Reviewing the purpose of the graduation exam

Up to this point, when the Ministry of Education and Training has announced the detailed score distribution of each exam subject, public opinion is still fiercely debating the difficulty of the exam, especially the math and English exams.

Candidates taking the 2025 high school graduation exam at Le Quy Don High School exam site, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: THANH HIEP

So the 2025 high school graduation exam - the first graduation exam under the 2018 general education program - has passed. Up to this point, when the Ministry of Education and Training has announced the detailed score distribution of each subject, public opinion is still fiercely debating the difficulty of the exam, especially the math and English exams.

One side believes that this year's exam differentiates candidates very well, with a nice bell-shaped score distribution, which is very necessary and suitable for university admission.

But one side reacted strongly because they thought the math and English exams were too difficult compared to the average level of candidates nationwide, and were not suitable for a high school graduation exam.

Why is that?

Because the Ministry of Education and Training has taken on too much, setting too many goals for this exam.

According to the regulations on high school graduation exams of the Ministry of Education and Training (Circular 24 of 2024), the purpose of organizing high school graduation exams is to correctly assess the learning outcomes of learners according to the goals and standards of the 2018 general education program; use exam results to consider recognition of high school graduation and serve as one of the bases for assessing the teaching and learning quality of general education institutions as well as the direction of education management agencies; provide reliable data for universities and vocational education institutions to use in enrollment in the spirit of autonomy.

It is indeed difficult and challenging for those who create high school graduation exams. A common exam will be very difficult to meet all the above purposes, especially when the two main purposes are completely different in nature.

The high school graduation exam is to consider and recognize students' graduation according to the required standards of the program. The university entrance exam is to select talented people, people with enough capacity to study at a higher level in a certain major.

Looking back at the 2-in-1 exam in recent years, we can immediately see the inadequacy. There were years when the exam was designed to "make everyone happy" with "easy" questions, light and within the candidates' ability.

The result is a "rain of 10s". This is followed by inflation of university entrance exam scores. Among them, there are candidates who score 10 points in each subject but still fail their first choice when applying to university (like in the 2021 and 2022 exam seasons).

On the contrary is the situation of this year's exam season.

Not to mention, because an exam has so many goals, most parents, students and schools consider it a "passing the gate" for 18-year-old boys and girls.

Considered an important exam that decides the future of a person's entire life, when the test results were not as expected, some candidates did not eat, did not sleep, and had negative actions... They were disappointed in themselves, skeptical about life...

Meanwhile, the 2018 general education program is assessed by experts as a turning point in the process of educational innovation in Vietnam.

The most prominent point, which is most agreed upon by the people, is that teaching has shifted its focus from equipping knowledge to developing students' qualities and abilities.

Student testing and assessment also shifts the focus from testing knowledge to assessing students' abilities through practical situations.

So why not boldly separate it, returning the high school graduation exam to its true nature: considering and recognizing high school graduation.

University admissions should also be handed over to universities to proactively implement, especially in the context of university admissions having many methods.

The university's competency assessment exam is also increasingly gaining credibility, and the exam content is consistent with the innovation orientation of the 2018 general education program.

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HOANG HUONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nhin-lai-muc-dich-ky-thi-tot-nghiep-20250717080001838.htm