Integrating technology in competency assessment test preparation

Competency assessment test preparation activities have entered a bustling phase with many notable points when Ho Chi Minh City National University opened the registration portal for the first round of exams.

In the context of more and more schools recognizing the results of the National High School Exam as well as increasing the admission quota by this method, centers and high schools have taken related actions to best support students.

IMPROVING EXAM PREPARATION METHODS

At 8:30 a.m. on a day in early January 2024, nearly 120 students gathered at a location in District 3 (HCMC) to take the 150-minute National High School Exam. At 11 a.m., after submitting their papers, students were "inspired" by high-scoring candidates, currently students at top universities. This was the first direct activity that Master Bui Van Cong, an online National High School Exam preparation teacher, organized for free for students of all courses.

More than 100 students attended a mock test to assess their abilities organized by a center in January 2024.

"When practicing at home, students are easily distracted and cannot imagine what the actual exam is like. Therefore, "testing by fire" with a large-scale exam helps students "quantify" their learning ability, concentration ability and exam psychology, thereby improving their limitations in knowledge and test-taking techniques," Mr. Cong shared, adding that similar activities may be organized in other provinces in the near future. "The current trend is that students are exposed to the National High School Exam very early, right from grade 11, and even only review this exam for university admission," Mr. Cong added.

Another new point is the integration of technology in the review and organization of mock exams, according to Mr. Dang Duy Hung, manager of the Lasan - Helius Education (HCMC) exam preparation system. Students can log in to the website to review lectures multiple times or practice solving daily questions depending on their needs. "The center also compiles documents to systematize theories and reference questions to provide to students," said Mr. Hung.

According to Mr. Hung, to increase teaching effectiveness, teachers must update each topic and lecture each year to optimize it. At the same time, teachers also need to check and evaluate each subject before reviewing the comprehensive exam. "The review process includes 3 main stages: learning basic knowledge, increasing practice of advanced types, and finally speeding up problem solving to increase reflexes and test-taking speed, continuously 5-7 exams/week," said Mr. Hung.

T TECHNICAL GUIDANCE CENTER, SCHOOL OF INFORMATION DISSEMINATION

While studying for the National High School Exam at the center, Bui Long Duc, a student at Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High School (HCMC), said that the course does not teach advanced knowledge but focuses on basic content in the 12th grade program. In addition to theory, teachers also guide many test-taking techniques such as how to read texts, think about problems or solve math problems quickly... "I study 2-3 sessions/week, each session lasts from 3-3.5 hours," Duc said, adding that the center designs a review roadmap based on the time of the National High School Exams. Therefore, when the exam opens for registration, it is also the time when students enter the sprint stage, both practicing and filling in knowledge "gaps". "The practice tests are compiled and compiled by teachers at the center based on official sample tests of previous years, so they are quite close to the actual exam," Duc commented.

According to Duc, not only the center but also the school makes efforts to help students conquer the National High School Exam. For example, teachers in class disseminate basic knowledge about the exam and guide students to register for the exam. "When teaching, teachers emphasize issues and content in the lesson that often appear in the National High School Exam. In some afternoon classes, teachers also let us solve problems and correct our papers," Duc said.

Ho Thi Yen Nhu, a student at Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted (HCMC), said that teachers in class also mentioned the content and structure of the National High School Exam, but only at the introduction level, without going into further explanation or guidance. "When teaching, teachers also reminded us to grasp the basic knowledge of the National High School Exam subjects to have a solid foundation, thereby being able to do well on the test," Nhu shared.

Currently, in addition to reviewing at the center, Nhu is looking to buy some related documents for sale online for reference. Every night, Nhu spends an average of 1 - 2.5 hours solving the National High School Exam with her friends. "After trying the newly announced sample exam of Ho Chi Minh City National University, I found that I still "lost" some content, so I am reviewing the key knowledge from the beginning of the first semester of grade 12 until now," Nhu said.

Teachers solve literature exam questions in a test preparation class

C DEPENDS MAINLY ON THE CANDIDATES' SELF-STUDY EFFORT

According to Mr. Dang Duy Hung, in 2024, there will be more students planning to take the National High School Exam and having more opportunities to prepare, so the goals they set are higher than in previous years. "Most of them aim for 850 - 900/1,200 points or higher, while those who are determined to enter top majors set their wishes at over 1,000 points," Mr. Hung informed.

Master Bui Van Cong advises students to aim for a score of 800 - 900 if they want to compete for "hot" majors at Ho Chi Minh City National University and other universities in the South, and 1,000 points or more if they want to be sure of admission by the National Assessment Method. "It should be noted that to achieve a score above 900, teachers cannot help much, but it depends largely on the students' own self-study efforts," said Mr. Cong.

Dinh Huu Nghiem, valedictorian of the National High School Examination at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Ho Chi Minh City with a score of 1,009, said that the most important thing to achieve optimal results is for students to self-assess their abilities through mock exams and class tests, and then come up with a suitable review strategy. "You also need to combine entertainment instead of spending too much time studying to avoid burning out all your energy, affecting the results of the whole process," Nghiem shared.

For subjects not taught in textbooks such as logical thinking and data analysis, students need to do many questions in the test to develop their thinking and gain personal experience, according to Vu Mai Thuy, who scored 1,047 points and is currently a student at the University of Natural Sciences in Ho Chi Minh City. "When solving the test, if you make any mistakes, you should write it down, then find related knowledge and solve similar problems to improve," Thuy advised.

No practice, high score?

Having scored 957 points in the 2023 National High School Exam without enrolling in extra classes, Dao Nguyen Hoang Tung, a student at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, said the secret lies in the basic knowledge base he accumulated through lectures in class. "Not just me, many other friends scored 800 - 900 points without taking extra classes," Tung shared.

According to Tung, it is advisable to design a reasonable review schedule early to get familiar with the exam questions. For example, Tung spent 4 weeks before the exam to solve the questions, initially focusing on math to "make sure of the score", then learning more "strange" questions like in Vietnamese. "When I can't do a question, I will review the theory and related lessons to fill the "gaps" in my knowledge," Tung said.

Similarly, Than Trong Anh Khoa, a student at the University of Natural Sciences in Ho Chi Minh City, achieved more than 800 points in the 2022 National High School Exam thanks to self-study. Khoa said he started reviewing as soon as he registered for the exam, with the top priority being subjects that were not his strengths such as chemistry and geography, and then his strong subjects. The main way to review is through solving "real-life" questions to increase thinking speed and expand knowledge.

Regarding the review materials, Khoa collected them from many places, such as sample questions from online test preparation centers or questions from teachers that his friends studied with, and lectures on social networks. "With the National High School Graduation Exam, what matters is the breadth of knowledge, not the depth like the high school graduation exam," Khoa said.

To achieve the best results, real ability is needed.

According to Dr. Nguyen Quoc Chinh, Director of the Center for Testing and Assessment of Training Quality (Ho Chi Minh City National University), this University does not issue review materials in any form, does not organize exam practice. Students also do not need to participate in exam preparation courses but should practice their general abilities on their own. The way to achieve the best results is for students to have real abilities and focus on studying to improve that ability throughout the process, not to practice for exams, to learn by rote to get high scores. Students need to build their own study plans and develop their abilities comprehensively and long-term, not to study one-sidedly or to learn by rote.

Dr. Chinh emphasized that knowledge accumulation is very important to be able to complete the competency tests well. Students in grades 10 and 11 need to create the habit of proactive learning, critical thinking and always seeking to expand knowledge. Logical reasoning ability can be developed through training. If students practice this habit, they can easily meet the requirements of many different exams, not just the National High School Exam.

Ha Anh

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