Literature questions on the last exam have been praised as being ‘open’. People expect to see exam questions of other subjects do the same. However, it remains unclear if geography and history questions are ready to be ‘open’.

Therefore, it would be better to give ‘open’ exam papers which allow students to be creative with their answers.

However, Dung said that the ‘reform’ in compiling exam questions cannot be completed overnight, while it will take time to renovate curriculums, textbooks and testing as well.

As such, a vicious circle is seen: in order to renovate the exam question compilation process, it is necessary to renovate teaching and learning methods. However, if renovating teaching and learning methods is carried out while exam questions are still set in the traditional way, students will not be able to answer the questions.

Dung said that it is necessary to bring a ‘breath of fresh air’ into the learning atmosphere. First of all, it is necessary to renovate teaching methods. Teachers need to provide knowledge with the aid of technical teaching aids which help students understand the knowledge and remember it. Students need to be brought to historical sites, given the opportunity to interview historical witnesses, so that they can well understand the issues.

Students need to be given chances to prepare for lessons, present their knowledge before classes and discuss issues with teachers and friends, while teachers should act as ‘arbitrators’ in scientific debates.

Meanwhile, Le Dinh Cuong, Teacher of Nguyen Tat Thanh High School, has another viewpoint, saying that ‘open’ questions should be on exams now.

He stressed that good exam questions need to be the combination of three forms, ‘open questions’, multiple-choice questions and essay-format questions.

Geography: ‘closed questions’ will be safer

Nguyen Thi Thu Anh, Teacher of Geography at Nguyen Tat Thanh High School in Hanoi, said that it is really difficult to apply the ‘open question’ scheme for the subject because of characteristics of the subject.

Thu Anh cited a question as an example: “What do you think about the forest development tendency in recent years?” Some students would say the forest is disappearing gradually, while others would say the forest area is increasing. If considering the forest area, one would see that it is true that the forest area is increasing, but if considering the reports on mass media, students would see that forests have been heavily devastated.

Do Ngoc Tien, Deputy Headmaster of Alfred Nobel, affirmed that it is impossible to set open questions in geography like in literature, because geography is a science that requires accuracy: 2 multiplied by 2 must make four.

Vu Thi Tho, a geography teacher of Phu Ly High School, said that interesting exam questions are not necessarily open questions.

Besides, Tho said that open questions will put difficulties on students in remote areas who do not have good conditions to access information like students in urban areas.

Luu Van-Thu Thuy