VietNamNet Bridge - High school teachers think the sample questions provided by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) for the finals are too difficult for students in general education.

In the past, two separate exams were organized every year, including high school finals and university entrance exams, to serve two purposes. However, from now on, only one national exam will be organized.

The finals to take place in July 2015 will be a special exam because it is considered the “2-in-1” exam which will determine who can finish high school and fulfill general education requirements and find students eligible for higher education.

MOET has provided sample exam questions to help students imagine how the exam would be like.

MOET has been warned that the questions need to be easy enough for students to fulfill general education requirements and difficult enough for schools to find the best students for higher education.

Professor Van Nhu Cuong, a math teacher, noted that the math questions are easier than the last year’s university entrance exam questions and not much more difficult than last’s year final exam questions.

Cuong believes the students who have an average learning aptitude would get four scores in math. 

“I think with the questions, the average students would be able to pass the exam, if they can get higher marks from other exam subjects and have good learning records at high school,” Cuong noted.

Dr. Nguyen Xuan Han, a renowned educator, also noted that it is difficult to design exam questions to serve two different purposes.

When asked about the mock exam questions, Han said it would be difficult for average students to get five scores for math.

He noted that the exam questions should be designed in a way to be sure that average students can get four to five marks on a 10-score scale. 

“In principle, students just need to solve basic problems to be able to finish general education. Meanwhile, they have to be able to solve more complicated questions to follow higher education,” he said.

As for chemistry exam questions, deputy headmaster of Tran Hung Dao High School in Hanoi Hoang Dinh Xuan said there were some easy questions which could be solved by the majority of students, but the other questions are very difficult.

Meanwhile, Tran Thi Hanh, a literature teacher at Cam Thuy 3 High School, warned that questions would be difficult for students in mountainous areas.

“They would find it very difficult to get a pass,” she said.

DDK