According to MoET Deputy Minister Banh Tien Long, this year’s exams were safer and stricter than last year thanks to thorough preparations from the ministry, universities and agencies. He said that before the exams, candidates had received effective assistance from leading experts through exam consultation programmes and from volunteer students.   

“It was the victory of not only the ministry but also relevant agencies and the entire society,” affirmed Mr Long.

This year, 25,000 candidates graduating from the pilot classified programme sat for exams together with more than a million other graders. So the tests were made longer with separated questions for these groups of candidates.

Mr Long added that this year’s tests revealed no mistakes and closely stuck to the upper secondary school curricula.

However, average-level students found it hard to do the tests. Many examinees either handed in blank papers or left exam rooms much earlier than scheduled. For the first time the MoET offered multiple-choice service for foreign language tests, therefore, it paid special attention to examinees’ education levels and test logics.     

This year’s exams saw a fall in the number of disciplined candidates compared to previous years. A total of 1,166 candidates violated exam rules compared to 1,500 last year, 3,000 in 2004 and 4,000 in 2003. According to the MoET, universities and the police strictly dealt with any suspicions in exam areas, rectified illegal exam centres and prevented the publishing and trading of key copies.

Nguyen Sinh Cuc, deputy director of the Press and Propaganda Institute attributed the decrease to the enhanced dissemination programmes of media agencies. Exam violations uncovered by the police were brought to light as a severe warning to candidates.

However, the Hanoi police uncovered a ring that used mobile phones to read key to candidates inside exam rooms. Meanwhile, as many as 34 examiners were disciplined as they violated exam rules.

MoET also acknowledged that the “three-same” model (the same tests, the same phases and the same results) revealed shortcomings. It said the model did not resolve differences between supply and demand, ease tension and wastefulness and ensure the self-reliance of universities as well as requirements of integration. It was a waste of money and time for universities, families and society when up to 30 percent of registered candidates did not sit for exams. The enrolment work was better this year, but it still needs to be further improved by MoET.

Tran Thi Ha, head of the University and Post-University Department under the MoET insisted that the ministry enhance inspection measures to ensure the marking is fair.