As of 5 pm on May 3, more than 1.2 million candidates had registered for the national exam, with the deadline set for May 5, according to the Department of Quality Management under the Ministry of Education and Training.

Among them, more than 1.1 million are Grade 12 students, accounting for 95.24% of total registrations, while 57,334 are independent candidates.

One notable trend is the sharp decline in the number of candidates applying for exemption from the foreign language exam. Only just over 8,000 candidates, or 0.67%, registered for exemption, significantly lower than the 47,000 to 67,000 recorded in previous years.

This change is largely attributed to revised regulations by the Ministry of Education and Training, under which foreign languages are no longer a compulsory subject and IELTS scores are no longer converted into automatic top marks as in the past.

In contrast, the number of candidates choosing to take the foreign language exam has increased significantly, with nearly 350,000 registrations. According to Huynh Van Chuong, director of the Department of Quality Management, this trend was expected as many students prefer to take the exam directly to use the results for university admissions.

Online registration continues to dominate, with more than 1.1 million submissions, accounting for 98.57% of total applications, while just over 17,000 candidates, or 1.43%, submitted their applications in person.

Candidates will still be able to review and adjust their registration details and subject choices until the May 5 deadline.

The national high school graduation exam, administered annually by the Ministry of Education and Training, is a key milestone for Grade 12 students across Vietnam. The exam evaluates academic performance after 12 years of schooling, serves as the basis for high school graduation certification and is widely used by universities and colleges for admissions.

Candidates are required to sit four tests, including two compulsory subjects mathematics and literature, along with two elective subjects chosen from disciplines such as physics, chemistry, biology, history, geography, informatics, technology and a foreign language.

The 2026 exam is scheduled to take place on June 11 and 12, with results expected to be released on July 1.

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