Ministry of Education and Training explains the reason for not multiplying the coefficient of 10th grade exam subjects

From this year, the admission score for grade 10 is the sum of all subjects/exams, calculated on a 10-point scale for each subject, according to the high school admission regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training. Previously, this was done proactively by the locality. In Hanoi, the admission score is the sum of all subjects, in which literature and math are multiplied by a factor of two.

Explaining this adjustment, at the "Confidence in Grade 10 Festival" at Chu Van An High School for the Gifted, Hanoi on February 23, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Xuan Thanh, Director of the Department of Secondary Education (Ministry of Education and Training) said that the ministry's viewpoint is not to distinguish between main and secondary subjects. Mr. Thanh sees math and literature as two tool subjects, other subjects are "the place to use" math and literature.

"Two subjects are tools to equip students with a foundation, but that doesn't mean we neglect the subjects that are their place to use. Having good tools but not knowing how to use them is useless. So there's no point in adding coefficients," said Mr. Thanh.

Mr. Thanh believes that studying too lopsidedly too early will cause students to lose their opportunities. From grades 1 to 9, the program is designed so that students have basic knowledge in all subjects, as a foundation for making decisions for the next levels of study. He gives an example of a student who chooses social subjects early and does not focus on studying natural sciences, which can be greatly affected later on, because natural sciences "are something they will live with for the rest of their lives."

"Therefore, we always encourage students to study all subjects comprehensively at the secondary level. The regulation of a third subject is one of the solutions to help students study evenly and not too lopsidedly. Studying lopsidedly will put them at a disadvantage first," said Mr. Thanh. "This is also the reason why the Ministry does not organize a specialized school model and does not hold national excellent student competitions at the secondary level."

With the new regulation, the highest admission score in the 10th grade entrance exam in Hanoi will be 30, instead of 50 or 60 (if taking 4 subjects) like previous years.

"The total score is smaller but it does not mean the quality is reduced. We do not compare this year's absolute benchmark scores with previous years," Mr. Nghiem Van Binh, Deputy Head of the Examination Management and Quality Assessment Department, Department of Education and Training, reminded candidates and parents.

As for specialized schools, Circular 05 of 2023 of the Ministry on the organization and operation regulations of this model still allows provinces to proactively decide whether or not to multiply the test score coefficient to enroll 10th graders.

2025 is the year the first batch of students under the new general education program (2018 program) will take the graduation exam. According to the ministry's regulations, localities can choose to take the entrance exam, consider admission, or combine it to enroll 10th graders. If taking the entrance exam, the exam will include math, literature, and a third subject (or a combined exam). This subject is selected by the department from the subjects assessed by scores, but no subject can be selected for more than 3 consecutive years.

By the end of February, about 40 provinces and cities had announced the third subject for the 10th grade exam. Except for Ha Giang, which chose history and geography, the remaining localities chose English.