Candidates should spread their wishes
According to experts, this year's high school graduation exam has a good differentiation, reflected in the fact that the scores of the subjects are more even, no longer skewed like previous years.
Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tien Thao - Director of the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Training assessed that this year, the general emphasis of Mathematics and English, even other subjects such as Chemistry and Biology, has moved" and said that with this result, universities have quality admission sources, have segmentation and ensure harmony, nature and reasonableness.
Mr. Dinh Duc Hien - Executive Director of FPT Bac Giang Inter-level High School - said that this year's benchmark scores will be more difficult to predict than previous years because the admission methods will be included in the same 30-point reference system. Therefore, universities must also calculate the virtual rate and the admission rate in different methods very carefully.
"C candidates also need to be careful in placing wishes, spreading different wishes equally, taking a leap between reasonable wishes to increase the likelihood of passing" - Mr. Hien noted to candidates.
The theory and practice are always shaky, after having a common threshold, we need to analyze the most accurately the implementation of the 2018 GDPT program, each school, each teacher, each student needs to look back at what they are doing and what they are about to do" - Mr. Hien said.
According to Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Duc - former Chairman of the Council of Hanoi University of Technology (VNU), this year's university admission scores are expected to decrease due to good differentiation, lower average scores for subjects, and sharp decrease in excellent scores.
For groups with Literature and Geography, the reduction is not significant, but for groups with Math and English, the benchmark score can be reduced by 2-3 points depending on the major.
Need to continue adjusting teaching and learning methods
On the side of educational institutions, Ms. Nguyen Boi Quynh, Principal of Viet Duc High School (Hanoi) said that the new exam format requires students to have real knowledge to solve, they cannot learn tricks or calculate reversals like before. Although the English subject is long, it is completely included in the 12th grade program.
Mr. Thai Van Thanh - Director of the Department of Education and Training of Nghe An province acknowledged that the general score is the basis for helping Nghe An re-evaluate each subject, adjust teaching methods, enhance problem solving and practical application to complete the 2018 General Education Program.
From the expert's perspective, according to Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Duc, this year's exam still has some limitations, such as the candidates being "shocked" because the exam has differentiation, especially in Math and English. This has also been predicted by experts since the Ministry announced the sample exam questions for the subjects.
"This year's Math exam is an alertness to know how to study for real, grasp the point" - Mr. Duc said.
In addition, experts recommend that universities need to have a stable admission plan so as not to cause difficulties for candidates.
Bright spots from localities and disadvantaged areas
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Duc Son - Principal of Hanoi National University of Education - commented that this year's high school scores are interesting, surprising and show the initial effectiveness of the 2018 General Education Program.
He affirmed that the goal of innovation is not only in the high school graduation exam but also the entire teaching process at the high school level. The direction of change is towards capacity development. If learners have the ability to detect and solve problems, they will not have to learn a lot about tips and puzzles to take high scores.
"This year's exam shows that students in both An Giang and Dien Bien can still achieve a score of 10 - something worth thinking about" - Mr. Son said.
Dr. Quach Tuan Ngoc - former Director of the Department of Information and Communications, Ministry of Education and Training - also acknowledged the clear rise of localities such as Dien Bien, Dak Lak, An Giang. According to him, this result shows that the gap in education quality between regions is narrowing, students have more equal access to learning opportunities.
Need to innovate the thinking of evaluating students based only on scores
Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong emphasized that it is necessary to gradually change the mindset of evaluating students based only on scores. Although the test score is an important indicator, it cannot be the only measure.
He said that the implementation of the 2018 General Education Program has been effective. Students quickly adapt to the new exam form, teachers innovate methods, focus on training qualities and abilities instead of just imparting knowledge.
