Expected 2-year ban on candidates who take foreign language proficiency exams

TPO - The unit organizing the foreign language proficiency test is fully responsible for organizing the test and has a plan to prevent proxy testing and proxy testing. Candidates who proxy test will have their results canceled and be banned from taking the test for 2 years, which is the content stipulated by the Ministry of Education and Training in the Draft Circular regulating the organization of foreign language proficiency tests and Vietnamese proficiency tests.

Báo Tiền Phong•08/10/2025

The draft circular stipulates minimum conditions to ensure the quality of organizing foreign language proficiency tests according to the 6-level foreign language proficiency framework for Vietnam and assessing Vietnamese proficiency for foreigners.

In particular, the Ministry of Education and Training requires the exam organizing unit to take full responsibility for the organization of the exam, related to before, during and after each exam. The exam organizing unit must also ensure safety, objectivity, fairness and seriousness; the exam papers are kept confidential. There is a plan to review and check to prevent and combat substitute exams and exams for others.

The examination organizing unit must provide documents related to the organization of the examination, exam questions, and issuance of certificates; and evidence of the safe, serious, and fraud-free organization of the examination when requested by a competent state agency.

The draft Circular regulating the organization of foreign language proficiency tests and Vietnamese language proficiency tests has just been announced by the Ministry of Education and Training to collect public opinions.

The draft Circular also stipulates the process of building and managing the question bank to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of state management in organizing competency assessment exams. At the same time, it enhances the application of information technology in supporting candidates, providing images of candidates during the exam, helping units to conveniently verify certificates and ensure the authenticity of exam results.

Regarding handling violations, depending on the level of violation of the exam organizing unit, the Ministry of Education and Training will consider stopping or not allowing the exam to be organized until the unit ensures that it meets all the prescribed standards.

Candidates who violate the regulations such as using documents will have their results canceled; those who take the exam for someone else, take the exam on behalf of another candidate, cause disturbances, sabotage the exam, assault the exam organizer or other candidates will have their results canceled, be banned from taking the national foreign language/Vietnamese proficiency exam for 2 years, and be handled according to other provisions of the law.

In other cases, depending on the nature and severity of the violation, the exam organizing unit will consider and decide on the form of handling for the candidate such as reprimand, warning, suspension, or cancellation of exam results.

Violations discovered during or after the exam must be strictly handled. Data from surveillance cameras is one of the official bases for considering handling violations.

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, the draft Circular allows units to cooperate to expand the scale of exam organization, including organizing exams abroad, in line with the trend of international integration. At the same time, it encourages and supports Vietnamese educational institutions to establish branches, open representative offices or implement educational programs abroad.

This regulation also creates conditions for Vietnamese educational institutions to organize Vietnamese language proficiency tests abroad, meeting the needs of global learning and integration.