High School Graduation Exam 2025: Many major changes, organized in a special context

Despite pointing out a series of major changes and difficulties that must be overcome in organizing this year's high school graduation exam, Hanoi and other localities reported to the Ministry of Education and Training that they had 'no concerns, no questions, no recommendations'.

On the afternoon of June 20, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son led a working delegation of the Ministry to work with Hanoi City, the locality with the largest number of candidates taking the exam in the country, on preparations for the 2025 high school graduation exam.

FIRST YEAR OF GRADUATION EXAM UNDER THE NEW PROGRAM

The high school graduation exam takes place in the context that the whole country is implementing administrative reform, rearranging and streamlining the apparatus, converting to a two-level local government model; restructuring and rearranging the inspection system at all levels from the central to local levels; and restructuring and rearranging the local police force.

A delegation from the Ministry of Education and Training inspected preparations for the high school graduation exam at the Trung Vuong Secondary School exam site (Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi) on June 20.

PHOTO: TUAN MINH

Mr. Tran The Cuong, Director of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, said that the capital is the locality with the largest number of candidates in the country, this year the number of candidates has increased by nearly 16,000 students compared to last year. 2025 is the first year to organize the graduation exam according to the 2018 General Education Program with many new points (about exam subjects, exam format structure, rate of using learning process assessment results in graduation recognition...) so teachers and candidates are still confused.

This year's exam is organized according to two exam regulations for two different groups of candidates. One is candidates studying the 2006 General Education Program and students of the 2018 General Education Program. Hanoi has a large number of candidates, so the number of exam papers must be printed in large numbers with many exam codes for each exam session and each type of program, so the printing of exam papers is very difficult.

The number of multiple choice tests is very large, about 450,000, and is graded and processed on two different software, so it is necessary to increase the grading machines and increase the number of test graders to complete the test on schedule.

Due to the large area of ​​Hanoi and the large number of candidates taking the exam, the Departments of Education and Training in districts, towns and cities are arranged to be the points of reception and support for candidates registering for the exam and applying for university and college for those who have graduated. After July 1, the Departments of Education and Training will end their operations and need to arrange alternative reception points so as not to affect the support for candidates....

According to Mr. Tran The Cuong, although there are still a few days left to complete the operation of the 3-level government apparatus, the exam steering committees of the districts have affirmed their responsibility and serious spirit to direct and organize the exam with the highest determination. At this time, 100% of the exam sites have been carefully inspected by the exam steering committees of the districts, ensuring that they meet the requirements for organizing the exam.

Hanoi has arranged 2 exam marking locations to ensure compliance with exam regulations. The multiple-choice exam marking area is fully equipped with 2 systems of machines to serve the marking of exams for both different programs. The exam marking location is installed with surveillance cameras, and there is a police force to protect the exam papers and the exam marking area according to regulations. Hanoi has also mobilized nearly 800 exam marking officers to ensure that the exam marking work is carried out according to the general schedule prescribed by the Ministry of Education and Training.

LOCALITIES HAVE NO RECOMMENDATIONS, QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS

Although there are many new points and changes in this year's exam, according to Mr. Cuong, this is also the first year up to this point that Hanoi does not need to make any recommendations, questions or proposals to the Ministry of Education and Training regarding the organization of the exam. This is thanks to the Ministry of Education and Training's early and specific guidance and direction on all stages and matters related to the exam.

Minister of Education and Training works with the Hanoi City Examination Steering Committee

PHOTO: NGUYEN MANH

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong, Head of the National Steering Committee for the 2025 High School Graduation Exam, also said that not only Hanoi, according to reports from 63 Departments of Education and Training across the country that the Ministry of Education and Training has received up to this point, there are no recommendations, questions or proposals. "However, I would like to add one more "no" that localities need to pay attention to: absolutely do not be negligent or subjective," Mr. Thuong said, adding that in a national exam, if just 1 officer or 1 candidate is negligent, it will cause very serious consequences.

Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son acknowledged that although there are many bigger challenges than other localities, up to this point, Hanoi has implemented preparations for organizing the exam according to requirements, especially with many initiatives such as deploying digital maps to help candidates move to exam locations conveniently; organizing review in many forms (via television, via online systems...).

Minister Kim Son emphasized that although the exam takes place every year, the context of this year's exam organization has many new points, the number of candidates in Hanoi is also higher while the exam always has new, different, and strange situations. Therefore, Hanoi needs to proactively predict unusual situations that may occur during the exam organization process, absolutely not be subjective at any stage, at any level; proactively prepare response plans, especially with the weather developments that may have heavy rain in the next few days because Hanoi is an area prone to localized flooding.

Vice Chairman of the Hanoi People's Committee Vu Thu Ha affirmed that Hanoi had developed a plan to organize the exam early, forecasting situations, especially with the changes when switching to a 2-level government model, to come up with an implementation plan with the spirit of absolutely not being subjective, giving maximum priority to the conditions for organizing the exam safely. The members of the district-level exam steering committee also showed a serious spirit and high determination to organize the exam and have a plan to handle arising situations.

From now until June 25, departments, branches and localities will review the entire exam organization plan, paying special attention to personnel training; 100% of exam sites in the city will be inspected again by the exam steering committees of districts.

Over 16,000 cadres, teachers and employees in Hanoi
participate in exam supervision

In Hanoi, there are 124,072 candidates registered for the exam, of which 2,565 are candidates taking the exam under the 2006 General Education Program. The number of candidates taking the exam under the 2018 General Education Program is 121,507.

Hanoi plans to arrange 233 examination sites with 5,587 rooms for exam supervision, including 5,172 examination rooms; 182 waiting rooms, and 233 spare rooms; mobilize over 16,000 officers, teachers, and staff to participate in exam supervision; over 800 officers and teachers to participate in exam grading; nearly 900 police officers to work at exam supervision, marking, and exam grading sites.

Digital map helps TS find exam locations

Mr. Tran The Cuong shared that the special feature that Hanoi has applied since this year is the digital map of the 2025 high school graduation exam scores, which helps candidates easily look up and find their exam scores, avoiding confusion during the exam process. Mr. Cuong said that in the previous year's exam, there were cases of candidates going to the wrong exam location, leading to a regrettable loss of the opportunity to take the exam. The use of the digital map will contribute to supporting the organization of the exam, transporting exam papers to the management agency, etc.

Regarding the review for 12th graders, Mr. Cuong affirmed that it has been basically completed at this point. In addition to complying with the regulations of Circular 29 on extra teaching and learning, Hanoi has many ways to do it such as mobilizing a team of good teachers to review on online platforms, through television for students; applying the model of teachers tutoring students, students tutoring students; having a plan and roadmap to review for students with poor academic performance... to shorten the gap between the inner city and the suburbs of the city.

Mr. Pham Ngoc Thuong highly appreciated Hanoi's approach and said that if students want to be confident and not think about cheating in exams, teaching and reviewing for students must be well prepared. With solid knowledge, students will be serious in exams.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thi-tot-nghiep-thpt-2025-nhieu-thay-doi-lon-to-chuc-trong-boi-canh-dac-biet-185250620215137522.htm