Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has outlined the organization of the 2025 high school graduation exam and elementary school enrollment in a recent directive. He emphasized that this year's exam is particularly significant as it marks the first time the high school graduation and elementary school enrollment processes are conducted under the new general education program, which incorporates numerous innovations.
The exam will occur amidst a nationwide effort to reorganize local government structures and changes within the inspectorate system. This year, the number of candidates is expected to be larger, as it will accommodate students from both the new general education program and those still following the older 2006 curriculum.
As educational integrity remains a pressing concern, the Prime Minister noted that the use of advanced technology for cheating in exams is becoming increasingly sophisticated and complex. He has mandated that the restructuring of local government must not impact the integrity of the high school graduation exam.
To ensure that the exam and enrollment process is conducted safely and seriously, the Prime Minister has called upon all levels of government, sectors, and localities to focus on implementing effective solutions for organizing the exam and enrollment. He has also urged local leaders to take responsibility for the organizational work, assigning specific tasks according to the principle of '6 specifics': clear individuals, clear tasks, clear responsibilities, clear authority, clear timelines, and clear results.
Provincial and city inspectors are required to urgently develop inspection plans for all stages of the exam process, particularly regarding the assignment of responsibilities among participating organizations and individuals. The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) has been tasked with reviewing existing directives to provide detailed instructions for localities, ensuring that any arising issues are promptly addressed.
Moreover, the MoET must meticulously examine all aspects of the 2025 high school graduation exam to guarantee absolute accuracy and safety while ensuring appropriate differentiation among candidates. The Prime Minister has also instructed the Ministry of Public Security to collaborate with the education sector to uphold security and safety during the exam, enhancing their ability to detect and address any legal violations associated with the exam.
The 2025 high school graduation exam is scheduled for June 26 and 27, with more than 1.16 million candidates expected to participate. Students taking the exam for the first time under the 2018 general education program will be required to complete four tests, including mandatory subjects such as Mathematics and Literature, along with two elective subjects from a list that includes Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Geography, History, Economic and Legal Education, Informatics, Technology, and Foreign Languages.
In the scoring formula for graduation, exam scores will account for 50% of the final assessment, while the remaining 50% will be derived from high school transcript scores from grades 10, 11, and 12, along with any applicable priority points. Notably, the weight of the transcript scores has increased by 20% compared to previous years.
Students following the old curriculum (2006 program) will take tests in Literature, Mathematics, and Foreign Languages, in addition to one test each from Natural Sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) and Social Sciences (History, Geography, Civic Education).
In a related development, the Thinking Assessment Exam (TSA) is also being organized, with 30 testing sites across the country, including 17 in Hanoi and 13 in various provinces such as Lao Cai, Thai Nguyen, Hung Yen, Hai Duong, Hai Phong, Quang Ninh, Nam Dinh, Thai Binh, Ninh Binh, Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, Ha Tinh, and Da Nang.
During the third session of the TSA, the exam council reported three questions related to complex numbers and one question that had a display error. The exam board determined that these questions were part of a set used to balance the exam across different years and decided to remove them to maintain fairness in scoring.
The highest score recorded in the third session was 91.29 out of 100, with two candidates achieving scores above 90, 106 candidates scoring over 80, and 1,257 candidates scoring over 70. The average score for this session was 54.89, with a median score of 54.88. The top-performing student of this session hailed from Do Luong 3 High School in Nghe An.
The top ten candidates with the highest TSA scores came from various high schools, including Do Luong 3 High School in Nghe An, Lam Son Specialized High School in Thanh Hoa, Tien Lang High School in Hai Phong, Tinh Gia 2 High School in Thanh Hoa, Chu Van An High School in Hanoi, Vinh Phuc Specialized High School, Kim Lien High School in Hanoi, Sam Son High School in Thanh Hoa, Uong Bi High School in Quang Ninh, and Hoang Hoa 2 High School in Thanh Hoa.
Candidates can check their results for the third TSA session by accessing their registered accounts at the official website. The results from the TSA will play a crucial role in the university admission process for the 2025 academic year, with over 40 institutions indicating their intention to utilize these scores for admissions.
Furthermore, the method for converting standard scores between different assessment types (XTTN, TSA, THPT) is expected to be announced following the release of the 2025 high school graduation exam scores. The scoring formula for admissions based on TSA scores has also been provided for clarity.
