Nghe An teachers propose cross-marking in National High School Exam

Teacher Nguyen Van Phuong - Principal of Nghi Loc 4 High School:

The exam is still heavy on students' practical ability.

The 2018 National High School Exam was implemented relatively well. However, there were some shortcomings that needed to be learned from. That was the question-making process for some subjects, especially Math, which was relatively heavy on students' practical abilities. Some officials in charge of the exam did not fully understand the importance of organizing the exam. In addition, it must be seen that the technology to meet the exam requirements has not been innovated.

From these shortcomings, I see that the 2019 exam needs to pay attention to a number of issues. Firstly, it is necessary to change the form of exam organization to create peace of mind for teachers, parents, and students; Secondly, it is necessary to raise awareness of those who work in exam supervision; Thirdly, the exam preparation stage must promote students' abilities. Students should not be required to handle hundreds of calculations in a short time (90 minutes).

Checking the exam at the exam site of Nguyen Duy Trinh High School. Photo: My Ha

Fourth, it is necessary to replace technology in some stages of organizing the exam such as the marking stage to create rigor and fairness, avoiding the situation of some manual stages in 2018 in multiple-choice tests. In essay tests, there must also be technological supervision in some stages to strengthen the supervision of the Ministry (maybe not direct supervision but indirect).

Fifth, the marking process. Currently, in 2019, the Ministry of Education and Training is orienting towards cross-marking. This is a pretty good model and has been implemented before. However, with the current innovation in the examination method, cross-marking is a strength, creating fairness among localities and candidates. Cross-marking is needed among localities and provinces to create objectivity.

TeacherCao Thanh Bao - Principal of Huynh Thuc Khang High School:

The marking of multiple-choice tests must be isolated like the preparation of exam papers.

Recently, the Ministry of Education and Training has consulted with departments on the organization of the 2019 high school exam. The proposed solutions do not have much impact on students and mainly focus on technical solutions to ensure the exam is held seriously and safely, preventing cheating.

I also see that the solution groups have gone right into the problems that have existed in the past few years. For example, regarding the organization of exams, although the past years have been quite good. But if we strengthen the responsibility of universities in coordination with localities. In cases where localities cannot undertake the Ministry, universities can take the lead or coordinate between local universities and universities from the Ministry. This will limit the negativity in organizing exams.

Checking candidate records is an important step in the 2018 National High School Exam. Photo: My Ha

Regarding marking, in multiple-choice tests, marking should be arranged in clusters and concentrated in many provinces. In addition, to ensure accuracy and seriousness, it is necessary to ensure isolation similar to the exam preparation process. Because the multiple-choice answer numbers have names and registration numbers, the staff doing this work must be completely isolated.

For essay tests, we only need to review the procedures to make them stricter, from the process of making test papers, the process of delivering and receiving papers, and the marking process. Then, there is no need to move papers from one locality to another, but each province only needs 2 marking points, ensuring that teachers do not mark the papers of their own students, their own district...

Teacher Tran Ba ​​Tien - Head of Training Department - Vinh University:

Universities need to participate in the marking process because the university is responsible for enjoying the results.

I think that in the groups of solutions to improve the 2019 exam, there are three issues that need attention. Those are the question-making stage, the exam organization stage and the exam grading stage. On our side, we support the cluster grading solution because it will have the active participation of universities and departments of education and training and ensure objectivity.

At the same time, cluster grading will create a premise for the future because the direction of the Ministry of Education and Training is to form national research centers. The cluster grading organizations will gradually help us gain experience in grading and evaluating national exams in the coming time.

Besides, to ensure objectivity, in addition to the organization stage, it is necessary to strengthen security to ensure objective and correct marking of exams.

Candidates taking the 2018 National High School Exam. Photo: My Ha

The cluster grading must have close coordination between universities and the Departments of Education and Training. This also increases the responsibility of related units because the university is the unit that receives the admission results and is responsible for enjoying those results, avoiding collusion.

Cluster grading can be assigned to reputable universities with experience in organizing admissions, which will minimize or even eliminate negative aspects of the grading process.

Teacher Phan Trong Dong - Principal of Dien Chau 2 High School:

The human factor determines the success of the exam.

Keeping the national high school exam in the 2-in-1 format is reasonable and correct because it avoids psychological disturbances for students and parents. If each year there is a change in the form and method of the exam, it will cause confusion and make it difficult for students to review and prepare.

The 2-in-1 exam itself ensures both the purpose of recognizing graduation and considering university and college admissions. However, after the incidents in Ha Giang, Lang Son, and Hoa Binh, we have seen the shortcomings and limitations in the technical aspects of organizing the exam. Therefore, the Ministry's solution to focus on adjusting and changing the technical aspects of organizing the exam is correct.

Foreign language class of 12th grade students - Huynh Thuc Khang High School. Photo: My Ha

In particular, it is necessary to further strengthen the work of inspection, examination and supervision. Along with that, it is necessary to provide more thorough training on the tasks, powers and roles of each person in each stage of the exam. Regardless of the form of the exam, how many techniques, machines and technologies are used, the human factor is still the most decisive, because it is the people who will use and implement those technical processes.

The exam organization process needs to increase inspection teams from the Ministry of Education and Training.

In 2019, the Ministry of Education and Training will maintain the national high school exam method but will have adjustments and solutions to limit negative aspects of the exam with six groups of solutions:

First: The Ministry will conduct a comprehensive review of all regulations and procedures of the exam to specify the provisions in the regulations and instructions. This will include more clearly defining the responsibilities of relevant parties involved in organizing the exam and the sanctions.

Second: Continue to build a quality test question bank, ensuring the requirements for the official test to be suitable for the nature of the exam and the test taker's time.

Third: Complete and strengthen the application of information technology in all stages of the exams. This will include completing the exam software, enhancing security, and supporting fraud detection.

Fourth: Research and consider organizing the exam marking. The Ministry is considering the direction that exam marking officers will not mark the papers of candidates from their own province.

Fifth: The selection of personnel to participate in the examination work will be taken seriously. At the same time, more detailed training on examination work will be provided to the staff.

Sixth: Improve the quality and effectiveness of inspection and supervision at examination clusters, examination locations and all examination rooms. In particular, the participation of universities in the 2019 examination will be enhanced.