158 points, a decrease of 6%.

The average scores of Son La's exam subjects, also the source of the Ministry of Education and Training and the Department of Education and Training, but the press reported very differently, the highest was 7.17; below that were 6.01; 5.99; 5.48; 5.41. Candidates had 3 groups: high school, BTVH and independent candidates, mainly the group of high school candidates in the 2018 program, while BTVH candidates and independent candidates in the 2006 program were not large. Perhaps because the press exploited information differently, the lower exam scores could be the average scores of the groups of candidates, the higher scores could be the average scores of the group of high school candidates in the 2018 program. This article is mainly based on the analysis of vnExpress newspaper of FPT Group. This is an online newspaper with a specialized section that analyzes and evaluates the score distribution of each subject nationwide and each province of candidates, evaluates and ranks provinces according to the average score of each subject and each subject, compares years with each other, and lists the top 10 provinces with the highest and lowest scores in each subject. FPT experts and FPT University pioneered the analysis of score distribution, discovering abnormalities in the exam scores of provinces in 2018.

The graduation rate of Son La province reached 99.59%, down 0.39 points compared to 2024, but still among the highest in the country. This is the most basic and most encouraging thing for students and parents; students with high graduation scores, whose families have the means, go to university, the rest mostly study vocational training, or work, then work while studying... with countless doors opening, countless paths for students to choose. Thus, it can be said that the high school graduation exam results have met the wishes of candidates and parents.

The average score of Son La candidates according to exam groups (A00, A01, B00, C00, D01) has the lowest score of 16.12 and the highest of 19.27, a sharp decrease compared to 2024. The average and low rankings in the country and in the TD&MNPB region.

In general, except for the scores of the subjects: Physics, Foreign Languages, Information Technology, Agricultural Technology, Industrial Technology, the other traditional basic subjects of Son La decreased quite significantly compared to 2024, especially Mathematics. The exam scores of the admission groups also decreased quite significantly, especially group B. The average scores of the graduation exams and the exam scores of the province are ranked average and low in the country and region, lower than the new provinces than the old provinces. The main reason is that the first exam according to the innovative program in 2018, the exam questions are more differentiated than in 2024. The structure of Son La's candidates is at a disadvantage compared to the whole country in terms of learning ability and exam motivation. According to the classification of the Ministry of Education and Training, Son La province is in the group with difficulties in the quality of general education, ranking at the bottom of the country and the region. The number of provincial administrative units nationwide decreased from 63 to 34 and the number of regions decreased from 14 to 9. Ranking according to the 34 new provinces, many weaker provinces were pushed up by stronger provinces, so Son La's exam score ranking in the country and region more or less decreased compared to the old provinces.

The exam scores and rankings of Son La candidates are relatively low compared to the general level. However, the possibility of university admission is not much affected. Because only less than 30% of Son La candidates wish to combine the graduation exam with the entrance exam (while the whole country is 70%). According to the forecast of experts as well as the initial admission scores announced by schools, all decreased by 1-3 points, the admission fields with Math, Chemistry, Biology decreased sharply, the top schools decreased less, while the middle schools, especially the bottom schools, decreased the most.

The problem is, not only when applying for university, but also when graduating from university, Son La students have to compete to find jobs outside the province mainly. Usually 50% of the province's candidates who pass the university entrance exam have studied and graduated about 2,000 students each year, while the ability to attract highly qualified workers of the public sector and enterprises in Son La is much lower.

Average scores and rankings of subjects and admission blocks in 2025 of candidates in Son La province