Multiple-choice exams in Ha Giang are being re-graded due to suspected cheating.
At 0:45 AM on July 17th, Mr. Mai Van Trinh, Director of the Quality Management Department of the Ministry of Education and Training, announced the preliminary results of the verification of irregularities in the national high school graduation exam scores in Ha Giang.
"Upon review, it was confirmed that there were irregularities in the grading process," Mr. Trinh said.
According to Article 31 of the regulations for the national high school graduation exam, the Ministry of Education and Training has established an Examination Review Board. All multiple-choice exam papers for all subjects of all candidates in Ha Giang province have been re-graded by this board.
Mr. Trinh stated that the council members are working diligently and "will probably have to work all night," with a serious attitude, to quickly deliver the most accurate and objective final results for the candidates.
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Director of Quality Management Department (Ministry of Education and Training) Mai Van Trinh. Photo:Duong Tam |
"Through initial investigations, we have identified the individuals responsible for the irregularities in the exam scores in Ha Giang. Authorities are currently investigating the evidence to strengthen the case, and once results are available, they will be handled in accordance with current regulations and laws," said Director Mai Van Trinh.
Previously, Mr. Trinh asserted that the information about "98 candidates in Ha Giang having their scores manipulated" was inaccurate because the review board had not yet completed its work to reach a final conclusion.
On July 11th, the Ministry of Education announced the results of the national high school graduation exam, sparking public suspicion about the unusually high scores in the mountainous border province of Ha Giang. The anomalies were most evident in Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. In Physics alone, Ha Giang had 65 students scoring 9 or higher, accounting for 6.7% of the total number of candidates. In contrast, Ho Chi Minh City, with 49,680 Physics candidates, only had 39 students scoring 9 or higher (0.07%). Ha Giang's percentage of high-scoring students was also 23 times higher than Hanoi's.
Comparing the scores above 27 in the A-block (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry) and A1-block (Mathematics, Physics, Foreign Language) exams between Ha Giang and the rest of the country reveals anomalies. In the A1 block, out of 76 candidates nationwide, Ha Giang accounted for 36. In the A-block, out of 82 candidates nationwide with scores above 27, Ha Giang accounted for nearly one-third. Meanwhile, the score distribution for most subjects in the national high school graduation exam in Ha Giang was low, with the most common score range being 2-4.
On July 12th, following suspicions of unusual exam scores among many candidates in Ha Giang, Deputy Minister Nguyen Huu Do requested the local authorities to review the results and submit a report in writing before July 17th. On July 14th, a working group from the Ministry of Education, led by the Director of the Department of Educational Quality Management, Mai Van Trinh, traveled to Ha Giang to coordinate efforts in clarifying the irregularities.
