The recruiting process for Government jobs in Ha Noi was law-abiding and fair, the Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Tran Anh Tuan, maintained on Thursday.

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Tran Anh Tuan.

He was responding to arguments about recent examinations at which about half of 63 applicants failed entrance tests held by the city's state agencies.

However, Tuan agreed that the candidates held masters degrees from overseas or were top graduates from domestic universities.

Tran Huy Sang, director of Ha Noi Department of Home Affairs also claimed that the recruitment process was transparent and fair.

Sang said the content of five tests and an interview included general knowledge of public services and State management, application of expert knowledge and skills, presentation skills and word processing skills.

Three out of five tests were conducted online, and cameras were set up in examination rooms to prevent cheating. The department plans to recruit 560 officers this year.

Deputy minster Tuan said it was wrong to assume that those graduating from foreign universities were all good.

He said applicants should apply for positions suitable to their studies and skills.

Meanwhile, Professor Vu Minh Khang, president of Science and Education Council at Ha Noi National University, said it was impossible for authorities to assess the capacity of candidates based on their answers about the regulations on the rights and tasks of civil servants.

Instead, he said tests should focus on professional skills or real situations.

Professor Nguyen Minh Thuyet, former chairman of the NA Committee on Culture, Education, Youth and Children, said officials should consider if tests were suitable for the advertised positions.

For example, some people applied for teaching positions but had to take administration-related tests, he said.

Candidates should study the positions they apply for to make sure their knowledge and experience were suitable, he said.

Nguyen Dinh Hoa, deputy director of the Home Affairs Department, said if candidates thought that their results were wrong, the department was willing to check them again.

According to some candidates, the contents of the recent tests and interview were unsuitable for the positions they were seeking.

Vu Phuong Dung, 26, who has a Masters degree in Public Policy from an Australian university, decided not to apply this time.

Following her failed application for a State agency three years ago, she said: "There were no grade scales for the interview, including knowledge about the history of the agency, State system and other social developments." She was one of the top candidates for the position, but finished bottom at the interview stage.

Like Dung, many other graduates are reluctant to apply for State agency jobs.

Thuyet said relevant authorities should review their policies to attract talent.

Deputy Minister Tuan said the ministry was boosting the application of information technology to prevent cheating.

The computer system would be automatic to set tests and mark the applicants' performance, he said. 

VNS