Ho Chi Minh City 12th grade excellent student exam: why are there few first prizes in the second round?

Candidates participating in the 2nd round of the 12th grade excellent student exam in Ho Chi Minh City for the 2023-2024 school year - Photo: NHU HUNG

The 12th grade excellent student exam in Ho Chi Minh City for the 2023-2024 school year was held in two rounds. However, very few students in the second round won first prize, causing mixed opinions when the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training announced the results.

First prize is mainly for specialized students.

Speaking to Tuoi Tre Online , an official from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training said that in the 2023-2024 school year, Ho Chi Minh City will have 1,958 students winning city-level excellent student awards (115 first prizes, 404 second prizes, 1,439 third prizes). Of which, 647 students in specialized classes won prizes. The percentage of students awarded prizes in the first round was 33% (out of a total of 1,958 students winning prizes) and in the second round was 67%.

In the 2022-2023 school year, 1,975 students won prizes (105 first prizes, 722 second prizes, 1,148 third prizes), the number of specialized class students winning prizes was 581.

The above official also admitted that this year, the number of 12th grade students who won first prize were mainly students who took the first round of exams, and in the second round, there were also some students who won first prize, but very few.

The reason is that this year, the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City has a regulation that students selected for the national excellent student competition will be recognized as winning first prize in the city-level excellent student competition.

In previous years, each subject in Ho Chi Minh City had a maximum of 10 students participating in the national excellent student competition. This year, each subject has a maximum of 20 students participating (however, in some subjects, the department only selects teams of more than 10 students). Therefore, the number of students recognized as first place in the city is quite large.

The second reason is that the city's first prize winners must achieve 18-20 points out of a total of 20 points. This makes it difficult for many high school students to achieve, especially in literature.

Disadvantages for regular school students?

Regarding the opinion that the number of 12th graders who won first prize were mainly students studying in specialized classes, causing disadvantages for students studying in regular classes, an official from the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City analyzed:

"The exam questions of the first round are higher, more difficult and much more difficult than the second round. The first round is the exam to select the team to compete in the national excellent student competition, candidates have to take the exam for 2 consecutive days with 2 very difficult exams. The majority of candidates taking the first round are students from specialized schools and specialized classes. However, students from regular high schools can still participate.

In fact, this year, Ho Chi Minh City still has a number of students from regular high schools selected for the national excellent student competition team and recognized as winning first prize in the city-level excellent student competition.

In short, if they are afraid of being disadvantaged, high school students can usually register to take the exam in the first round (usually held in September every year), instead of waiting until the second round (usually held in March of the following year).

It is known that this year, the Department of Education and Training of Ho Chi Minh City has improved the city-level excellent student exam. The purpose is to create fairness as well as encourage the movement of fostering excellent students in normal high schools.

Specifically, the exam will be divided into 2 phases: Phase 1 is called the exam to select the team to compete in the national excellent student competition. This exam can be participated by students from both specialized and regular schools, including students in grades 10 and 11, not just grade 12.

Students selected to participate in the national excellent student competition will be recognized as winning first prize in the city-level excellent student competition (only 12th grade students will be recognized).

Students who take the exam but are not selected for the national excellent student competition will be considered for second or third prize in the city-level excellent student competition (depending on the score and the percentage of students participating in the competition, the department will consider and select from top to bottom).

The second round is called the city-level excellent student exam. In this exam, specialized students are not allowed to take the exam in their specialized subject. If they want to, they have to take a cross-subject exam. Thus, the candidates participating in this round are mainly students from regular high schools.

Accept comments to make adjustments in next year's excellent student exam

Speaking to Tuoi Tre Online , Mr. Nguyen Bao Quoc, Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Education and Training, affirmed: "This year is the first year the Department has improved the exam, so there are still some factors that have not been achieved as expected. Especially the regulation that the city's first prize must achieve 18 - 20 points/total exam score is 20.

The Department will listen and absorb opinions to make adjustments in next year's excellent student exam."

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thi-hoc-sinh-gioi-lop-12-tp-hcm-tai-sao-dot-2-hiem-giai-nhat-2024040519310723.htm