Vietnam's education ministry has defended its decision to order a full retest for 328 students in Tuyen Quang while taking a different approach in Quang Tri, saying the two exam cheating cases are fundamentally different.
Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has ordered all 328 candidates who sat the 2026 national high school graduation examination at the Tuyen Quang High School for the Gifted testing center to retake every subject after investigators concluded that serious violations compromised the integrity of the entire examination council.
The ministry also defended its decision not to apply the same solution in a separate cheating case in Quang Tri Province, saying the two incidents differed fundamentally in both scale and nature.
The retest for candidates in Tuyen Quang is scheduled for August 14–15, with results due to be released on August 19.
Systemic violations led to a full retest
Vietnam's Ministry of Education and Training holds a press conference on August 5. Photo: Thach Thao.
At a press conference on August 5, Huynh Van Chuong, Director General of MOET's Department of Quality Management, said the ministry's analysis of examination data and subsequent complaints revealed unusually high mathematics scores at the Tuyen Quang testing site.
Authorities have since launched a criminal investigation, with 29 suspects charged in connection with the case.
According to Chuong, preliminary findings indicate that the violations were committed by the entire examination council, rather than involving only a small number of individual candidates.
The National Steering Committee for the High School Graduation Examination therefore recommended canceling all examination results from the testing center, where candidates sat the exam on June 11–12.
MOET said statistical reviews also found that scores across all examination subjects - not only mathematics -were significantly higher than provincial averages.
Investigators have confirmed that some students admitted exchanging answers during the examination.
However, education authorities concluded that the integrity of the entire testing process had been compromised.
For that reason, all 328 candidates must retake every subject.
The ministry emphasized that the decision is intended to restore fairness and accurately measure students' academic abilities rather than serve as a disciplinary sanction against the candidates themselves.
University admissions placed on hold
Pending the retest, the affected students will temporarily be excluded from Vietnam's centralized university admissions process.
According to Nguyen Tien Thao, Director General of MOET's Higher Education Department, the ministry has changed the candidates' admissions status to "not yet eligible for centralized admissions processing" between August 4 and August 10.
Their applications remain valid.
Once the new examination results are available, candidates will be considered according to their updated scores and their previously registered university preferences.
MOET said this separate admissions process will not affect other university applicants.
Deputy Minister Pham Ngoc Thuong acknowledged that several students had admitted wrongdoing during the investigation but stressed that responsibility could not be assigned solely to individual candidates.
"The unusually high scores were the result of serious violations committed by the examination council," he said. Thuong recognized that retaking the examination would place considerable psychological pressure on students but described it as the most appropriate solution available.
The ministry has also asked authorities in Tuyen Quang Province to provide counseling and psychological support while protecting the identities and legal rights of the affected candidates.
Why Quang Tri is being handled differently
Deputy Minister Pham Ngoc Thuong speaks during the press conference. Photo: Thach Thao.
Officials were repeatedly asked why students in Tuyen Quang are being required to retake the examination while candidates involved in a separate cheating case in Quang Tri Province are not.
Huynh Van Chuong said the difference reflects the fundamentally different nature of the two investigations.
In Quang Tri, investigators were able to clearly identify the specific candidates who violated examination regulations and determine each individual's level of responsibility.
Authorities found sufficient evidence that six candidates at the Le Truc High School testing center had violated examination rules.
As a result, the provincial examination council canceled the examination results of five candidates, including the son of the school's principal, and formally notified the affected students and their families.
The case involving the sixth candidate has been referred to MOET for further guidance on disciplinary measures.
Meanwhile, police continue investigating teachers and examination officials suspected of involvement. Administrative and disciplinary action will be taken after the criminal investigation is completed.
By contrast, Chuong said preliminary findings in Tuyen Quang showed that misconduct involved the entire examination council rather than isolated individuals.
Because the integrity of the whole testing center had been compromised, MOET concluded that a complete retest was necessary to ensure fairness for every candidate.
He added that investigators will continue determining the responsibilities of individual officials and participants separately under criminal law.
Transparent publication of retest results
MOET said the Tuyen Quang retest will follow standard examination procedures and comply fully with existing regulations.
The ministry also confirmed that it will publish both examination scores and score distributions for the retest, just as it did after the original examination, to ensure transparency and allow public scrutiny.
Deputy Minister Pham Ngoc Thuong described the Tuyen Quang case as "particularly serious," saying it had undermined public confidence in Vietnam's national high school graduation examination.
He stressed that requiring students to retake the examination is intended to remedy the consequences of an examination center whose results can no longer be considered objective.
The retest, he said, does not replace legal accountability for those responsible.
Investigations into the alleged cheating network will continue independently, with authorities pursuing criminal and disciplinary action against individuals found to have violated the law.
Vietnamnet.vn
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