Candidates at a test venue in Tuy Hòa City, Phú Yên Province, discuss the test after finishing the exam. — VNA/VNS Photo Xuân Triệu

HÀ NỘI — Hundreds of thousands of high school students across the country yesterday finished the last day of the 2019 national high school examination.

Yesterday morning, they took tests in social sciences including history, geography and society in the form of multiple choice questions.

Many students were smiling as they left the exam halls after finishing their papers.

According to many students, this year's social science exams were not too tricky.

According to statistics from the Ministry of Education and Training, 561,364 students nationwide registered for the social sciences tests, accounting for nearly 53 per cent of the total number of students taking part in the national high school exams.

This figure shows an in the percentage of candidates taking these subjects. In 2017 the rate was 43 per cent and in 2018 it was 48 per cent.

On Wednesday, candidates finished their tests in foreign languages and natural sciences including physics, chemistry and biology.

This year, over 868,000 candidates sat the national high school examination.

Mathematics, literature and a foreign language are compulsory, while they can choose between natural sciences and social sciences.

The examination is a major event in Việt Nam, as its results are used to determine whether a student qualifies for graduation from high school and acts as a placement test for college or university entrance.

According to a quick report compiled by the steering committee for the 2019 national high school exam, the total number of candidates registering for the foreign language test reached 99.59 per cent.

The rate of candidates taking part in natural science tests on Wednesday was about 99.6 per cent.

Eighteen students were suspended for violating exam regulations.

Regarding the announcement of the test answers, Director of the Quality Management Department under the Education and Training Ministry Mai Văn Trinh said this year, the ministry would consider a proper time to release the answers instead of releasing them on the last day of exams as previously in order to ensure fair and accurate exams and to prevent cheating.

The ministry has also upgraded the software it uses to mark multiple choice tests.

Universities were tasked with building regulations and processes to ensure security in the marking processes.

The results are expected to be available before July 11. — VNS