In the context of organizational restructuring, what's new in the 2025 high school graduation exam?

The 2025 high school graduation exam takes place in a special context, right before the two-level local government system comes into operation from July 1.

The 2025 high school graduation exam has many new features. (Source: VGP)

The 2025 high school graduation exam is not only special because it is organized for two groups of candidates studying two different high school programs, but also takes place in the context of provinces and cities rearranging their apparatus.

The first high school graduation exam under the new general education program

2025 is the first year of implementing the high school graduation exam according to the 2018 General Education Program with the orientation of developing students' qualities and abilities. Therefore, according to Prof. Dr. Nguyen Ngoc Ha, Deputy Director of the Department of Quality Management ( Ministry of Education and Training ), candidates need to understand the knowledge and skills in the new general education program with many sets of textbooks, especially the ability to relate to reality. These can also be key and classified parts.

"During the learning and reviewing process, if you see any content or knowledge that can be related or applied to reality, you need to prepare, reason, and pose situations in real life and production...", Mr. Ha said.

According to Mr. Ha, the content of the high school graduation exam is mainly based on the 12th grade curriculum, but there may also be knowledge from grades 10 and 11. The exam questions are not outside the curriculum, the thinking level is 40% at the knowledge level, 30% at the understanding level and 30% at the application level. In addition, the exam questions also enhance the connection and application of knowledge and skills with reality, especially with differentiated content to accurately assess students' abilities.

The exam was held for two groups of students, taking place in the context of organizational restructuring.

The 2025 high school graduation exam takes place in a special context, right before the time when the 2-level local government system comes into operation from July 1. The organization of the exam is carried out by 3-level local governments, but the grading and announcement of exam results are done by 2-level local governments. Along with that, the exam is organized for both students studying under the 2018 GeneralEducation Program and students studying under the 2006 General Education Program (with 2 different exam questions).

In 2025, the total number of candidates registering for the high school graduation exam is 1,165,289, of which the number of candidates taking the exam under the 2018 General Education Program is 1,138,579, accounting for 97.71% of the total number of registered candidates; the rest are candidates taking the exam under the 2006 General Education Program.

Candidates studying the 2018 General Education Program taking the high school graduation exam will take 4 subjects, including 2 compulsory subjects (Literature, Mathematics) and 2 optional subjects (from the remaining subjects studied in grade 12 including: Foreign Language, History, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, Economic and Legal Education, Information Technology, Technology). These candidates will take 3 exams: 1 Literature session, 1 Math session, 1 optional combination exam session including 2 subjects.

Candidates taking the 2006 General Education Program will take 4 exams: 1 Literature session, 1 Math session, 1 optional Natural Science or Social Science exam, and 1 Foreign Language session.

Candidates are not allowed to bring Atlas.

One of the new points in the high school graduation exam regulations issued by the Ministry of Education and Training is that in 2025, candidates are not allowed to bring Geography Atlases into the exam room.

Another new point is that the 2025 high school graduation exam (for candidates studying the new general education program) is printed on 1 A3 sheet (printed on both sides), instead of 4-5 A4 sheets like in 2024. The time between 2 subjects in the optional/combined exam is 15 minutes, instead of 10 minutes like last year.

Candidates should also note that the Ministry of Education and Training has announced a new model of multiple-choice answer sheets used in the 2025 high school graduation exam. From 2025, multiple-choice subjects will consist of 3 parts of questions.

Part 1: Multiple choice test with 4 options, choose 1 correct answer, each correct answer gets 0.25 points.

Part 2: True/False test includes 4 answers per question; 1 correct answer gets 0.1 point, 2 correct answers gets 0.25 points, 3 correct answers gets 0.5 points, all 4 correct answers get 1 point.

Part 3: Short answer test, fill in the answer box; for Math, each correct answer is worth 0.5 points, for other subjects each correct answer is worth 0.25 points. Candidates need to refer to and practice how to fill in the answers to avoid losing points.

Reduce the weight of exam scores in high school graduation exams

An important new point in this year's high school graduation exam is that the exam score only accounts for 50%; the remaining 50% is taken from the results of 3 years of high school (report card score), while last year it accounted for 30%.

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, this change is in line with the 2018 General Education Program, which emphasizes the development of students' abilities and qualities throughout the learning process. The average grade point average of each year is calculated based on weight. The grade point average of grades 10 and 11 is also used (with a smaller weight than grade 12) instead of only grade 12 as before, to promote teaching and learning as soon as students enter high school.

In addition, foreign language certificates will continue to be used to exempt students from the exam in the recognition of high school graduation, but will not be converted into 10 points in the recognition of graduation as before; the graduation score calculation formula does not include foreign language points in this case. According to the Ministry of Education and Training, this method continues to encourage foreign language learning but aims for greater fairness in graduation consideration.

Regarding incentive points, in 2025, eliminate the bonus points for vocational certificates for all candidates; eliminate the bonus points for IT certificates, foreign languages, and intermediate vocational degrees for candidates in continuing education.

This content is to be consistent with the 2018 General Education Program, and at the same time create equality because students graduating from formal and continuing education systems are all awarded the same type of graduation certificate.

From 2025, foreign candidates will be allowed to use Vietnamese language certificates to be exempted from the Literature exam in the recognition of high school graduation.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/trong-boi-canh-sap-xep-bo-may-ky-thi-tot-nghiep-thpt-nam-2025-co-gi-moi-318779.html