According to the Ministry of Education and Training's guidelines, rubric grading is applied to Part II - Writing of the Literature subject, including the 2-point social commentary question and the 4-point literary analysis question. Meanwhile, Part I - Reading Comprehension is still graded according to the answer key and specific grading guidelines.
The rubric grading guidelines for the Writing section of the Literature exam indicate that grading is not based solely on how many points a student includes in their answer, but is divided into specific groups of criteria.
For social commentary essays, the essay is evaluated on aspects such as knowledge content, analytical and argumentative skills, form, and language.
For literary analysis essays, the essay is also judged on the ability to understand the issue, analyze the text, make connections, expand on existing ideas, organize arguments, and present the information effectively.
Simply put, a rubric is a table that describes the achievement levels of an assignment. An assignment is considered higher when it correctly identifies the problem, develops the argument fully, presents a strong reasoning, provides appropriate evidence, expresses ideas clearly, and meets formal requirements.
Conversely, essays lacking substance, with disjointed arguments, awkward phrasing, or failing to meet presentation requirements will be ranked lower.
The key point of a rubric is that it helps examiners have a common frame of reference when grading papers. In Literature, if an essay is simply described as "good," "emotional," or "lacking depth," the evaluation can easily depend on each examiner's individual perception.
When a rubric is provided, the examiner must compare the work against specific criteria: how well the candidate understands the issue, how they develop their ideas, whether their arguments are logical, and whether their expression is clear.
This grading method is particularly suitable for open-ended questions in Literature exams. For example, with the social commentary question "How can we have Vietnamese Steve Jobs?", candidates can approach the topic from various perspectives: education , family, creative environment, startup policies, self-learning ability, dedication, or the aspiration to create new value. These different approaches can still be well-evaluated if the essay correctly understands the question's requirements, has logical arguments, and is persuasively expressed.
In other words, the rubric doesn't diminish the openness of the Literature subject, but rather helps to assess that openness using clearer criteria. Candidates are not forced to write according to a single template, but they also cannot write arbitrarily. Creativity in the essay must be accompanied by reading comprehension, organizational skills, argumentation, and language use.
This is also a crucial difference compared to learning and writing essays using model examples. When essays are evaluated based on criteria, students cannot simply memorize pre-existing ideas to include in their work. They need to read the requirements correctly, identify the issue, choose an appropriate approach, use evidence, and defend their own viewpoint.
In principle, rubrics can be used in many types of open-ended assessments, not just in Literature. These could include essays, presentations, learning projects, research products, or other learning tasks that require assessment of presentation, reasoning, and creativity skills.
However, in the 2026 High School Graduation Examination, the most prominent subject will be Literature, as it is an essay-based exam with a high degree of openness in the Writing section.
For teachers, the rubric grading system also signals a shift in Literature teaching from focusing on model essays to developing reading, thinking, and writing skills.
For the candidates, this shows that a good essay is not just about "hitting the mark," but also about having a coherent structure, well-founded arguments, clear expression, and demonstrating personal thinking.
At a press conference providing information about the 2026 high school graduation exam, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Ha, Deputy Director of the Quality Management Department (Ministry of Education and Training), said that this year is the first year the Literature subject will be graded using a rubric.
According to Mr. Ha, given the unique nature of Literature, candidates' essays may have many different approaches and expressions. Therefore, grading using a rubric will provide examiners with a clearer basis for evaluation, limiting the tendency to grade based on subjective feelings.
Source: https://baovanhoa.vn/doi-song/vi-sao-mon-ngu-van-cham-theo-rubric-239334.html
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