Candidates at the 2025 National High School Graduation Examination in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Khánh Hòa

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Education and Training’s system recorded more than 1.22 million candidates nationwide signing up for the 2026 National High School Graduation Examination as of 5pm on Tuesday, the official registration deadline.

Huỳnh Văn Chương, Director General of the Quality Management Department under the ministry, said of these, more than 1,15 million candidates are Year 12 students, accounting for 94.78 per cent, while 63,844 are independent candidates, representing 5.22 per cent.

Statistics also show that 7,952 candidates, equivalent to 0.65 per cent of the total, have been exempted from the foreign language test.

The number of candidates sitting the 2026 examination has risen by more than 50,000 compared with 2025.

Since 2015, when Việt Nam shifted from the “three-common” university entrance examination system (common papers, common exam sessions and shared results) to the national high school graduation examination, now used for both graduation and university admissions, this year’s registration figure is the highest on record.

In previous years, candidate numbers typically ranged from over 800,000 to more than 1.15 million.

According to the department, this year’s figure is “virtually the highest ever recorded”.

The 2026 national high school graduation examination is scheduled to take place on June 11-12.

Local authorities and educational institutions are currently continuing to review data and finalise preparations for the exam. — VNS