Efforts to secure exam papers and prevent cheating.

Hanoi has nearly 109,000 candidates taking the 2024 High School Graduation Examination, accounting for 1/10 of the total and also having the largest number of exam-takers nationwide. The Hanoi Department of Education and Training stated that the large number of candidates, including many independent candidates, has led to cumbersome organization and requires meticulous preparation, as any oversight could have serious consequences.

It is difficult to detect cheating candidates.

According to Mr. Tran The Cuong, Director of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training, there are more than 4,600 independent candidates, equivalent to the number of candidates in another province. To date, Hanoi has prepared 196 examination centers with nearly 16,000 officials and teachers to supervise and grade the exams. To facilitate travel for candidates, students in each district/county/town are grouped into examination clusters.

According to regulations, invigilators are not allowed to invigilate students from their own school. Each examination room has two invigilators from two different secondary schools, one from a neighboring school and the other a teacher from a junior high school in the district or county where the examination is held.

Leaders from the Ministry of Education and Training inspect the area containing exam papers and answer sheets at Tran Phu High School, Hoan Kiem District (Hanoi).

Hanoi has mobilized departments and agencies to coordinate and develop plans to prevent flooding at 85 examination sites in the inner districts, and to manage traffic flow to ensure students arrive at the examination sites safely.

Lieutenant Colonel Ngo Xuan Hai, Deputy Head of the Internal Political Security Department of the Hanoi City Police, warned that students and social media users spreading false information about the exam will be punished. Previously, during the 10th grade exam, some individuals spread rumors about leaked Literature exam questions; however, after verification, the police confirmed the information was false. In the future, depending on the severity of the violation, individuals will be punished according to regulations.

The Director of the Hanoi Department of Education and Training stated that the collaboration between candidates and outsiders using modern devices to cheat in exams is a worrying issue. Currently, the Ministry of Education and Training only regulates prohibited items and items that candidates are allowed to bring into the exam room, but has not specifically regulated the list of handheld calculators, some of which contain formulas, making it very difficult for invigilators to control. “The regulation requiring candidates to keep their backpacks, belongings, and personal items 25 meters away from the exam room is still inadequate because with the development of technology, devices can be activated remotely and transmit over longer distances, which is also a concern for the examination boards,” Mr. Cuong said.

Mr. Tran Quoc Hoan, Vice Chairman of the Hoan Kiem District People's Committee (Hanoi), said that the four examination centers in the district basically meet the conditions for organizing the exam. Each examination center has a backup generator. Medical staff have also been deployed to be on standby at the stations to handle any unusual situations. The district has also prepared parking and resting areas at some schools for parents while waiting for their children, ensuring that the entrances to the examination centers are clear.

Each exam subject has its own locker for storing the exam papers.

Inspecting the organization of the 2024 high school graduation exam at Tran Phu High School and Chu Van An Junior High School, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong, Head of the National Steering Committee, shared that Hanoi has the largest number of candidates nationwide, requiring meticulous attention to detail in every stage and step of the organization. This is especially important in protecting the exam papers and answer sheets from the printing and copying stages, through transportation to the exam sites, storage in the designated cabinets, and finally, the grading process.

"Even the grading process must have a clear procedure. Hanoi has a large number of exam papers, so we must follow a clear process from separating the answer sheets to grading scientifically, ensuring timely and serious results. If a grading pair accidentally loses a student's exam paper, nothing can compensate for it, and the consequences will be immeasurable," Mr. Thuong said.

The Deputy Minister emphasized to officials and teachers involved in organizing, supervising, and grading exams that they must absolutely not be complacent. Small details, even a slight oversight or carelessness, can have costly consequences.

Citing last year's exam as an example, where at one exam center, a candidate used a very large phone to photograph the exam questions and leaked them without the invigilator noticing, Mr. Thuong requested that this year's exam organization learn from that experience.

"Although difficult, after receiving training from the police, teachers now have the knowledge and skills to detect cases of exam cheating. Students who intentionally cheat will exhibit unusual behavior," he said.

Mr. Pham Quoc Khanh, Deputy Director of the Quality Management Department, Ministry of Education and Training, noted that Hanoi requires all examination centers to prepare cabinets for storing exam papers and answer sheets, with each subject having a separate compartment. These compartments will be clearly labeled with information about the subject and the exam date so that the correct exam paper can be retrieved on the exam day, avoiding any confusion. The transportation of answer sheets during the grading process should also be carefully considered, especially in the event of heavy rain, which could affect the exam papers.

Source: https://tienphong.vn/thi-sinh-thi-tot-nghiep-thpt-tai-ha-noi-dong-nhat-nuoc-no-luc-bao-mat-de-thi-chong-gian-lan-post1647445.tpo