National High School Exam 2018: Ministry of Education and Training "caught" the trick of cheating on exam time of candidates

The preservation of national high school exam papers is of special concern to the Ministry of Education and Training. Photo: Hai Nguyen.

Candidates "whisper" about cheating on the combined exam

From 2018 to 2020, the national high school exam will remain stable as in 2017, still applying the combined exam.are Natural Sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Biology) and Social Sciences (a combination of History, Geography, Civic Education).

In this test, candidates take the component tests on the same multiple-choice answer sheet. The test invigilator will collect the multiple-choice answer sheet only after the time for the last component test of the combined test has expired.

In the 2017 national high school exam, there was a situation where candidates cheated on the test time in this subject.

According to the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training, each subject in the combined exam has a test time of 50 minutes, but the waiting time to prepare for the next exam after the previous exam ends is 20 minutes. Many candidates have come up with a "trick" to make full use of this waiting time to do the test.

Specifically, candidates tell each other to "cheat" test time by copying the exam questions in advance anywhere possible, such as the exam card, pencil box or desk.

Then, during the 20 minutes waiting for the test to be distributed to do the next subject, candidates continue to think and find answers. When it is time to do the next subject, candidates will fill in the answers of the previous subjects on the multiple choice answer sheet.

The current exam regulations do not specify this in detail. With only one week left until the 2018 National High School Exam, public opinion is concerned that if candidates continue to circumvent the regulations and cheat in this way this year, it will be unfair to each candidate.

Resolutely prevent

Sharing with reporters, Mr. Nam Nhat Minh - Deputy Head of the Examination and Admissions Management Department (Ministry of Education and Training) admitted that it is true that during the 2017 exam season, there was information reflecting this situation.

To prevent and ensure that the 2018 national high school exam will take place fairly and seriously, the Ministry of Education and Training has proposed many solutions.

Mr. Nam Nhat Minh - Deputy Head of Examination and Admission Management Department. Photo: Hieu Nguyen

First, the time interval between the component subjects in the combined exam will be shortened to 10 minutes instead of 20 minutes like last year. This has been thoroughly disseminated to the exam supervisors.

Second, the multiple choice answer sheetwill be sealed in envelopes before being brought to the examination room and ensure that each candidate has only one multiple choice answer sheet.

Candidates need to be especially careful when filling in the exam code and exam entry code to avoid mistakes. In case the answer sheet is torn, it must be reported to the exam supervisor so that a spare sheet can be exchanged according to regulations, but there must be a record of returning the old sheet.

Another new point to prevent "cheating" on test time is that at the end of each component test in the combined test, the invigilator will collect the scratch paper, test questions, and all items that candidates can take notes on related to the test questions of the previous component test.

The Ministry of Education and Training has also thoroughly instructed and requested supervisors to strictly monitor. If any candidate is found doing this (showing signs of copying exam questions on the table or any other object), they must remind, request to delete or immediately collect those objects, to ensure the exam is fair and objective for all candidates.