The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) has confirmed that the 2025 high school graduation exam papers do not exceed the required learning outcomes of the curriculum. The exams incorporate a level of differentiation and are designed to accurately assess students' capabilities.

This announcement was included in the ministry’s July 1 report on the 2025 high school graduation exam.

According to the MoET, the 2025 exam structure aligns with Resolution 29’s objectives: “To accurately assess student competency and serve as a basis for admissions to vocational and higher education institutions.”

The exam papers include a greater number of differentiated questions. This change addresses previous shortcomings, where limited differentiation made it difficult to classify students accurately, resulting in universities having to organize their own costly and resource-intensive entrance exams.

Regarding exam content, the MoET affirmed that it adheres strictly to the requirements of the 2018 General Education Program. The cognitive levels (difficulty) are consistent with the sample papers released earlier and are designed based on trial results conducted across three regions of Vietnam.

The MoET revealed that a series of trial exams were conducted on a wide scale, involving about 12,000 students nationwide, including in the most disadvantaged provinces. Results were carefully analyzed using modern assessment theories and served as key references for developing the sample exam papers, ensuring appropriate differentiation and alignment with Resolution 29.

Some concerns have been raised about the difficulty of this year’s exams, especially in Mathematics and English. However, the ministry suggested that these perceptions could stem from various factors. “We must wait for the grading results to draw definitive conclusions,” the report noted. The 2025 exam results are scheduled to be announced on July 16.

To meet the demands of Resolution 29, Central Conclusion No. 91, and challenges facing the 2025 graduation exam, the exam format has undergone significant adjustments. Although the format and direction of these adjustments were announced in 2023, both teachers and students are understandably still adjusting to the new structure.

Looking ahead, the MoET will continue to oversee and guide the exam marking process, ensure accurate data reconciliation, publish results, manage the review process, and handle the high school graduation and college admission procedures for 2025.

Additionally, it will analyze exam results to evaluate exam quality, teaching effectiveness, and educational outcomes nationwide.

The ministry will also conduct differential score analysis across exam subjects to support fair evaluation. This new requirement aims to provide objective insights into each subject’s progress within the same region by comparing average scores across different subjects.

Furthermore, the MoET emphasized its continued push to reform teaching methods, student assessments, and evaluations. This includes ongoing and periodic testing aligned with interdisciplinary integration and real-life contexts, helping students adapt to competency-based evaluation systems.

The 2025 high school graduation exams took place over two days, June 26-27.

This year’s candidates, educated under the 2018 General Education Program, were required to take two compulsory subjects: Mathematics and Literature, along with two electives chosen from a list of grade 12 subjects, including Foreign Language, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, History, Geography, Economic and Legal Education, Informatics, and Technology.

Thanh Hung