International Journal of

ADVANCED AND APPLIED SCIENCES

EISSN: 2313-3724, Print ISSN: 2313-626X

Frequency: 12

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 Volume 13, Issue 9 (September 2026), Pages: 177-187

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 Original Research Paper

Proposing writing competency assessment standards for upper secondary students in Vietnam

 Author(s): 

Ha Do Thu 1, Hao Thi Nguyen 2, *, Nga Thi Thanh Nguyen 3, Lan Thi Huong Nguyen 4, Van Hong Thi Nguyen 5, Diep Thi Be 6

 Affiliation(s):

1Center for Education Policy Research, The Vietnam National Institute of Education Sciences, Hanoi, Vietnam
2Center for Human Resource Development Research, The Vietnam National Institute of Educational Sciences, Hanoi, Vietnam
3Center for Curriculum Development and Educational Assessment Research, The Vietnam National Institute of Educational Sciences, Hanoi, Vietnam
4Office of Science Management and Training, The Vietnam National Institute of Educational Sciences, Hanoi, Vietnam
5The Vietnam National Institute of Educational Sciences, Hanoi, Vietnam
6National Center for Educational Testing and Quality Assessment, Quality Management Department, Ministry of Education and Training, Hanoi, Vietnam

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 * Corresponding Author. 

   Corresponding author's ORCID profile:  https://orcid.org/0009-0000-3774-0561

 Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

 
https://doi.org/10.21833/ijaas.2026.09.017

 Abstract

This study develops and validates a competency-based assessment standard for argumentative writing in Vietnamese literature at the upper secondary level, aligned with the 2018 General Education Curriculum of Vietnam. The study outlines a clear procedure for constructing the standard, including the identification of required skills, the development of assessment criteria and performance levels, and pilot testing in both rural and urban high schools. The proposed standard consists of four main components and twelve sub-criteria and was applied to a sample of 164 Grade 10 students. The results confirm high reliability and strong structural validity, as indicated by Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.92), exploratory factor analysis, and Rasch modeling. In addition, Guttman scale analysis shows that the standard effectively distinguishes students across different levels of proficiency. The findings indicate that most students achieved or exceeded the basic requirements for core writing skills, while creativity was identified as the most challenging aspect. Overall, the results support the feasibility, reliability, and educational value of the proposed assessment framework, providing a useful tool for teachers to assess and support students’ writing development. Implications for wider application and future research on writing and related language skills are also discussed.

 © 2026 The Authors. Published by IASE.

 This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

 Keywords

Competency-based assessment, Argumentative writing, Vietnamese literature, Secondary education, Writing skills

 Article history

Received 22 August 2025, Received in revised form 10 July 2026, Accepted 29 September 2026

 Acknowledgment

No Acknowledgment. 

 Compliance with ethical standards

 Ethical considerations

The study was conducted in accordance with relevant ethical guidelines. Permission was obtained from the participating schools, and informed consent was secured from participants and their parents or legal guardians, where applicable. Students' confidentiality and anonymity were maintained throughout the study. 

 Conflict of interest: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

 Citation:

Thu HD, Nguyen HT, Nguyen NTT, Nguyen LTH, Nguyen VHT, and Be DT (2026). Proposing writing competency assessment standards for upper secondary students in Vietnam. International Journal of Advanced and Applied Sciences, 13(9): 177-187

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