Nearly 593,000 candidates sat the second phase of national university entrance exams on July 9.

The first phase of the exams concluded on July 4, while the second phase of the exams finishes on July 10.

The candidates took exams in Group B (Maths, Chemistry, and Biology), Group C (Literature, History, and Geography) and Group D (Literature, Foreign Language, and Maths).

A preliminary report by the Ministry of Education and Training said that 38 candidates had violated exam regulations, including two candidates who turned up late, and others who took mobile phones and study material into the exam halls.

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Bui Van Ga on July 9 conducted random inspections of several exam halls at the Hanoi Medical University.

Exam preparations had been conducted efficiently and successfully, Ga said.

The Hanoi Medical University had one of the highest numbers of applicants in the country, with nearly 9,500 candidates registered at the university.

In Binh Duong province, 150 volunteers provided free bread, meals and drinking water to over 1,000 to candidates at exam halls on July 9 afternoon due to heavy rains, said Le Van Hai, head of the volunteer team.

The exams took place in 839 locations nationwide.-VNA