What does Nghe An Department of Education and Training say about the 10th grade exam?

Regarding the above issue, Nghe An Newspaper interviewedMr. Nguyen Van Khoa - Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Training, Deputy of the Steering Committee, Chairman of the Admissions Council for the 10th grade entrance exam.

PV:Sir, this year's 10th grade entrance exam has many new features in the organization. After 2 days of the exam, how do you evaluate the results?

Mr. Nguyen Van Khoa:Up to this point, the exam has been conducted seriously, safely, in accordance with regulations and the Examination Councils have well implemented the instructions of the Provincial Examination Steering Committee. In addition, the exam has also applied some new techniques of the National High School Exam such as installing cameras to secure exam questions, exam papers, and registration numbering...

Candidates enter the exam room to listen to the exam regulations. Photo: Duc Anh

During the exam days, the Department's mobile inspection team also closely monitored the exam invigilation work at the exam councils and promptly reminded of any shortcomings in the implementation process.

PV:Exam preparation is considered an important step in the 10th grade entrance exam. However, some students and teachers said that the math exam was too difficult. Is this in line with the set goal?

Mr. Nguyen Van Khoa:Up to this point, the exam has been evaluated by public opinion, many teachers and students as quite good, highly differentiated, close to the skills and knowledge of the program. This is also the goal that the industry set before the exam, which is to ensure close adherence to knowledge and skills standards, and differentiate students.

The examination council at the examination site of Ha Huy Tap High School conducts the drawing of lots to receive the exam papers and exam rooms. Photo: Ho Phuong

In particular, in the Math exam, the exam has clear differentiation in questions 4b, c and question 5 and to achieve a score of 9, 10, the student must be really good. Through this, it helps schools easily differentiate students in order to recruit quality input.

PV:Regarding this year's exam, in the past 2 days, there has been a lot of information that question 3 of the Literature exam - 10th grade entrance exam is similar to a question of the second semester quality assessment exam set by the Department of Education and Training of Yen Thanh district. Is this correct, sir?

Mr. Nguyen Van Khoa:Yes, there is a coincidence in the work. However, this is only a coincidence in terms of linguistic material.

Literature exam of the Department of Education and Training and survey exam of Yen Thanh district. Photo: MH

Specifically, in the writing section (question 2), the Department's questionCandidates' requirements: Feelings about the wishes of poet Thanh Hai in two stanzas taken from the poem "Little Spring", Literature book grade 9. The second semester quality assessment exam by the Department of Education and Training of Yen Thanh district also requires "Sincere wishes of poet Thanh Hai" in the poem "Little Spring" with two similar stanzas.

According to regulations, in the Literature exam (writing section), it is mandatory to choose a work from the Grade 9 Literature program (other questions are not mandatory). Therefore, it is normal for the Department's 10th grade entrance exam to duplicate a work from Yen Thanh district or other districts, cities, and towns, because localities often use good works to create semester exams and mock exams for Literature.

Candidates at the Kim Lien High School Examination Council confirm the sealing of the exam bag. Photo: Duc Anh

Furthermore, the selected work “Little Spring”is one of the best poems in the Grade 9 Literature program and the two stanzas quoted are the best in the poem, containing the ideological content and theme of the work. Therefore, the test makers often choose this piece of material.

I also affirm that the two exams only have the same text in one work but the requirements are different, the purpose of exploiting the work is different, the purpose of evaluating students is different. Specifically, the semester assessment exam of Yen Thanh district is an open type, no type of essay is required. Students are free to choose the type of essay, it can be analytical, demonstrative, expressive... focusing on the content of knowledge.

The examination council at Ha Huy Tap High School conducts a draw to receive exam papers and exam rooms before the Literature exam. Photo: Ho Phuong

Meanwhile, the Department's exam is not only intended to test the knowledge of the students, but more importantly, to test the students' test-taking skills. Therefore, any student who subjectively thinks that the two essay topics are similar can easily get off topic and lose points.

PV:Can you tell us about the exam preparation process for this year's 10th grade entrance exam and whether duplicated materials affect the exam results?

Mr. Nguyen Van Khoa:The duplicated language in the essay does not affect the quality of candidate classification and saying that the 10th grade entrance exam of the Department and the semester assessment exam of Yen Thanh district are identical in question 3 is baseless.

Regarding the exam question making process, the Department also followed the instructions on the structure of the entrance exam questions specified in Official Dispatch No. 665/SGD&DT and strictly implemented the following 5 steps:

Step 1:Let the whole group come up with a unified question matrix.

Step 2:Divide the test matrix into 3 equal parts in terms of points, organize a draw to get the test results. Each person gets 2 test results from the part they drew.

Candidates take the exam at the 10th grade entrance exam. Photo: Ho Phuong

Step 3:After completing the assigned questions, draw lots and combine questions 1 and 2, organize feedback according to the circular principle, and edit them completely.

Step 4:Draw 1 of the 2 parts from each person and combine them to get the official exam, the remaining part is combined as a reserve exam.

Step 5:Complete the official exam questions and reserve exam questions according to the model, solve the questions again to check the suitability of the exam time, if not suitable, adjust.

During the exam preparation process, all teachers are isolated and follow procedures. The exam storage room is guaranteed to be safe and secure; there are security cameras monitoring and recording activities inside the room 24 hours a day.

PV:Thank you!