The Ministry of Education and Training "reveals" new points in the regulations for the national unified examination.

The exam format, the use of exam results, and the organization of exams in clusters… are among the hottest topics related to the National High School Graduation Exam Regulations that the Ministry of Education and Training "revealed" this morning, December 10th.

The Ministry of Education and Training will soon issue the examination regulations to help candidates better orient themselves when registering for the 2015 university and college entrance exams. (Illustrative image)

According to Mr. Tran Van Nghia, these regulations are basically no different from the exam regulations of previous years. The important changes largely depend on the method of taking the National High School Graduation Examination this year. Some basic new points are as follows:

Regarding the application form for the exam (HSĐKDT)

The application forms are essentially identical to last year's exam registration forms in terms of personal information and priority status. The only difference is that this year, candidates don't specify which school they want to apply to, but only register for the subjects they want to take, the exam cluster, and their purpose for taking the exam. Candidates will register at their current high school. Independent candidates can register at any location designated by the Department of Education and Training.

There are three groups of applicants.

Group 1: Candidates using their exam results for high school graduation must register for 4 subjects, including 3 compulsory subjects: Mathematics, Literature, and a Foreign Language, and 1 elective subject from among Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, and Geography. (Candidates from disadvantaged areas may request to replace the Foreign Language subject with one of the remaining subjects, meaning they have two elective subjects in addition to the two fixed subjects: Mathematics and Literature). Candidates with a foreign language certificate equivalent to B1 level or higher, or an international program (as regulated by the Ministry), will be exempt from the exam with the maximum score.

Group 2: Students taking both the high school graduation exam and the university entrance exam must register for 1-4 additional subjects in addition to the 4 relevant subjects, depending on their desired exam blocks. For example, students taking the A block exam register for: Mathematics, Literature, Foreign Language, Physics, and Chemistry. This registration also allows them to choose other combined blocks based on these 5 subjects, in addition to the A block exam.

Group 3: Candidates taking the exam solely for university or college admission will only take subjects directly related to their chosen subject group; they may also take additional subjects for admission to other subject groups.

Regarding the exam

According to Mr. Tran Van Nghia, the exam structure is basically no different from the 2014 high school graduation exam. Accordingly, the multiple-choice exams will last 90 minutes, and the essay exams will last 180 minutes. The exam will ensure two parts: a basic part to ensure graduation eligibility and a differentiating part for university and college admissions. Social science subjects will emphasize open-ended questions, using interdisciplinary knowledge to solve problems, not requiring candidates to mechanically memorize data or rote learning, but rather to process and analyze data. Natural science subjects will focus on assessing competence and applying experimental knowledge.

Regarding the use of exam results

For candidates taking the exam solely for high school graduation, the results remain stable as last year, based on 50% of the National High School Graduation Exam score and 50% of their 12th-grade academic performance. Regarding candidates using the exam results for university and college admissions, Mr. Tran Van Nghia stated: “The important difference in using exam results this year is that candidates can only register for admission to their desired schools after receiving their exam scores. Of course, students will have a clear direction beforehand and register based on the subject combinations required by the schools, but this method will reduce the risk of ‘talent and luck’ in exams… Students can carefully consider and choose a suitable school.”

According to Mr. Nghia, out of 428 universities and colleges that registered for admissions, 235 used the results of the national entrance exam for selection. Three top universities – Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Foreign Trade University, and Hanoi Medical University – have additional preliminary selection criteria. Ho Chi Minh City University of Law and the Academy of Journalism and Communication have additional requirements, including interviews for some exam subjects along with exam scores. Hanoi University of Prosecution is likely to have a two-part selection process with 85% of the exam score and 15% of the post-exam interview score.

Regarding the number of examination clusters

The Ministry of Education and Training is considering its decision based on surveys conducted at approximately 30 examination centers nationwide. The criteria for organizing examination centers is to arrange convenient transportation for candidates, ensuring the shortest possible travel distance to the exam. Examination fees will remain stable as in previous years. According to Mr. Tran Van Nghia, in addition to promptly issuing the two examination regulations, the Ministry of Education and Training will simultaneously release a set of Q&A materials addressing issues related to the National High School Graduation Examination, helping candidates to better understand the process of registration. The electronic software related to the exam is also under development and is expected to be completed by the end of December.

According to LDO