Candidates arrive for exams at Nguyễn Gia Thiều High School, Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photos

HÀ NỘI — More than 1.2 million students across the country on Thursday began the 2026 national high-school graduation exams with Literature, the only essay paper, lasting 120 minutes.

In its second year under the 2018 general-education curriculum, the exam requires Math and Literature plus two electives. Four subjects are needed to graduate. For university admissions, candidates may add required subjects but cannot register more than two electives.

The Ministry of Education and Training said over 1.22 million students registered, a recordm, up 61,642 from 2025 and about 156,000 from 2024. Nearly 2,500 test sites and close to 50,000 rooms were arranged nationwide. 

Youth volunteers assist candidates’at Ngô Sĩ Liên Secondary School test site in Cửa Nam Ward, Hà Nội.

On Wednesday, more than 1.2 million candidates completed check-in, nearly 15,000 did not. Students can arrive early on Thursday to finalise procedures.

By registrations, History is the most-chosen elective with 570,800, followed by Geography (448,725), Physics (389,630) and Foreign Languages (347,455). Industrial Technology drew the fewest, with 7,402.

The format is largely unchanged. Following administrative mergers and a move to two-tier local government, exam councils are larger and cover wider areas, with no district-level steering committees. Local authorities set up steering bodies at commune, cluster or intermediate levels to ease coordination and prepared early to ensure a safe, rule-compliant exam.

Candidates begin the exam with Literature, the first paper, on Thursday morning.

Security is a priority, notably against high-tech cheating and leaks. 

In 2025, three candidates were prosecuted for leaking questions via mobile phones and seeking AI help. 

The education ministry, working with the Ministry of Public Security, has trained exam staff on countermeasures and reiterated that papers are top-secret state documents carrying criminal penalties if leaked.

Marking will be closely supervised to ensure fairness, especially for Literature. 

Candidates sit Math, a 90-minute multiple-choice paper, on Thursday afternoon. — VNS

Police and youth volunteers assist at Ngô Sĩ Liên Secondary School test site, Cửa Nam Ward, Hà Nội.