Preparing for the 2025 high school graduation exam, things candidates need to note

This afternoon, June 25, more than 1.1 million candidates nationwide were present at the testing site to complete procedures to take the 2025 high school graduation exam.

At the exam site of Trung Vuong High School (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City), although the exam procedures only started at 2:00 p.m., many candidates arrived very early - Photo: DUYEN PHAN

The 2025 high school graduation exam has many new features and is considered a special exam because it is organized for two groups of candidates studying two different high school programs and takes place at the peak of administrative unit arrangement.

Two candidates, more supervisory work

This is the first exam in which two groups of candidates, the old and the new programs, take the exam. Of the more than 1.1 million candidates registered for the exam, nearly 26,000 were independent candidates who studied the 2006 generaleducation program. The rest were candidates studying the 2018 general education program.

With the spirit that candidates can take the exam according to the program they study, not only are the exam content different, but the regulations on exam subjects, exam methods and some other regulations are also different.

Candidates studying the 2006 program who have not yet graduated are required to take 4 exams including math, literature, foreign language and 1 of 2 combined exams: natural science (physics, chemistry, biology) and social science (history, geography, civics).

Candidates who have graduated from the 2006 program can only take the exam to use their university entrance exam results to register for their desired university, but can only choose to take 1 of the 2 combined exams or the component subjects of 1 of the 2 combined exams. Candidates have 4 exam sessions in 2 days.

Supervisor rechecks candidate information - Photo: NGUYEN KHANH

Candidates studying the 2018 program will take 4 subjects, including math, literature and 2 subjects of their choice from the remaining subjects including physics, chemistry, biology, history, geography, economic and legal education, technology, information technology, foreign languages. Candidates will take 3 sessions in 2 days, in which the subjects of their choice will be taken in 1 session. Candidates will be arranged to take the exam in one room throughout the exam, so in the exam session of the subject of their choice, in one exam room there will be candidates taking different subjects.

With the complexity of this year’s exam, the invigilators’ work will be more, requiring more thorough training to ensure no mistakes or confusion. In some localities, documents must be compiled for the invigilators to list and distinguish the work to be done for the two types of candidates. Bac Giang province has separate work assignment sheets for invigilators 1 and 2 in each exam session to avoid missing work and confusion.

Create maximum convenience for candidates

Candidates at the exam site of Lak High School (Lak district, Dak Lak) - Photo: TRUNG TAN

During the exam registration process, the staff at the exam sites are also assigned to disseminate the exam regulations, emphasizing the new points of the exam so that candidates can understand clearly. Any confusion or incorrect information of candidates will be resolved on the exam registration process day to ensure the rights of candidates. In cases where candidates lose their identification documents or exam admission notices, they will be required to write a commitment to take the exam.

The candidates' responsibilities and what items are allowed or prohibited to bring into the exam room will also be announced by the invigilator one more time during the exam registration procedure.

This year’s exam marks the second year that the Ministry of Education and Training has abolished the rule that candidates are allowed to bring electronic devices into the exam room to record evidence of cheating in the exam room. Not only devices that transmit and receive signals, but also devices that receive but do not transmit are prohibited.

During training sessions for exam supervisors, security agencies also warned about sophisticated devices that can transmit and receive signals and are embedded in pens, rings, earrings, watches and other jewelry. However, in the spirit of the exam steering committee, exam sites must strengthen remote prevention measures to limit the consequences for candidates and also avoid situations where candidates accidentally violate the regulations.

Note on exam procedures

Teachers guide candidates at the Lak High School exam site to receive exam cards - Photo: MINH PHUONG

At 2:00 p.m. today, June 25, candidates will complete the exam procedures. Candidates must be present at the exam room on time, present their ID card or passport, and receive their exam card.

If any errors are found regarding name, date of birth, priority subjects, or priority areas, candidates must immediately notify the invigilator or officer in charge at the examination site for timely handling.

If you lose your identification documents, you must immediately report to the head of the examination site for consideration of support according to regulations.

Candidates should note that if they need medical assistance during the exam, they should immediately notify the invigilator during the exam registration process so that the head of the exam site can provide support to facilitate the exam and ensure their health and safety. For example, candidates who are undergoing medical treatment or intervention, or candidates who have had an accident before the exam day and have injured their limbs.

At the exam registration session, candidates must listen to the full explanation of the regulations. If there is anything unclear, please ask the supervisor for clarification.

Candidates need to carefully read the regulations on items allowed in the exam room. For items that are not sure whether they are valid or not, candidates need to discuss with the supervisor to get confirmation (for example, calculators and watches must not have the function of storing, transmitting and receiving information, or connecting to the internet).

In case you cannot come to complete the exam procedures, you need to inform your teacher or the exam center for instructions. If you cannot notify in time, you need to come early tomorrow morning to complete the procedures and receive your exam card.

Candidates need to read the information carefully to avoid wrong exam locations, and learn the route to the exam location in advance to avoid being late for the exam sessions.

Candidates at the exam site of Lak District High School, Dak Lak province check their exam room - Photo: TRUNG TAN

What are candidates allowed to bring into the exam room?

Tools that candidates are allowed to bring into the examination room include: pens; rulers; pencils; erasers; set squares; graphing rulers; drawing tools; handheld calculators without word processing function and without memory cards.

Candidates taking the 2006 general education program are allowed to bring a geography atlas into the exam room; candidates taking the 2018 general education program are not allowed to bring a geography atlas.

Prohibited items to bring into the exam room/waiting room include: carbon paper, erasers, alcoholic beverages; weapons and explosives, flammable substances; documents, communication equipment (receiving, broadcasting information, recording audio, video) or containing information to cheat during the exam.

Candidates at Pham Hong Thai High School exam site, Hanoi - Photo: DANH KHANG

Hanoi: More than 124,000 candidates take the exam, the largest in the country

Hanoi is the locality with the largest number of candidates taking the high school graduation exam this year in the country, with more than 124,000 candidates, an increase of over 15,000 compared to last year.

The whole city has 233 testing sites, with nearly 5,000 testing rooms, including 4 testing sites specifically for students studying the 2006 program.

From the time of the exam registration, candidates are instructed on where to store their belongings before entering the exam room. The locations for storing candidates’ belongings are arranged 25-30 meters away from the exam room. Some small exam locations have arranged boxes for candidates to move their belongings to a safe location.

The exam steering committee also has scenarios ready for situations of heavy rain, local flooding, power outages, traffic jams, disease outbreaks, etc.; arranges rescue forces, health care, and supports candidates to get to the exam site safely.

Ho Chi Minh City: Nearly 100,000 candidates take the exam, the number of independent candidates increases sharply

According to statistics from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, the whole city has 99,578 candidates registered for the exam, an increase of 8,891 students compared to 2024. Notably, the number of independent candidates this year increased by 5,000 students.

Of the total number of registered candidates, 97,940 are following the 2018 general education program and 1,638 are following the 2006 program.

The city organized 171 examination sites with 4,242 examination rooms, of which 168 sites were for candidates of the 2018 program (equivalent to 4,180 rooms), and 3 sites for candidates of the 2006 program (62 rooms). Each examination site was arranged with 3 additional spare rooms to handle situations that may arise during the exam.

To ensure exam security, all 171 exam sites will have surveillance cameras installed in the exam storage room, completed by June 19. The camera system will cover the entire exam storage area, fully recording any impact on these items and continuously storing data, even in the event of a power outage.

Candidates started arriving at the exam site at Le Quy Don High School, District 3 at 1:00 p.m. to complete exam procedures - Photo: THANH HIEP

Students happily go to school to complete procedures despite the hot weather in Da Nang - Photo: THANH THUY

In Dak Lak, it's raining so candidates brave the rain to go to the exam locations - Photo: TRUNG TAN

Candidates look at the list of examination rooms at the examination council of An Khanh High School, Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho. This year, Can Tho City has over 13,700 candidates registered to take the exam at 26 official examination locations - Photo: THAI LUY

Nearly 300 candidates from Phu Quy island district completed the exam procedures at Ngo Quyen High School. In recent years, Phu Quy candidates have been able to take the exam on the island instead of having to go to the mainland as before, making both candidates and parents feel more comfortable - Photo: HAI THO

Mr. Nguyen Hai Tho, principal of Ngo Quyen High School, said that the invigilators from the mainland who come to the island to supervise the exam are arranged the most convenient hotels. "Because the island is developing strongly in tourism, the invigilators are very secure and do not lack accommodation," he said - Photo: DUC TRONG

On the afternoon of June 25, in Kien Giang, about 15,676 candidates went to schools to register for the 2025 high school graduation exam - Photo: CHI CONG

At the exam registration session, the invigilator disseminated the exam regulations, noted the regulations on the rights and responsibilities of candidates, and items that were or were not allowed to be brought into the exam room - Photo: DUYEN PHAN

"I searched for a long time before I saw my name at the bottom of the list, my heart was beating so fast like I was about to take the exam!", a candidate said with a smile after seeing his registration number at Pham Hong Thai High School, Hanoi - Photo: DANH KHANG

Candidates in Dak Nong listen to the announcement of exam regulations - Photo: DUC LAP

Minh Thu (Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High School, District 3) and other candidates are happy as they prepare to take the 2025 high school graduation exam - Photo: THANH HIEP

Group of candidates from Asia International School expressed their determination before the exam day - Photo: DUYEN PHAN

Details of the 2025 high school graduation exam schedule - Graphics: NGOC THANH

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VINH HA - TRONG NHAN

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chuan-bi-thi-tot-nghiep-thpt-2025-nhung-dieu-thi-sinh-can-luu-y-20250625104735601.htm