According to the citywide Grade 12 assessment results recently published by the DoET, the most common score range was 6–7 points (21.06%), while only 7.73% of exams scored 8 points or higher. Perfect scores were rare, with just 389 papers achieving a 10, accounting for only 0.08%.

The average scores by subject were as follows: Math 5.1; Literature 5.62; Physics 5.79; Chemistry 5.91; Biology 5.22; History 6.13; Geography 5.14; Economic and Legal Education 7.14; Informatics 6.16; English 6.28.

Math had the highest rate of sub-passing scores (below 5), with 51.69% of papers failing to reach the average, followed by Geography at 51.42% and Biology at 50.41%. Literature and English also saw high failure rates at 34.03% and 31.32% respectively.

Of note, more than 1,239 Literature papers scored below 1 point, and nearly 298 Math papers received similar scores.

Nearly 32,000 papers (about 7%) scored below 3 points - considered a red flag for graduation eligibility. Among these, 4,228 papers scored between 0–1 point, accounting for 0.91%. This year’s overall results were lower compared to last year, largely attributed to changes in test content and structure.

What the education department said

In response, Ha Xuan Nham, Head of the Secondary Education Department at the Hanoi DoET, acknowledged the concerning results and emphasized the need for more targeted support. Schools must urgently review and classify students by ability to implement tailored revision and remedial strategies.

Educational institutions are encouraged to align review content with DoET’s guidance and training materials, focusing on subject-specific themes. Teachers are also advised to guide students in handling true/false question formats and gradually build up question difficulty.

Additionally, schools are expected to create question banks that closely follow the goals of the 2018 General Education Program, emphasizing practical and interdisciplinary applications that require students to use learned knowledge to solve real-world problems.

Moving forward, the Hanoi DoET will collaborate with schools to increase communication and outreach, encouraging students to follow graduation exam preparation programs broadcast on Hanoi Radio and Television Channel H2. These broadcasts will cover core subjects such as Math, Literature, and English. Grade 12 students can also download the “Hanoi On” app for further support with test prep.

The principal of a public high school in Hanoi said that after the survey results were released, their school analyzed scores subject-by-subject and student-by-student. Based on the analysis, the school is adjusting its revision plan and strategies to match students’ proficiency levels.

For students with low scores and a high risk of not graduating, the school has developed customized review strategies with phased goals, offering increased academic support to help them catch up and feel more confident ahead of the official national graduation exam.

Earlier, from March 21 to 23, nearly 119,000 Grade 12 students in Hanoi participated in the standardized mock exams designed to familiarize them with the new national graduation exam format.

Each student took two mandatory tests in Math and Literature, along with two elective subjects from Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Geography, Economic and Legal Education, Informatics, Industry-oriented Technology, Agriculture-oriented Technology, and English. The exams were created and administered by the Hanoi DoET.

Hoang Thanh