Students register for their high school graduation exams in Thanh Ba District, Phú Thọ Province. VNA/VNS Photo Trung Kiên

HÀ NỘI — More than one million high school students across Việt Nam will sit their high school graduation exams - one of their most important tests - on Wednesday and Thursday.

The results of these tests will be used to determine graduation and university admissions. 

This year’s candidates will take three compulsory independent tests in mathematics, literature, and foreign languages and one of two optional combined tests in natural sciences (physics, chemistry, biology) and social sciences (history, geography, and civic education).

Students completed registration procedures on Tuesday afternoon and will take four tests in the next two days.

On Wednesday, students will sit for Literature in the morning and Math in the afternoon.

On Thursday, tests in natural sciences will take place in the morning and social sciences in the afternoon.

The number of examination sites this year is 2,273 and the number of examination rooms for test takers is a whopping 44,661. A total of 250,000 staff have been mobilised to organise and invigilate the exams. 

According to this year’s regulations, students are allowed to bring stationery to the exam room; as well as a pocket calculator without a text processing function or memory card; and a Vietnam Geography Atlas for the Geography test - so long as it contains no markings.

Items prohibited from being brought into the examination room include carbon paper, eraser pens, alcoholic beverages, weapons, explosives, information transmission and storage devices that can be used for fraud and cheating.

If deliberately brought in, candidates will be suspended from the test, meaning their results will be voided and they will not be recognised for graduation from high school.

The results are scheduled to be announced on July 18. The certificates of results will be sent to students by July 24.

The high school graduation exam is considered the most important event in a student's life time after they complete 12 years in school.

Its results will be used for admission to colleges, which many view as the only way to find professional careers.

The exam has been designed to assess important domains in the high school curriculum and select the highest scorers to fill limited places in colleges.

Similar to several Asian countries like South Korea, China and Japan, the exam takes place once a year and puts great pressure on students and their families. — VNS