The new national high school examination this year was a failure, forcing students to gamble on their futures, a veteran educator said.

Van Nhu Cuong, an associate professor and chairman of the Luong The Vinh School’s board of directors, said the new national high school examination was supposed to save students' time, effort and expense, it failed to do so.

Associate Professor Van Nhu Cuong

Under the new plan, the Ministry of Education and Training organised a rollout of the examination over four days, from July 1 to 4. This year, students took only one national exam instead of separate high school graduation and university entrance exams.

The results will be a consideration in both high school graduation and university admissions.

Students were tested in four subjects, three of them compulsory - mathematics, literature and a foreign language. The fourth was an optional subject, chosen by students from physics, chemistry, biology, history and geography.

The students are allowed to take extra tests in other subjects for better chances of getting admission to the university or college of their choice. But Cuong said, "The process doesn’t have any strong points."

Students nervously applying for universities

Students are not provided with a clear direction on pursuing their favourite course of studying but forced "gamble" on their academic strength.

Students are allowed to apply for three majors in three universities for the first application and 12 majors in three universities for their second.

Universities must update the list of applicants every three days and students can withdraw or resubmit applications for another within 20 days if they find they fail in their first applications.

“Students are joining in a race in which they do not know where to go,” Cuong said

Universities are confused by the new regulations and rely on student school records as a reference for their enrollment.

“The national high school exam was expected to save expenses for students’ families but in fact it has become more costly and stressful. Instead of applying for their favourite major, they are trying to be admitted to any university,” he said.

Cuong said, "If such exams are continued to be organized in the next years, it would mean a ruinous failure for Vietnam’s education."