High school graduation exam may be pushed back from 2026

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong announced the above information at a working session with the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training on the management of extra teaching and learning on the morning of March 21.

He reiterated that Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Ninh Binh, Nghe An and Quang Tri proposed to push the 2025 graduation exam to early June. The reason is that the whole country is implementing the arrangement and merger of provinces and cities and completing district-level tasks according to the conclusion of the Politburo.

However, the arrangement of provincial administrative units will be completed before August 30, which will not affect the organization of the exam. Therefore, the ministry decided to keep the exam schedule as originally announced, which is June 26-27.

"But from next year, the spirit is to organize the exam as soon as possible. A maximum of 2 weeks after grade 12 students complete the program, the graduation exam will be held," said Mr. Thuong.

According to the deputy minister, the situation of reviewing for graduation exams more than a month after the end of the school year has caused many families who are already struggling to bear additional costs. Moving the exams earlier also helps students and teachers to be aware of improving the quality of formal teaching, solving content during the school year instead of "going through the whole year leisurely, only to stay up all night in the last 2 months, studying until they are exhausted".

"The goal of education is not to find ways and funds to organize extra teaching and learning. How can students have exams tomorrow and still be able to play soccer this afternoon and help their parents?", the deputy minister stated.

According to the school year plan framework of the Ministry of Education and Training, the school year ends before May 31, for grade 12, and for localities around May 15-20.