High School Graduation Exam 2025: Independent candidates confused about registering for the exam

According to Thanh Nien , in recent days, many independent candidates in Ho Chi Minh City were confused when they heard that they could not register for the high school graduation exam according to the 2006 GeneralEducation Program (GDPT) (old program) if they already had a high school graduation certificate.

Independent candidates register for the exam at a GDTX center in Ho Chi Minh City.

PHOTO: MH

MH, a student in Ho Chi Minh City, said that at the application submission location of Chu Van An Continuing Education Center (District 5) - one of the four locations assigned to receive applications from students in Ho Chi Minh City - there is a notice posted that only accepts applications from students who register to take the exam according to the current program (GDPT 2018). If they want to take the old program, they must submit their application at Le Quy Don Continuing Education Center (District 1), Continuing Education Center - Continuing Education District 10 and Continuing Education Center - Continuing Education District 12.

However, TT, a high school graduate in Ho Chi Minh City, said that his application for the high school graduation exam was rejected by the District 12 Continuing Education Center because he wanted to take the exam under the old program. "I went to the website and went to the center to ask but it was not successful," TT said.

"If a candidate registers to take the exam for college or university admission (already has a high school diploma), the exam will be based on the 2018 General Education Program," the website of the District 12 Continuing Education and Vocational Training Center stated, adding that it will only accept applications for the old program if the candidate does not have a high school diploma and wants to take the exam to graduate from high school and apply for college or university admission.

"In fact, all four centers in Ho Chi Minh City do not accept applications from candidates who want to take the exam according to the old program," a candidate named HM, residing in Go Vap District, told Thanh Nien . HM said that from the time she tried to register for the exam, she discovered that the system did not display the location to receive applications in Ho Chi Minh City if the candidate already had a high school diploma and wanted to take the exam according to the old program.

"After asking the HCM City Department of Education and Training and the centers assigned to receive the TSTD's applications, I learned that HCM City has not yet provided any information about accepting this group of students because it needs to prioritize the group who have not graduated from high school and want to take the old program, the group who are studying the current program will take the new program, and the group that only considers the transcripts and results from the competency assessment exam. This makes the group of TSTD who have graduated and choose to take the old program in HCM City like me very confused and worried," HM confided.

To find opportunities, HM contacted neighboring provinces to see if they could take the exam under the old program, but the answer from some provinces/cities in the Mekong Delta was that they did not support candidates from other places. However, HM said that Binh Duong currently accepts applications from other regions "but with a limited number, if there are enough seats, they will stop accepting".

HM added that yesterday (April 21), they received new information from the Vocational Education and Continuing Education Center of District 10 that they will have an official answer about this no later than April 24, "after they have counted whether there are enough facilities in the city to organize more for this group of students", HM said.

Meanwhile, according to this year's high school graduation exam regulations, candidates who have completed the general education program before 2025 but have not graduated from high school will take the exam according to the exam questions of the 2006 General Education Program. Candidates who have a high school diploma or intermediate diploma and wish to take the 2025 high school graduation exam will be able to choose to take the exam according to one of two questions (according to the 2006 program or the 2018 program).

Director of the Department of Quality Management Huynh Van Chuong noted that candidates studying under the 2006 General Education Program who have graduated from high school and wish to take the university entrance exam must base their registration on the university's enrollment plan.

This is the first year that TSTD can use the VNeID electronic identification account to register for the exam. The Ministry of Education and Training notes that when registering online with VNeID, TSTD must still print the exam application form, request confirmation from the commune or ward police for necessary documents, then submit it to the application reception point along with documents such as priority points (if any). Therefore, in addition to the online registration form, TSTD can register directly if they find it convenient.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thi-tot-nghiep-thpt-2025-thi-sinh-tu-do-boi-roi-dang-ky-du-thi-185250421234327537.htm