A gap of over 2 points between transcript and graduation exam: Is it due to lenient grading or difficult test?
- 23 thg 7, 2025
- 4 phút đọc
Đã cập nhật: 24 thg 7, 2025
Academic Transcript Scores Are Higher Than Graduation Exam Results in All SubjectsIndustrial Technology shows the biggest gap of 2.26 points; Math follows closely with a 2.25-point difference; English is 1.57 points...
All 12 Subjects Show Score Discrepancies, with Math Among the Highest
The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has released a comparison chart between high school graduation exam results and high school academic transcript scores (only considering students who took the exam). In all 12 subjects, the average transcript scores were higher than the graduation exam scores, with the discrepancies ranging from 0.12 to 2.26 points.
Among these, Industrial Technology recorded the largest difference — 2.26 points — with the average high school transcript score at 8.05, while the average graduation exam score was only 5.79.
Math ranked second in terms of disparity, with an average transcript score of 7.03 compared to just 4.78 in the graduation exam — a gap of 2.25 points.
English saw a gap of 1.57 points (6.95 vs. 5.38); Biology had a 1.83-point difference (7.61 vs. 5.78).
Other subjects also recorded notable discrepancies, such as Informatics (1.2 points), Chemistry (1.31 points), and History (1.17 points). Literature had the smallest gap — only 0.12 points.
Discrepancies between transcript scores and graduation exam results are not new. Under the 2006 curriculum, some years saw gaps of up to 3 points. However, this year marks the first graduation exam under the 2018 General Education Program, and significant gaps appeared in certain subjects such as Math, English, and Technology. Additionally, the data shows that Grade 12 transcript scores tend to be higher than those in Grades 10 and 11.
Inconsistent Assessment Between Classroom Learning and Exam Results
Mr. Tuấn Anh, a Math teacher at Thu Duc High School (HCMC), believes the gap between transcript scores and graduation exam results — particularly in Math — stems from several causes:
First, this year's Math graduation exam had a new format, eliminating the element of luck and deducting points for incorrect answers in true/false sections.
Second, the exam was more difficult due to applied questions. Students couldn't rely on rote memorization or just applying formulas; they had to understand the math and know how to solve real-world related problems. The wordy questions also required patience and good reading comprehension.
Third, the assessment within schools and through exams was not synchronized since this is the first year under the new program. Once teachers better understand the official exam requirements and have more teaching materials, assessments will become more aligned, and students will adapt better.
Fourth, the exam was likely designed to classify students for university admissions rather than solely for graduation, so a higher level of disparity is acceptable.
As for why Grade 12 transcript scores are typically higher than those of Grades 10 and 11 — even though academic difficulty increases — Mr. Tuấn Anh believes it's due to students entering Grade 10 feeling relaxed after the entrance exam, lacking academic focus. In Grade 11, they remain laid-back. Only in Grade 12 do they start focusing on getting good grades and acquiring knowledge for the exam. However, he also suggests another reason: teachers tend to assess Grade 12 students, especially in the final term, more leniently to reduce pressure.
Another teacher said that the significantly lower graduation exam scores in subjects like Math and English compared to transcript scores show that the exam successfully fulfilled its dual purpose: assessing graduation eligibility and serving as a basis for university admissions. Additionally, graduation exam questions are different from classroom tests. Besides evaluating student competence upon completing high school, the exam also must meet the classification needs of universities — so score discrepancies are to be expected.
Why Universities Are Turning Away from Transcript-Based Admissions
Mr. Đỗ Văn Dũng, former Rector of Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education, noted that the gap between academic transcript and graduation exam scores is not a new issue. He believes the main reason is that high school teachers often “go easy” on students. In some cases, schools even maintain two sets of records: one showing actual performance for students' own awareness, and one inflated by 2-3 points in the official transcript to help with university admissions.
Mr. Dũng believes this is why the quality of transcript-based admissions has declined in recent years, prompting many universities to reduce or eliminate quotas for this method. Moreover, universities have observed that students admitted via transcript scores often underperform compared to those admitted through exam scores. This performance gap makes teaching challenging — if exams are too hard for students admitted through transcripts, they're unsuitable for higher-level students. After 1-2 years, many drop out, affecting the school’s revenue. Therefore, for universities that prioritize academic quality, transcript-based admissions are no longer suitable.
"According to the 2025 data released by MOET, the average 3-year high school transcript score is 7.12, while the average exam score is 7.0 — a mere 0.12-point gap. However, subjects like Industrial Technology (2.26 points) and Math (2.25 points) show much larger gaps, highlighting issues of superficial assessment," Mr. Dũng stated.
The former rector emphasized that in the context of increasing focus on teacher education, this score disparity is especially concerning. It may lead to substandard student admissions, which could have long-term impacts on the future teaching workforce and the broader general education system.
To address the issue, he recommended that the Ministry of Education and Training enhance supervision and standardize transcript assessment criteria across schools. He also advised universities to adopt diverse admission methods — such as competency tests, interviews, or transcript evaluations combined with percentile rankings (as used this year) — to ensure fairness and improve admission quality.
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