New points in the Regulations on recognition of secondary school graduation

Graduation recognition is to confirm the level of students who have completed the General Education Program at the Secondary School level or the Continuing Education Program at the Secondary School level. Graduation recognition is based on the training results and learning results of the 9th grade year of the student.

Compared to the old regulations, Circular No. 31/2023/TT-BGDDT has some notable new points such as: number of graduation exams in a year; no graduation classification...

Specifically, for educational institutions implementing the General Education Program at the lower secondary level, in a year when students have completed grade 9, the graduation recognition will be held at most twice. The first graduation recognition will be held immediately after the end of the school year. The second graduation recognition (if any) will be held before the start of the new school year.

For educational institutions implementing the Continuing Education Program at the lower secondary level, in a year with students completing grade 9, the graduation recognition examination shall be organized at least once immediately after the end of the school year.

Students are recognized as graduates if they meet the following conditions: Not older than 21 years old (in years) for students who have completed the General Education Program at the lower secondary level; from 15 years old or older (in years) for students who have completed the Continuing Education Program at the lower secondary level.

In case students return home from abroad, skip grades, or study at an age higher than the prescribed age, the regulations on age by grade level of the Ministry of Education and Training shall apply.

Students who have completed the general education program at secondary level or the continuing education program at secondary level; have complete documents as prescribed.

The application for graduation recognition for students who have completed grade 9 at an educational institution in the year of graduation recognition is the student's transcript. For other cases, the application includes: an application for graduation recognition; a valid copy of the birth certificate or citizen identification card, identification card; the original student transcript or a printed electronic transcript certified by the educational institution where the student has completed grade 9. In case the student has lost the original transcript or does not have a printed electronic transcript, there must be a confirmation of the training results and grade 9 learning results from the educational institution where the student has completed grade 9.

Students who are recognized as graduates are awarded a junior high school diploma. The new point of this regulation is that students are not classified. Under the current regulation, the graduation results of students studying at educational institutions are classified into 3 categories: Excellent, Good, Average, based on conduct classification and academic classification.

Educational institutions are responsible for organizing for students to retake classes; practice during the summer vacation; test and re-evaluate subjects and educational activities during the summer vacation according to the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training, confirm the completion of the General Education Program at the lower secondary level or the Continuing Education Program at the lower secondary level (if eligible) for students in the following categories: Students who have not been recognized as having completed the Program in the 9th grade school year because their learning or training results for the entire 9th grade year are classified as "Unsatisfactory" (or their academic performance/conduct for the entire year are classified as weak or poor); students who have not been recognized as having completed the Program due to being absent from school for more than 45 sessions during the 9th grade school year and request to retake; students over 21 years old who have completed the General Education Program at the lower secondary level but have not been recognized as having graduated and request to retake grade 9 according to the Continuing Education Program at the lower secondary level.

This Circular applies to students from the 2024-2025 school year. The recognition of secondary school graduation according to Decision No. 11/2006/QD-BGDDT dated April 5, 2006 is implemented until the end of the 2023-2024 school year.