Ha Giang province’s exam cheating scandal revealed

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has ordered the Ministry of Public Security to open an investigation into the recent high school exam scandal in northern mountainous Ha Giang province.
Ha Giang province’s exam cheating scandal revealed ảnh 1Students discuss over the last test (Photo: VNA)
Ha Giang (VNS/VNA) – Prime Minister NguyenXuan Phuc has ordered the Ministry of Public Security to open an investigationinto the recent high school exam scandal in the northern mountainous province of Ha Giang.

So far, Vu Trong Luong, Deputy Chief of theExamination and Quality Management Division under the provincial Department ofEducation and Training, has been arraigned for his part in the scandal.

The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET)reported the shocking news at a press conference on July 17, while alsoconfirming more than 300 test results of 114 students would be adjusted.

Following the abnormally high test results inthe province, on July 14, an inspection team led by Mai Van Trinh, head of theAuthority of Examination and Quality Management under MoET, started re-gradingall students’ answer sheets.

The inspection revealed that, bar the literaturetest, all eight others which were taken as multiple-choice test showed signs ofcheating.  

A total of 102 maths test results were adjusted,as were 85 in physics, 56 in chemistry, 52 in English, eight in biology, eightin history and three in geography and 52 in English.

Several students ended up with results more than20 marks higher than they should have received. Some even ended up 29.95 marksbetter off.

Nguyen Cao Khuong from the Ministry of PublicSecurity said Luong was mainly responsible for scanning answer sheets into acomputer then sending the database of results to the MoET.

He then took advantage of his position todownload the database of tests to his personal computer.

According to the inspection team, from 12pm to2.38pm on June 27, Luong was in charge of transferring two boxes of multiplechoice answer sheets and a computer to the provincial Department of Education andTraining. In only two hours, he broke the seal, pulled answer sheets out andaltered answers.

Till now, no other individual has been found tobe Luong’s accomplice. However, it seems impossible he could have altered allthe answer sheets in the period as it took the inspection team of 10 peopleeight hours to do the same thing. “We are conducting further investigations,”said Khuong.

He added that the database of the 2017 nationalhigh school examination results was still on Luong’s computer, which hevoluntarily handed to law enforcement.

Tran Duc Quy, Vice Chairman of the provincial HaGiang People’s Committee, said they were unable to ensure the examination’ssecurity.

“There are things we cannot control despite ourefforts to tighten management. Our limited capacity created loopholes for thefraud to happen,” he said.

“However, we tried to re-grade and announce thereal test results for examinees. Ha Giang province’s education sector, however,has learnt a salutary lesson,” he added.

Vu Van Su, Director of the provincial Departmentof Education and Training, said that they would take responsibility for theincident.

“We worked all night to reach the finalconclusion and reveal the real result in the effort to regain the belief of HaGiang’s people,” he said.

The national high school examination has beenheld for four years. The result is used to determine if a student graduatesfrom high school and gets into their dream university or not.

Since 2017, the multi-choice form has been appliedto all tests except for literature. In 2018, MoET tightened the exam’s securityby stamping bags of answer sheets with signatures of supervisors anduniversities’ representatives.

“What happened in Ha Giang province was terriblebut it does not mean we need to change the examination which is approved of bya lot of people. In the years to come, the ministry will come up with solutionsto improve it,” said Trinh.

The last examination was taken by 5,400 Ha Giangstudents. In the top 11 students nationwide with highest scores, the provincecontributed three. Regarding the physics test, 65 students scored nine orhigher, accounting for 67 percent. The abnormal result triggered social uproar.-VNS/VNA 
VNA

See more

Brocade weaving is a cultural lifeblood for the Khmer community in the Bay Nui (seven-mountain) area of An Giang. (Photo: VNA)

Khmer brocade weaving helps drive heritage-based economic development

Nestled at the foot of the majestic That Son mountain range, Van Giao - the brocade weaving village of Khmer people in An Cu commune, An Giang province - is not only a repository of centuries-old cultural heritage but is also emerging as a model for heritage-based economic development.

People and vehicles travel across the Lo river pontoon bridge on the morning of February 16. (Photo: VNA)

PM commends units for constructing pontoon bridge to serve Tet travel demand

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on February 16 sent a letter commending the determination and strong sense of responsibility of agencies and units in urgently building a pontoon bridge across the Lo river in Phu Tho province to promptly serve people’s travel demand during the Lunar New Year (Tet) 2026.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visits and extends Lunar New Year greetings to a patient undergoing treatment at Bach Mai Hospital. (Photo: VNA)

PM extends best wishes to doctors, patients on Tet occasion

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited and extended Tet greetings to medical staff and patients at Bach Mai Hospital and Viet Duc University Hospital in Hanoi while inspecting healthcare services during the holiday at these two leading central hospitals on February 16, or the last day of the Year of the Snake.

The Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam heritage site in Hanoi remains a major attraction for large numbers of visitors during the early days of spring. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi offers free parking, public transport during Lunar New Year

During Tet, Hanoi offers free parking at selected schools and locations surrounding central heritage sites. In addition, single-journey fares are waived on the Cat Linh–Ha Dong and Nhon–Hanoi Station metro lines, while subsidised public bus services across the city are operating free of charge during the holiday period.

President Luong Cuong, his spouse, delegates and artists at the special Spring Homeland Art Programme 2026. (Photo: VNA)

Five major shifts chart overseas Vietnamese affairs in 2026 and beyond

In a world marked by intensifying strategic competition, emerging conflicts and intertwined economic, security and social challenges, nearly 6.5 million Vietnamese living in over 130 countries and territories have continued to look to the homeland as a firm spiritual anchor. The homeland remains a source of confidence, connection and aspiration for Vietnamese abroad.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Cuba Le Quang Long (right) symbolically hands over 250 tonnes of rice to Cuban Deputy Minister of Agriculture Telce Abdel González (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam supports Cuba in ensuring food security

Cuban Deputy Minister of Agriculture Telce Abdel González affirmed that Cuba will create all favourable conditions for AgriVMA’s rice production project in Los Palacios district, Pinar del Río province, with a view to expanding the model to other localities across the country.

The Binh Phuoc provincial Intelligent Operations Center (IOC), operational since September 2020, has played an important role in supporting the development of digital government. (Photo: VNA)

Breakthroughs under Resolution 57 drive local development

Following the Politburo’s Resolution No. 57-NQ/TW on advancing science, technology, innovation and national digital transformation, many localities across Vietnam are translating strategic guidelines into concrete action, laying the foundation for a new development model based on knowledge, technology and modern governance.