New regulations on joint organization of foreign language proficiency certification exams

Circular 16/2025/TT-BGDDT has some notable new points such as clarifying the concept of legal and popular foreign language proficiency certificates in the world; specifying the policy of promoting decentralization and delegation; clarifying responsibilities in organizing exams to issue foreign language proficiency certificates.

Concretize the policy of promoting decentralization and delegation

Specifically, Circular No. 16/2025/TT-BGDDT emphasizes the requirement for the People's Committees of provinces and cities to manage the activities of organizing foreign language proficiency certification exams in the locality according to the Government's regulations; publicly announce and update on the electronic information page the list of approved units, adjusted, extended, and terminated the organization of foreign language proficiency certification exams in the locality.

The new Circular also amends and supplements a number of other provisions to specify the responsibilities of state management agencies, strengthen the responsibilities of parties involved in foreign language proficiency certification examinations, and specify the responsibilities of the parties involved (in publicity, transparency, accountability to society, handling of questions, ensuring the rights of test takers, etc.) in the process of implementing the association, organizing exams, and granting certificates as a basis for state management agencies to conduct post-inspection.

Clearly define responsibilities in organizing foreign language proficiency certification exams

According to the newly issued Circular, the Vietnamese side is the joint testing organization - the testing facility in Vietnam - that has an agreement or cooperation contract with a foreign language proficiency assessment facility that is primarily responsible for organizing foreign language proficiency certification exams in Vietnam.

The foreign party is the foreign language proficiency certificate-issuing unit - the foreign language proficiency assessment facility responsible for and authorized to issue foreign language proficiency certificates or the foreign language proficiency assessment facility authorized or permitted by the foreign language proficiency certificate-issuing unit to organize exams and issue certificates.

Clarifying the concept of legal and popular foreign language proficiency certificates in the world

In addition, Circular No. 16/2025/TT-BGDDT also stipulates that foreign language proficiency certificates are legally recognized in the host country when the competent authority of that country permits the organization of the certificate examination; or are used to review immigration applications, naturalization, and grant entry visas to citizens of countries who want to settle, work, research, study, and recognize the achievement of input and output standards in training programs for international students in countries using the language used for the certificate examination as the official language.

Also according to the provisions of the above Circular, the approval of joint organization of foreign language proficiency certificates does not include the recognition of the levels of those foreign language proficiency certificates as equivalent to the levels of the 6-level Foreign Language Proficiency Framework for use in Vietnam in the national education system.

With the above new points, Circular No. 16/2025/TT-BGDDT is a step to complete the legal framework, increase transparency, clearly decentralize powers and protect the rights of test takers in the activities of joint organization of foreign language proficiency certification exams./.