Forty-four students who took the national high school examination last year in the northern province of Son La had their scores fraudulently modified upwards, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) announced on Saturday following an investigation into a cheating scandal that has caused public outcry.

The office of Sơn La Province’s Department of Education and Training. — baogiaothong.vn

MOET and the police launched an investigation into the scandal after abnormally high test results were reported for students from provinces including Sơn La, Hà Giang and Hoà Bình.

In 2015, the high school graduation and university entrance exams were combined and used for admissions to universities/colleges across the country.

Candidates take three compulsory tests in maths, literature and a foreign language and choose to take one of two optional tests – natural sciences (including physics, chemistry and biology) or social sciences (history, geography and citizenship). All the tests are multiple-choice except for the literature exam. 

During last year’s exams, local departments of education and training were assigned to rate and oversee the rating process of all tests.

It is alleged that dozens of education officials in the three provinces took advantage of this to manipulate students’ results.

According to MOET’s announcement on Saturday, among the modified scores in Sơn La Province, one result had been bumped up by nearly 30 per cent.

All the modified test results will be dismissed.

MOET has asked the provincial Department of Education and Training to enter the new test results into its exam management system and notify universities and colleges where students with fraudulent scores had enrolled.

On March 12, MOET revealed that 56 students in Hoà Bình had also had their scores modified upwards.  

This year, MOET has assigned universities and colleges to rate and oversee the rating process of multiple-choice tests, while local education departments will be in charge in rating literature tests under the supervision of universities and colleges. — VNS