Many 12th grade students said that the reason they chose the Social Science exam for the 2024 High School Graduation Exam was because they had early admission results by considering their transcripts to universities, so they chose a light combination exam to complete the high school graduation requirements. The Social Science exam is considered by many students to be "easier" than the Natural Science exam, a safe solution to avoid failing.
Teachers of high schools also explained that many candidates choose the Social Science exam because they believe that the components of this exam are close to life, allowing them to reason about situations and guess the answers. For students who are not yet solid in Natural Science subjects, choosing this exam not only achieves the goal of graduation but also helps them have more time to invest in compulsory high school exam subjects (both for high school graduation and for university admission such as Math, Literature, Foreign Language).
Mr. Huynh Thanh Phu - Principal of Bui Thi Xuan High School (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) said that choosing the Social Science exam often falls on high schools in remote, disadvantaged, suburban areas. In top high schools, students tend to choose the Natural Science exam. For example, with nearly 700 grade 12 students, Bui Thi Xuan High School recorded that more than 80% of students chose the Natural Science exam.
“Compared to other localities, most students in Ho Chi Minh City choose the exam in the field of Natural Sciences because they are inclined towards technology, engineering, economics, etc. These schools and professions have many combinations of subjects for admission which are subjects in the Natural Sciences exam, so this choice will help students have a wider door to university,” Mr. Phu informed.
The rate of candidates choosing the Social Science exam tends to overwhelm the Natural Science exam, making many grade 12 students worry about their path to university, especially in the Social Science group. According to the forecast of many teachers, the admission score for the Social Science group will be higher than last year, with a high competition rate.
However, according to university admissions experts, the increase in the number of candidates choosing the Social Science exam does not have much impact on university admissions or the level of competition. Master Pham Thai Son - Director of the Admissions Center, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade, gave 3 reasons.
Firstly, the enrollment quota at universities this year has increased. For example, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade increased its quota from 6,300 to 7,000.
Second, universities now offer many admission methods, in which a large proportion of them use methods of considering high school transcripts and assessing abilities. Therefore, the level of competition when using these admission combinations (usually in the method of considering high school graduation exam scores) is "saturated"...
Third, the combination most used by universities for university admissions today is A00 (Math, Physics, Chemistry); A01 (Math, Physics, English); B00 (Math, Chemistry, Biology); D01 (Literature, Math, English). Subjects in the Social Sciences exam including History, Geography, Civic Education rarely appear (except for a few schools recruiting Social Sciences and Humanities majors).
“Candidates with average or above average academic performance often register for the high school graduation exam with the Social Science exam more often because they know their academic ability. At the same time, they also rarely choose to enter top universities but often choose schools with average admission scores or choose to study at colleges, vocational schools, etc. Therefore, the possibility of fierce competition for university entrance due to candidates choosing the Social Science exam is not significant,” Master Son analyzed.
Dr. Nguyen Trung Nhan - Head of Training Department, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry also gave a similar opinion when he said that the rate of 63% of candidates registering for the Social Science exam does not make the competition for university admission become fierce. On the contrary, for candidates choosing the admission combination of the Natural Science exam, the "competition" rate is not necessarily "easier".
Dr. Nhan cited statistics from the Ministry of Education and Training on the fields that have recruited the most university students in recent years and said that the Engineering sector has a decreasing trend. In addition, the fields in the Natural Sciences, Life Sciences, Mathematics and Statistics, Environment, etc. (mainly using the admission combination in the Natural Sciences exam) are also among the fields that recruit the most "choosy" candidates.
Meanwhile, the hottest field, chosen by most candidates today is Business and Management, which often uses a combination of subjects including Math, Literature, English, etc. "Therefore, candidates can rest assured with their choice of exam in university admission. The important thing now is that students prepare for the exam to achieve good results in the High School Graduation Exam and at the same time have a plan to choose the best school and major," Dr. Nhan advised candidates.
Education and Times Newspaper:Social Science Exam Selection Rate Overwhelming: Fair Play
