From 2025, what's new in high school graduation exams and university admissions?

At this time, how the university admission plan for 2025 will be adjusted is a concern of teachers, parents and students as this is the first batch of candidates taking the high school graduation exam according to the new GeneralEducation Program issued in 2018.

2025 is the first year that students will take the high school graduation exam under the new general education program. Illustration photo: Contributor.

Notable adjustments

According to the draft Regulations on the 2025 High School Graduation Exam of the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), the 2025 High School Graduation Exam is expected to shorten the exam time from 4 sessions as at present to 3 sessions. Instead of taking 6 subjects as before (3 compulsory subjects and 3 component subjects in the optional subject group), candidates will take the High School Graduation Exam with 4 subjects including 2 compulsory subjects: Math, Literature and 2 optional subjects from the remaining subjects. Among the optional subjects, there are 2 subjects that will be included in the High School Graduation Exam for the first time: Information Technology and Technology.

Providing more information about the new points in the 2025 High School Graduation Exam, a representative of the Department of Quality Management, Ministry of Education and Training said: The Ministry of Education and Training will add some new types of exam questions for multiple-choice exams and increase the differentiation of exam questions for all subjects to achieve the exam's goals; increase the application of information technology, and stronger digital transformation in exam organization such as all exam participants can register for the exam online, verify personal information and prioritize exam points through a digital database. The transmission of exam questions will have a new method through the system of the Government Cipher Committee to ensure speed, security, time and cost savings.

Regarding the organization of the exam sites, the exam rooms will be arranged according to the principle of maximum support for candidates not having to move the exam rooms such as allowing students from nearby educational institutions to be mixed together to organize convenient exam locations for candidates; candidates will only take the exam in a single exam room during the entire exam period, with priority given to arranging the same exam for 2 elective subjects. The consideration of high school graduation recognition will be adjusted in the direction of increasing the rate of using the results of the learning process assessment in grades 10, 11 and 12 to 50% (previously 30% and only using grade 12 results) in order to comprehensively assess the abilities of students studying according to the 2018 General Education Program and increase the effectiveness of achieving many goals of the exam as announced. In addition, candidates with a Foreign Language certificate that meets the regulations are exempted from the Foreign Language exam but will not be converted into 10 points in the consideration of high school graduation recognition as currently regulated.

2025 is the first year that students will take the high school graduation exam under the new general education program. Illustration photo: Contributor.

Many universities plan to reduce admission quotas based on graduation exam scores

From 2025, there will be a number of additional units organizing their own exams for admission. Accordingly, in addition to large-scale separate exams such as the Competency Assessment Exam of the two National Universities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the Thinking Assessment Exam of Hanoi University of Science and Technology, the Competency Assessment Exam of Hanoi University of Education and Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, the Assessment Exam of the Ministry of Public Security, etc., in 2025, the Ministry of National Defense will also organize its own exam as a basis for admission to military schools.

According to the Department of Schools, Ministry of National Defense, it is expected that this competency assessment test will include the contents of Math, Literature, Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, etc. Candidates will take the test on computers. Military schools are expected to reserve about 30% of their enrollment quota for this exam in 2025. According to information from Pedagogical University 2, from 2025, the school will organize its own competency assessment test for enrollment, increasing the number of admission methods to 6 instead of 5 as at present. By organizing a separate competency assessment test, the quota for traditional admission methods of schools will be reduced to make room for the new admission method.

According to the enrollment plan just announced by the National Economics University and Hanoi University of Science and Technology, these units also plan to reduce the enrollment quota based on the results of the 2025 high school graduation exam. Specifically, the National Economics University will reduce from 18% in 2024 to 15% next year. The reduction of enrollment quota based on high school graduation exam scores is being reduced by the National Economics University in Hanoi according to the roadmap when 5 years ago, this rate was 70%. The school's combined enrollment method from 2025 will increase from 80% to 83%.

At Hanoi University of Science and Technology, in 2025, the target for considering high school graduation exam scores is expected to be reduced from 50% in 2024 to 40%, increasing the target for considering the remaining methods. Hanoi University of Commerce also plans to reduce the target for considering high school graduation exam scores to increase the target for methods such as considering thinking assessment results, capacity assessment, etc.

Regarding the university admission plan for 2025, Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son said: Along with the process of promoting university autonomy, university admission has had many changes that have brought certain results in recent times. In the context of general education entering the final stage of innovation, the High School Graduation Exam entering the first year of implementation according to the new plan, adjustments and innovations in admission work are necessary to respond to the entire innovation from general education to university education.

Based on this orientation, the Ministry of Education and Training is currently reviewing and finalizing the draft of new enrollment regulations for 2025 with the general spirit of simplification, creating convenience for students and society, ensuring enrollment quality and fairness in opportunities for candidates. Higher education institutions are still in the spirit of enrollment autonomy but will have to further promote social responsibility.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/giao-duc/tu-nam-2025-thi-tot-nghiep-thpt-va-xet-tuyen-dai-hoc-co-gi-moi--i744720/