Ho Chi Minh City is ready for the high school graduation exam.

On the afternoon of May 21st, the Ministry of Education and Training held a meeting with the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee regarding preparations for the 2026 high school graduation exam.

Representatives from the Ministry of Education and Training worked and inspected preparations for the 2026 high school graduation exam in Ho Chi Minh City on the afternoon of May 21st - Photo: Q. Dinh

According to Nguyen Van Hieu, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, the city has 142,899 candidates registered to take the 2026 high school graduation exam, including 8,128 independent candidates. This is also the largest number of candidates nationwide, creating significant pressure on the management, arrangement of exam sites, personnel, transportation of exam papers and answer sheets, and ensuring the security and safety of the exam.

Impressed with the choice of subjects for the exam.

Besides Literature and Mathematics, the most popular subject among candidates was Foreign Language, with 65,475 registered candidates (45.82%). This was followed by Physics with 64,162 candidates (44.9%), History with 41,113 candidates (28.77%), Chemistry with 38,120 candidates (26.68%), Geography with 33,574 candidates (23.49%), Economics and Law Education with 23,061 candidates, Biology with 11,046 candidates, Informatics with 2,087 candidates, Industrial Technology with 277 candidates, and Agricultural Technology with 873 candidates.

Thus, the natural science group had 113,328 more registered candidates than the social science group. "The registration data shows a trend of choosing subjects that align with career orientation, university admissions, STEM education , and international integration requirements. This reflects the characteristic orientation of students in Ho Chi Minh City towards engineering and technology fields, which is consistent with the city's dynamic economic structure," Mr. Hieu said.

At the meeting, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong assessed that the trend in exam subject selection not only reflects the strengths of students in Ho Chi Minh City but also shows the correct direction of the education sector in organizing teaching and learning.

"I highly appreciate the teaching and learning process in Ho Chi Minh City. The choice of subjects for the high school graduation exam in natural sciences by students in Ho Chi Minh City is much higher than the national average, while the current trend in exam subject selection nationwide leans towards social sciences," Mr. Thuong commented.

As evidence, Mr. Thuong stated that the percentage of students choosing physics in Ho Chi Minh City is 44.9% compared to 31.8% nationwide; chemistry in Ho Chi Minh City is 26.68% compared to 20.7% nationwide; biology in Ho Chi Minh City is 7.73% compared to just over 5% nationwide. The difference is particularly significant for foreign languages, with Ho Chi Minh City at 45.82% compared to only 28.7% nationwide.

The Steering Committee for the High School Graduation Examination in Ho Chi Minh City will organize rapid response teams and hotlines for the graduation exam in all three areas to promptly record and handle any unusual situations reported by the public.

Mr. NGUYEN MANH CUONG

More than 23,000 people were mobilized to serve the exam.

Currently, Ho Chi Minh City has arranged 248 examination centers with 5,955 examination rooms, strategically distributed across three areas: Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong, and Ba Ria - Vung Tau. 23,362 officials, civil servants, and public employees have been mobilized to serve this examination.

This includes 1,240 exam center leaders, 17,865 invigilators, 2,976 exam center support staff, 744 police officers on duty at the exam centers, 112 people in the exam paper printing and copying team, and 425 people in the exam paper transportation and delivery team.

Each examination site is equipped with a backup examination room to handle any unforeseen situations. The examination sites are designed to be convenient for candidates, suitable for traffic conditions and travel distances, while also ensuring adequate facilities, including surveillance cameras, electricity, internet access, fire safety, security, and conditions to combat high-tech cheating, in accordance with examination regulations.

According to Mr. Hieu, the infrastructure, information technology systems, and surveillance cameras at the examination sites have been invested in, installed, and deployed synchronously, fully meeting the requirements for organizing the exam. The management staff and teachers have good professional qualifications and expertise, are experienced in organizing exams, and have received thorough training and instruction on regulations and rules.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Cuong - Alternate Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Member of the Standing Committee of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee, and Head of the Steering Committee for the High School Graduation Examination in Ho Chi Minh City - stated that the preparation for the high school graduation examination in Ho Chi Minh City has involved close coordination among relevant departments, agencies, and units, with a thorough and meticulous approach. Ho Chi Minh City is implementing the best possible solutions to ensure the examination takes place safely, seriously, in accordance with regulations, and with the highest quality.

In this regard, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee requested relevant units to have contingency plans in place for any unusual situations that may arise. Simultaneously, information and communication efforts were expanded to the maximum extent to raise awareness among parents and students. Particular attention was paid to situations that candidates should avoid to prevent violating the regulations of the high school graduation exam.

The exam papers were delivered one day in advance.

Unlike last year, this year the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training announced that the transportation and handover of exam papers to the examination centers will take place one day before the exam. The handover of exam papers will be done immediately after the last exam session ends.

The Department has also calculated and developed a plan for transporting exam papers and answer sheets separately for the examination site located in the Con Dao Special Economic Zone by air. The answer sheets are stored in a secure area with 24/7 camera surveillance. The transportation and handover of the answer sheets are carried out according to regulations, with police protection.

Support to ensure the smooth operation of the software system.

During the meeting, Ho Chi Minh City requested the Ministry of Education and Training to direct units developing software systems for exam registration and multiple-choice test scoring to provide enhanced technical support to the city in the operation of these systems.

Ho Chi Minh City has the largest number of candidates in the country, making the system susceptible to situations such as overload during peak registration hours, data synchronization errors, and technical problems affecting the grading process. Therefore, timely support and handling from the software management and development unit are necessary to ensure the exam takes place safely, smoothly, and according to the schedule set by the Ministry of Education and Training.

"Up to now, the Department of Education and Training has completed all preparations for organizing the 2026 high school graduation exam, which is also the first exam after the administrative unit reorganization," Mr. Hieu affirmed.

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HOANG HUONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/tp-hcm-da-san-ready-for-high-school-graduation-exam-20260522093234377.htm