Although the 2025 high school graduation exam has ended for a few days, for Nguyen Quang Anh, a 12th grade student in Hai Phong , the feeling of dizziness after the English exam has not yet subsided.
Having achieved good results throughout his high school years, especially in English, Quang Anh entered the exam room with a fairly confident mindset. However, after only a few minutes of facing the long exam paper covering four pages, the male student began to panic.
"The test was not only long but also heavy on vocabulary and grammar, even more difficult than the IELTS test. I randomly typed the answers for many questions, and had no time to review them, while the tests I practiced before, even though difficult, still had 10-15 minutes left," the male student recalled.
After the exam, Quang Anh continuously followed social media groups to find comfort. Posts like "the hardest exam in history" or "the exam was long, as difficult as IELTS" appeared frequently, making the 10X feel less stressed. "Seeing many friends complaining like me, I felt less worried, but thinking about the score made me anxious," Quang Anh sighed.
Many candidates are uneasy about using a combination of Math and English for university admission. (Illustration photo)
Not only English, this year's Math exam also made Quang Anh uncomfortable. After comparing with the reference answers, the male student estimated that he only got about 7 points in Math, and in English, which is considered his strongest subject, he could only get around 7-7.5, while the initial target was 9 points.
"Before the exam, I planned to use the D01 combination (Math, Literature, English) to apply for the Economic Law major at Hanoi Law University. Last year, for this major, the school set a benchmark score of 26.9. With the current situation, I am quite uneasy," Quang Anh said.
Choosing group A01 (Math, Physics, English) for university admission, Pham Khanh Huyen, a 12th grader in Hanoi, said that she and many other candidates are at a disadvantage because both Math and English are considered difficult and highly differentiated. Meanwhile, some elective subjects in other groups are considered "easy" and less stressful.
"You can make up for your score with easier subjects if you choose other combinations. As for us, we took Math and English - the two subjects considered the most difficult in the exam, so it was very difficult to get a high score," Huyen shared.
Without an IELTS certificate to be considered for direct admission, and with a score on the competency assessment test that was only average, the female student from Hanoi placed all her hopes on the 2025 high school graduation exam as a chance to enter her dream major at a top university.
However, before waiting for the results, 10X had to think about other options. The uncertainty about the possibility of being admitted grew, especially when two of the three subjects for admission were among the subjects considered the most difficult this year.
"I think candidates choosing the A01 and D01 combinations this year are at a disadvantage. I just hope that schools have a reasonable admission plan so that no one is unfairly eliminated because the exam is too difficult, not because they are not qualified," Huyen said.
Candidates taking the 2025 high school graduation exam.
An admissions expert at a university in Hanoi said that 2025 will be the first year that 12th graders will take the high school graduation exam under the new general education program. Therefore, this year's university admission scores will set a new, unpredictable level due to the impact of many factors.
According to this person, the candidates' concerns are completely justified as the Math and English exams are considered more difficult than the average. Because the exam is highly differentiated, it is likely that the benchmark scores for majors that are recruited using the D01 and A01 combinations will decrease compared to last year.
This person also advised candidates to keep a stable mentality, because according to the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training, schools must ensure that the admission scores are converted to equivalent values between admission methods. The current admission principles allow candidates to register an unlimited number of wishes. Therefore, if they have a reasonable arrangement strategy, they can completely feel secure in pursuing their favorite major.
Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Dao Tung, Director of the Academy of Finance, predicts that the average high school graduation score of candidates this year will be lower than in previous years. Therefore, the admission process at higher education institutions using the admission method based on high school graduation exam results will have a lower standard score.
According to Mr. Tung, the admission scores of top universities may decrease by 3-5 points. Many schools will have low admission scores, while mid-ranked schools are expected to have admission scores that fluctuate by 3-4 points.
For the Academy of Finance alone, Mr. Tung predicted that the benchmark score range could be from 22 to 28 points, not as concentrated as in 2024 (from 26.03 to 26.85 on a 30-point scale and 34.35 to 36.15 on a 40-point scale). This means that the benchmark scores of some training majors of the Academy of Finance may decrease by 3 to 4 points compared to last year.
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/sau-cu-soc-de-toan-tieng-anh-kho-nhieu-si-tu-bat-an-lo-truot-dai-hoc-ar952034.html
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