Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training has reaffirmed that this year's high school graduation exam was aligned with the national curriculum, while unveiling a new rubric-based approach to marking literature papers.
Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has defended a widely debated question in the 2026 national high school graduation literature exam, insisting that references to "Vietnam's Steve Jobs" were carefully considered and designed to evaluate students' reasoning rather than their knowledge of technology figures.
The comments were made during a press conference on June 12 chaired by Deputy Minister Pham Ngoc Thuong, head of the national steering committee for the 2026 high school graduation examination.
Opening the briefing, Thuong said the ministry would continue providing information transparently as the examination process moves from invigilation to marking and score publication.
"The examination process is still ongoing. We want all departments to respond quickly, directly and transparently to questions from the media," he said.
Ministry reports no major incidents
Deputy Minister Pham Ngoc Thuong speaks at the opening of the press conference on the 2026 national high school graduation examination. Photo: Thanh Hung.
Le My Phong, Deputy Director General of the Quality Management Department, said no evidence of examination paper leaks had been detected.
A total of 1,213,695 candidates registered for this year's examination. Nationwide, 74 candidates were disqualified, including 69 students caught bringing mobile phones into examination rooms and five found using unauthorized materials.
Authorities said no organized cheating cases had been recorded.
According to preliminary assessments from education experts and public feedback, the examination papers closely followed the 2018 General Education Curriculum and complied with the structure and format previously announced by the ministry.
Officials said the tests were designed to serve multiple purposes, including graduation certification, evaluating teaching and learning quality, supporting education management and providing reliable data for university admissions.
Debate over 'Vietnam's Steve Jobs'
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Le My Phong, Deputy Director General of the Quality Management Department, provides updates on the 2026 examination. Photo: Thanh Hung.
A large portion of the press conference focused on questions surrounding this year's literature examination.
Some students argued that the exam was particularly challenging, especially for candidates from rural, remote and disadvantaged areas. Concerns were also raised about a social commentary question referencing "Vietnam's Steve Jobs", with critics questioning whether students with limited access to technology and information sources would be disadvantaged.
Responding to the criticism, Professor Nguyen Ngoc Ha, Deputy Director General of the Quality Management Department, said fairness across regions had been a central consideration throughout the exam development process.
"One of our priorities is ensuring fairness among regions and localities. This principle applies throughout the examination design process," Ha said.
He explained that the social commentary section had been intentionally placed in the differentiation component of the exam.
Unlike the 2025 exam, where the social commentary section accounted for four points, this year's version was worth only two points.
"This section is intended to differentiate candidates and introduce new approaches to assessment," he said.
According to Ha, the question was designed to assess reading comprehension, critical thinking and argumentation skills.
"If candidates read the instructions carefully, they will see that they were not required to provide detailed information or memorized biographical facts about Steve Jobs," he said.
Ha described the phrase "Vietnam's Steve Jobs" as a metaphor rather than a factual reference.
"The ability to identify and interpret this metaphor was itself part of what the question aimed to evaluate," he said.
He stressed that the exam drafting team had spent considerable time reviewing every detail of the wording.
"Every sentence and every word was carefully selected. The team consulted specialists and even reviewed dictionary definitions for terms such as 'invention' and 'innovation'," Ha said.
He revealed that the authors initially considered using the phrase "the inventions of" before eventually choosing "with inventions" after further discussion.
Open-ended literature requires open-ended assessment
Professor Nguyen Ngoc Ha answers questions from journalists during the press conference. Photo: MOET.
Ha emphasized that literature differs from other academic subjects because it combines scientific rigor with artistic interpretation.
In many other subjects, examinations focus on clearly defined content from the curriculum. Literature, however, necessarily includes open-ended elements.
Comparing the current curriculum with the 2006 program, Ha said previous assessments revolved around a relatively small number of prescribed texts, leading many students to rely heavily on model essays.
"Students could sometimes produce very polished writing, but it was often memorized material that limited creativity and genuine literary appreciation," he said.
Under the 2018 curriculum, the approach has changed significantly.
This year's examination included a text by Nguyen Dinh Thi and social commentary material focused on innovation, scientific and technological breakthroughs and broader issues facing contemporary society.
"Many important messages were embedded in this year's literature examination," Ha said.
Deputy Minister Thuong reiterated that examination questions must remain aligned with the curriculum while assessing students' competencies and qualities.
"The marking process has not yet begun. We need score distributions and moderation results before making final evaluations. What we have today are only preliminary observations," he said.
However, he stressed that open-ended questions require open-ended marking schemes.
"We must respect students' viewpoints, including critical and creative perspectives," Thuong said.
The ministry has also established a special review panel to conduct additional marking audits and ensure consistency nationwide.
Officials noted that the 2026 examination took place during Vietnam's transition to a two-tier local government model and involved a record number of candidates. Despite the logistical challenges, authorities said no major incidents occurred and examination security was maintained throughout the process.
Rubric-based marking introduced for literature exam
Representatives of the Ministry of Education and Training respond to questions regarding the 2026 national high school graduation examination. Photo: Thanh Hung.
In another significant change, MOET announced that 2026 marks the first year the national literature examination will be assessed using rubric-based marking in selected sections.
According to Ha, the new system is intended to improve fairness and reduce subjectivity in scoring essay responses.
"Rubrics will only be applied where necessary," he said.
The approach establishes specific assessment criteria linked to score ranges, allowing examiners to evaluate responses against clearly defined standards.
Ha said the ministry had already introduced rubric training through professional development programs, while some local education authorities had begun using similar systems.
"In simple terms, it functions like a structured scoring guide. Examiners can compare student responses against established criteria and assign points accordingly," he explained.
The ministry believes the system will help ensure more consistent marking, particularly in literature, where subjective interpretation can make evaluation more complex than in science-based subjects.
Officials also said rubric-based marking is expected to reduce disagreements among examiners and promote greater consistency across marking teams.
Computer-based graduation exams planned by 2030
Professor Huynh Van Chuong discusses the roadmap for computer-based examinations. Photo: Thanh Hung.
Responding to questions about future examination reforms, Professor Huynh Van Chuong, Director General of the Quality Management Department, said Vietnam plans to gradually transition to computer-based high school graduation examinations.
Following pilot testing in 2026, the ministry will implement a trial phase between 2027 and 2029 before conducting a full evaluation.
Nationwide implementation is scheduled for 2030.
Alongside traditional paper-based testing, the ministry is currently focused on building a large-scale item bank and developing software systems capable of supporting secure computer-based examinations.
Authorities are also conducting nationwide assessments of computer infrastructure and facilities across all 34 provinces and centrally administered cities, with particular attention to remote and disadvantaged regions.
Pilot programs have already been conducted in northern mountainous areas, the Central Highlands, central Vietnam and southern provinces.
"We are following the roadmap as planned," Chuong said.
The press conference concluded at 4:15 p.m. on June 12.
According to the ministry's schedule, results of the 2026 national high school graduation examination will be released at 8 a.m. on July 1. Graduation certification must be completed no later than July 3.
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