Merging provinces, changing inspectors: How will the high school graduation exam be this year?

Mr. Pham Ngoc Thuong, Deputy Minister of Education and Training, Head of the National Steering Committee for the 2025 High School Graduation Exam, discussed major changes in the upcoming high school graduation exam.

- Ảnh 1. — Mr. Pham Ngoc Thuong, Deputy Minister of Education and Training, Head of the National Steering Committee for the 2025 High School Graduation Exam

ESTABLISHING INSPECTION TEAMS FOR GRADUATION EXAM WORK

Sir, the 2025 high school graduation exam takes place right at the final stage of restructuring the local government apparatus. What initial reports has the Ministry of Education and Training received from the localities after receiving the Government 's directives?

The 2025 high school graduation exam has many new points. The exam has just been organized for students according to the 2018 general education program, and about 25,000 candidates (TS) took the exam according to the 2006 general education program. Notably, this year's exam is organized in the context of the arrangement of 2-level local government, the inspection of ministries, branches, and departments is arranged to the Government Inspectorate , and the district police are arranged to the commune police.

Faced with that situation, recently, the Government has consecutively issued two telegrams directing the Ministry of Education and Training, ministries, branches, and especially the People's Committees of provinces and cities to prepare for the graduation exam carefully and thoroughly, not to let the arrangement affect the exam.

Up to this point, the Ministry of Education and Training has assessed that localities have proactively arranged plans and the Ministry of Education and Training has not received any feedback on difficulties and problems from localities.

What is the role of the locality in organizing this exam, and how will the Ministry of Education and Training supervise to ensure the exam takes place safely and in accordance with regulations?

On the side of the Ministry of Education and Training, the Party Committee of the Ministry of Education and Training has sent a document to the Provincial Party Secretary to direct the Provincial People's Committee to strengthen the implementation of its responsibilities according to the Prime Minister 's directives and telegrams, as well as the requirements of the Ministry of Education and Training. In addition, there are a series of documents providing professional guidance.

- Ảnh 2. — Grade 12 students in Ho Chi Minh City participated in this year's high school graduation mock exam on May 27 and 28.

The Ministry has established inspection teams to inspect local preparations for high school graduation exams from June 1 to 16, and from June 18 to 20, it will hold online conferences of the national steering committee and provincial and municipal steering committees.

In the telegram, the Prime Minister's directive and the direction of the Ministry of Education and Training all affirm that the Chairman of the Provincial and Municipal People's Committees is responsible for organizing the exam in the area with the motto of comprehensiveness, clear people, clear work, clear time, clear products, clear results, not leaving any content unchecked and supervised with one requirement: to organize the exam safely, seriously, in accordance with regulations and create the most favorable conditions for candidates to participate in the exam.

The Inspectorate of the Ministry of Education and Training transferred its functions and tasks to the Government Inspectorate, and you once directed that this should not create a gap in the inspection of high school graduation exams. So what specific instructions does the Ministry have to implement this?

The Ministry's guiding viewpoint is that there is no gap in the inspection of high school graduation exams, whether the Ministry of Education and Training inspectorate is transferred to the Government Inspectorate or the Department of Education and Training inspectorate is transferred to the provincial inspectorate, it must still perform its functions. Specifically, the Prime Minister's Official Dispatch 58 clearly states that the Provincial People's Committee directs the inspection plan for the exam.

The inspection of the Ministry of Education and Training merging with the Government Inspectorate has been carried out according to the roadmap, but the examination work is still carried out according to its functions. Accordingly, the People's Committees of provinces and cities direct the provincial inspectorates to develop an inspection plan. The Ministry of Education and Training will still use the inspection team until the end of the effective date, in accordance with the prescribed content.

NEW POINTS TESTED IN ELECTIVE SUBJECT EXAM

This year's exam has many changes, especially the exam of 2 elective subjects. According to the results of the Ministry of Education and Training's test in localities, is there anything to note in this exam, sir?

This year's exam is organized according to the 2018 General Education Program with the 2 + 2 plan (2 compulsory subjects: Math and Literature; 2 optional subjects). In the 3rd exam session, candidates will take the 2 optional subjects. Each subject has a different time frame (shift), 2 shifts are 15 minutes apart. This year, each subject has 48 test codes (double the previous year), 24 test codes for shift 1, 24 test codes for shift 2. Candidates will rest for 15 minutes between shifts.

The Ministry has conducted pilot surveys in provinces and cities, provided training, and learned from professional experience. The results show that localities have organized well, reduced pressure on candidates, and ensured high school graduation and university admission results.

Exam cheating is considered to be increasingly sophisticated thanks to the support of high-tech devices. What will the National Examination Steering Committee do to prevent it this year, sir?

Ensuring safety and security for the exam is a top priority. The Ministry of Education and Training has proactively coordinated with the professional departments of the Ministry of Public Security to provide training on these contents, especially using high technology and artificial intelligence to cheat. Our motto is prevention, places where cheating is likely to occur, and exam rooms are thoroughly checked. We will continue to proactively grasp the situation and strengthen direction in localities.

Do not be subjective about the psychology of exam officials when arranging the apparatus.

At a working session with the Ministry of Education and Training on preparations for the high school graduation exam in early May, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long noted that this year's high school graduation exam has some differences that need to be recognized and clearly defined in the directive documents to have closer solutions.

Specifically, the exam was held at the right time to reorganize administrative units such as: not organizing at district level, merging provinces and communes, reorganizing the inspection system... These are the levels and agencies with important tasks and responsibilities in organizing the annual graduation exam. This year, the number of candidates is higher, and cheating technology is increasingly sophisticated.

Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long also requested that there should be continued directives and specific activities for organizing this exam in the direction of "hand-holding", closely following the situation of arrangement and organization of the apparatus, with reassignment of tasks, not generalizations. We must not be subjective about the issue of staff psychology when the apparatus is streamlined, it is necessary to enhance the responsibility of each individual, and clearly define the work.

Changes that require special attention

At the training conference on inspection and examination of high school graduation exams on May 27, Mr. Huynh Van Chuong, Director of the Department of Quality Management (Ministry of Education and Training), noted the differences in the organization of high school graduation exams for candidates taking the exam according to the 2006 and 2018 general education programs.

Regarding the number of multiple choice test papers that need to be packed in each bag, for the examination room for candidates taking the 2006 General Education Program, print enough 24 test codes. For the examination room for candidates taking the 2018 General Education Program, print only enough for the number of candidates in the examination room.

Regarding the invigilation work, Mr. Chuong stated: Candidates taking the exam according to the 2006 General Education Program must only take the second subject in the optional exam, and the combination must be present 10 minutes before the exam time; Candidates taking the exam according to the 2018 General Education Program must be present from the beginning of the exam and wait in the waiting room.

The time between two subjects in the optional and combined exams also has its own points. For candidates taking the 2006 General Education Program, it is 10 minutes; for candidates taking the 2018 General Education Program, it is 15 minutes.

Regarding the collection of optional and combined exams: In the examination room for candidates taking the 2006 General Education Program, there is one bag of exam papers for each subject. In the examination room for candidates taking the 2018 General Education Program, there is one bag of exam papers for each exam session. The optional exam session has two bags of exam papers.

Regarding geography, Mr. Chuong noted that candidates taking the 2006 General Education Program are allowed to bring an Atlas into the exam room, but candidates taking the 2018 General Education Program are not allowed.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/sap-nhap-tinh-doi-thanh-tra-ky-thi-tot-nghiep-thpt-nam-nay-ra-sao-185250527215054432.htm