The Director of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training has urged schools not to be complacent and to fully utilize the “golden period” from now until the national high school graduation exam to better support students amid significant changes to the exam format.

According to results from a citywide assessment of 12th-grade students released by the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, the risk of students failing the graduation exam remains alarmingly high.

A total of 4,228 test papers scored between 0 and 1 point (accounting for 0.91%), and nearly 32,000 papers scored below 3.0 (nearly 7%).

The lowest-performing institutions were vocational training centers, continuing education centers, and technical colleges, where average scores in most subjects were below 5 points.

A department representative acknowledged that while the survey followed the official Ministry of Education and Training exam structure, the large number of tests scoring under 1 point is a red flag.

Commenting on the results, Ha Xuan Nham, Head of Secondary Education at the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, stated: “These results show a significant portion of students need greater support leading up to the graduation exam. Schools must review, categorize students based on their academic levels, and implement targeted review strategies.”

He emphasized the importance of organizing review sessions aligned with subject-based themes as instructed by the department and developing a bank of practice questions that meet the requirements of the 2018 General Education Program. These questions should focus on practical applications.

Maximizing the “golden period”

On the morning of April 15, the department held a meeting with principals and directors of vocational and continuing education centers to share review strategies during the final stages of preparation, aiming to prevent graduation failures.

Ha Xuan Nham reiterated that the department is urging schools to strictly follow graduation exam guidelines and encouraging students to participate in televised learning sessions broadcast by Hanoi Television in coordination with the department from April 4 until the exam.

Learning from last year’s experience, when 10 students at Phung Hung High School (Ha Dong district) failed to graduate, the school has already revised its review plans based on the recent citywide assessment. It is paying special attention to weaker students and those lacking study motivation by tailoring study plans for each group.

Speaking with VietNamNet, Hoang Duc Thuan from Cao Ba Quat High School (Gia Lam district) noted that in the recent trial exam, no students were at risk of failing. However, the school remains proactive, continuing to provide additional tutoring for underperforming students to help them improve and achieve better results.

For vocational and continuing education institutions, Vuong Van Chinh, Director of the Vocational Education and Continuing Education Center of My Duc district, explained that the school has adopted differentiated teaching methods based on student capability. Students are grouped accordingly to receive appropriate review strategies and avoid unnecessary pressure.

Teachers are encouraged to provide extra tutoring for struggling students while maintaining strong coordination with families to ensure every student achieves a satisfactory result. The center has previously achieved graduation rates of 98.36% to 100%.

Tran The Cuong, Director of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, emphasized the need for schools to take responsibility and carefully analyze the survey results. Schools should identify why certain subjects had low scores and which areas students are underperforming in. Each school must review and categorize students to provide personalized support, especially in helping them choose the right subjects for the graduation exam.

He also reminded educators and administrators to make the most of this “golden period” before the exam to assist students and ensure they are well-prepared for this year’s reformed exam format.

The 2025 national high school graduation exam, the first to follow the new general education curriculum, will take place on June 26-27.

Hoang Thanh