Vietnam's 2026 High School Graduation Exam Reform: New Curriculum and Computer-Based Testing
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 07, 2026 • Education News & Policy, Study in Southeast Asia
Vietnam's 2026 high school graduation exam was the first under the 2018 General Education Programme, with one common question set nationwide. Computer-based testing starts as a pilot from 2027.
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The 2026 exam used a single common paper based on the 2018 curriculum, replacing the old programme.
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MOET plans a computer-based exam pilot with paper-based exams running in parallel from 2027.
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Full nationwide computer-based rollout depends on each region meeting infrastructure requirements first.
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MOET provides free practice software so students can prepare for the new digital format.
What changed in the 2026 exam
Vietnam's high school graduation exam held in 2026 was the first cohort assessed entirely under the 2018 General Education Programme, the curriculum reform the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has phased in across primary and secondary schools. The exam used one common set of questions nationwide based on this new curriculum, according to Vietnamese education reporting and VOV , which confirmed the exam concluded safely and marked the first year under the new curriculum.
The 2018 programme shifts Vietnam's school curriculum toward competency-based assessment, testing how students apply knowledge rather than testing memorized content alone. Students who sat the 2026 exam were the first group to complete their full upper-secondary education under this programme from start to finish.
The move toward computer-based exams
MOET submitted a proposal to the Prime Minister for a roadmap to introduce computer-based national graduation exams, covering the period from 2026 to 2036, according to Vietnamnet . Under this roadmap, computer-based and paper-based exams run in parallel starting in 2027, rather than replacing paper exams outright.
Computer-based testing will only roll out at exam sites that meet infrastructure and personnel standards, and paper-based exams stay available in parallel during the transition to keep the exam fair across regions with different levels of technology access. MOET plans to use encrypted transmission through secure government channels and disconnected local networks rather than open internet connections at test centers, according to the same reporting.
What this means for students and families
Students in Vietnam's final years of upper-secondary school under the 2018 programme should expect competency-based questions on the graduation exam rather than the older content-recall format.
MOET, together with local education authorities and schools, plans to provide free practice software and sample exams so students can get familiar with the computer-based format ahead of the official rollout.
Students in regions where exam centers do not yet meet the infrastructure standard continue to sit the exam on paper during the transition period, so the shift to computers happens at different speeds across provinces.
Why this matters beyond Vietnam
Vietnamese students planning university admission, including places that use graduation exam results for entry, should track how their province's exam center transitions to computer-based testing, since the format and preparation materials differ from the paper exam. Students weighing overseas study alongside domestic options should note that a competency-based national curriculum brings Vietnam's assessment style closer to the applied, skills-based testing common in destinations like Singapore, Australia, and the UK.