The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has issued a new circular that introduces standardized final exams for 5th, 9th and 12th grades. This change will affect how students are assessed, how teachers plan lessons, and how schools report results.

Under the circular, provincial Departments of Education and Training (DOET) are tasked with creating, reviewing and distributing the test papers for selected subjects. The exams must be announced in advance and given at the end of Semester I and the school year for grade 5, and at the end of both semesters for grades 9 and 12.

The new policy ends the previous practice where each school drafted its own test papers and set its own exam dates. Nevertheless, schools remain responsible for supervising the exam, marking the papers and compiling the results to guarantee objectivity, fairness and accountability.

Principals such as Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy of Nguyen Sieu Secondary and High Schools, and Dang Van Hai of Le Viet Thuat High School, say the uniform tests will generate province‑wide data, make assessment more authentic, and help improve teaching methods. They also note that the system should consider regional differences and keep grading guidelines clear, while reducing the workload of preparing separate exams.

In short, the standardized exams will reshape assessment for students, guide teachers toward more genuine learning, and give schools a clearer, fairer way to measure performance. Stakeholders should watch how the new system influences daily classroom practice.