Cannot study for the exam in the old way
In previous years, many students had a habit of waiting for sample exams for the high school graduation exam to narrow down knowledge, focusing on studying familiar works. However, with the new general education program, this learning method is no longer effective.
According to Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Van - Head of Literature Department, Galileo High School (Hanoi), the current exam questions are no longer limited to textbooks but are expanded to non-curricular materials. This requires students to have a solid knowledge base and flexible situation handling ability, instead of relying on rote learning.
Reality shows that rote learning not only poses risks but also makes students passive when encountering new exam questions. Therefore, changing the approach in the review process is a mandatory requirement if you want to achieve good results.
Note not to miss
From teaching experience, Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Van recommends that students focus on three key issues in the exam preparation process. First of all, the Reading Comprehension section, requiring students to master the characteristics of genres such as short stories, poems, essays... This is considered the "key" to handling materials outside of textbooks.
When there is a foundation in terms of genre, students will easily dissect the problem, analyze the content and answer questions logically. This is also a factor to help them avoid being confused by completely new texts in the exam.
With the Social Opinion section, the current exam trend is often associated with topical issues. Therefore, students need to proactively update information, and at the same time practice critical thinking and multi-dimensional thinking. Essays only present one-sided opinions, lacking depth, it will be difficult to create an impression on the grader.
Besides, the skill of logical reasoning and expressing personal opinions is also attractive. Examiners often appreciate articles with clear opinions, knowing how to analyze problems convincingly instead of memorizing and mechanically copying.
For the Literary Essay section, the appearance of materials outside of textbooks may confuse many students. However, according to teachers, the important thing is to stay calm, read the questions carefully and build a clear outline before writing.
According to teacher Nguyen Ngoc Van, a high-scoring essay does not lie in the use of many flowery or empty words, but in the way the idea is deployed coherently and logically. In which, clear thinking is the core factor that helps the essay convince the grader.
In addition, expressing personality in the essay is also a significant plus point. Realistic feelings, personal tone and independent perspective on issues will help the essay stand out more among many other exams.
In the context of increasingly open exam questions, reviewing Literature is no longer a story of rote learning but a process of training thinking and skills. Proactiveness, flexibility and the ability to express personal opinions will be decisive factors to help students achieve good results in the 2026 high school graduation exam.
