Teaching in a new direction to prepare for the 2025 high school graduation exam

Students are worried.

In 2025, 12th graders will be the first batch of candidates to take the high school graduation exam according to the 2018 general education program with many innovations compared to before. The newest point is that candidates will only take 4 subjects, including 2 compulsory subjects: literature, math and 2 elective subjects from the remaining subjects: foreign languages, history, physics, chemistry, biology, geography, economic and legal education, information technology, technology. Most 12th grade teachers believe that this exam method has the advantage of reducing exam pressure for candidates, reducing costs for families and society.

A new point that students are most interested in and worried about is that the exam will be designed in the direction of assessing abilities and adding some new question formats for multiple-choice subjects (previously there was only 1 type of multiple-choice question). Thus, the exam has 2 more question formats: true-false multiple-choice and short-answer questions, requiring candidates to choose the answer. This new point is to overcome the situation where students only learn by heart or learn from available documents mechanically. The exam will have high differentiation according to levels, requiring students to apply the knowledge and skills they have learned to practice to do the test, limiting random circling of answers.

Dang The Duyet, a 12th grader at Phuc Thanh High School (Kinh Mon), said that he and other students could not avoid stress and anxiety. However, after being informed and guided by teachers about the exam structure, Duyet found the exam to be quite suitable for students. By taking only 4 subjects, students will reduce the pressure of studying and taking exams, have more time to study other favorite subjects as well as focus on the subject they plan to use the score for university admission.

“My family also often encourages me to stay calm, study and not put pressure on myself, so I feel quite comfortable. I am still studying according to the plan. The important thing is that in the coming time, I must best absorb the new knowledge that teachers impart to pass the 2025 high school graduation exam,” Duyet said.

Teachers are proactive.

To best prepare for the 2025 high school graduation exam, high schools in the province have soon had plans and teaching and review methods for students, meeting the innovative requirements of the exam.

This school year, Nam Sach High School has more than 500 12th graders. The school has developed an educational plan early, directing teachers to innovate teaching methods, testing, and capacity assessment in the direction of promoting students' qualities and abilities.

Mr. Tran Khoa, Principal of Nam Sach High School, said that the school's teachers have built a question bank and exam questions according to the structure of the Ministry of Education and Training. During the teaching, reviewing, testing and evaluating process, teachers will have to train students in the ability to apply knowledge, thinking methods and creativity. The school will regularly organize professional group and team activities. At the same time, it will explore, survey, advise and provide early career orientation for students; and prepare students for separate exams such as capacity assessment and thinking assessment. The school has also allowed students to register for graduation exam subjects to divide into classes and conduct early review for them.

This school year, Gia Loc II High School has 376 grade 12 students. The school has also developed a specific plan and roadmap for teaching and learning for grade 12 students, especially for reviewing for the high school graduation exam. Teacher Truong Hong Phuong, Principal of Gia Loc II High School, said that the school has been promoting the teaching and learning plan, especially organizing the graduation exam review according to the new plan, stabilizing the psychology of students and parents. The school will increase the organization of internal seminars on teaching and learning topics according to the new program; organize inter-school learning and experience exchange to improve the quality of teaching and learning as well as reviewing for the graduation exam.

On the teachers' side, in the face of this change, teaching and learning also need to be adjusted. Meritorious Teacher Nguyen Huu Gioi, a math teacher at Thanh Mien High School, said that he will continue to closely follow the structure and scope of knowledge in accordance with the required objectives and orientations of the Ministry of Education and Training to impart knowledge and skills to students. Teaching methods will also change in accordance with the orientation of developing students' qualities and abilities based on closely following the requirements of the subject.

“We will actively participate in professional activities on forums with teachers nationwide to have good sources of documents for teaching. Self-study, self-research knowledge of other subjects to be able to teach interdisciplinary integration. Regularly organize professional activities, write initiatives... according to the new program, delve into new content, difficult content in the program. Teachers will expand, apply knowledge and understanding of life to help students practice skills in processing, exploiting, reading and understanding information,” said Mr. Gioi.