On the afternoon of June 12, the Ministry of Education and Training held a press conference to quickly inform about the 2026 high school graduation exam.
Exam questions aimed at assessing competence
At the press conference, leaders of the Ministry of Education and Training answered many concerns related to the Literature exam, especially the social commentary question mentioning the image of "Steve Jobs Vietnam".
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Ha - Deputy Director of the Department of Quality Management, Ministry of Education and Training affirmed that Literature is both scientific and artistic, so there is always a certain degree of openness.
Openness is also a fundamental difference between the 2018 general education program and the previous program. If the 2006 program mainly taught, tested and evaluated around some fixed works, the new program allows the use of non-textbook materials to assess students' abilities.
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Ha also added that this year is the first year of marking Literature according to rubrics. This is being implemented and trained for marking teachers nationwide.
Open-ended questions have open-ended answers, respecting candidates' critical thinking
Regarding the grading work, Mr. Pham Ngoc Thuong - Standing Deputy Minister of Education and Training - emphasized that it is necessary to look at the exam questions cautiously and objectively.
Currently, it is only initial assessments. To conclude whether the exam questions are appropriate or not, it is necessary to wait for the grading results, score distribution and analysis data after the exam" - Mr. Thuong said.
According to the Deputy Minister, the Ministry of Education and Training always listens fully to the feedback from society.
If the exam questions are open, the answers are also open. We respect papers that express personal opinions, even refute the issues raised in the exam questions if the reasoning is reasonable and convincing. The Ministry encourages students to express their thinking, opinions and critical ability" - Mr. Thuong emphasized.
Regarding the marking of the Literature exam, Deputy Minister Pham Ngoc Thuong said that the Ministry of Education and Training has thoroughly grasped the requirement to ensure objectivity, fairness and uniformity nationwide.
The Ministry of Education and Training will also require localities to update the situation of essay exam marking for Literature each day. Cases with unusual signs will be reviewed immediately.
If a bag of exam papers is found to have an unusually high score or signs of inconsistency in the assessment, the council will organize inspection and verification marking according to regulations" - Mr. Thuong said.
According to leaders of the Ministry of Education and Training, the appraisal council has been established and the principles of quality control have been thoroughly grasped to all localities.
Also at the press conference, Deputy Minister Pham Ngoc Thuong assessed that the 2026 high school graduation exam has many special points when it is organized for the first time in the context of implementing the two-level local government model and many changes in administrative management.
In addition, the risk of fraud using high-tech equipment is increasingly complex, posing a major requirement for exam organization.
However, according to the Deputy Minister, preparation work has been deployed early and remotely with close coordination between the Ministry of Education and Training, localities and related forces.
It can be said that the success of the 2026 high school graduation exam is proof of the success of the two-level local government model.
The exam is not only the task of the education sector but has received the attention and involvement of the entire political system, of the whole society and has truly become a festival for the whole people" - Mr. Thuong emphasized.
