At an October 29 conference reviewing the 2026 examinations and preparations for 2027, Standing Deputy Minister of Education and Training Pham Ngoc Thuong called for stronger prevention, risk management and tighter exam supervision.
The ministry plans to increase camera surveillance and security screening in exam rooms and consider mixing candidates from different schools at examination centres to prevent collusion and cheating.
Examination boards are also being encouraged to use handheld security scanners to check candidates before they enter examination rooms, while invigilators have received training to detect cheating involving sophisticated electronic devices.
The proposed measures follow serious irregularities in the 2026 examinations, particularly at Tuyen Quang High School for the Gifted, which Thuong said had undermined public confidence in the examination system.
According to the ministry, the Ministry of Public Security's Security Investigation Agency has initiated criminal proceedings against 41 suspects over alleged abuse of positions and powers while performing official duties.
Investigators found evidence of prior discussions and assigned roles, indicating deliberate violations rather than procedural mistakes or pressure to achieve favourable results, Thuong said.
The ministry subsequently annulled results from the June 11 and 12 examinations at the affected centre and organised replacement examinations on August 14 and 15 to safeguard fairness and protect candidates' educational opportunities.
Separate investigations into suspected irregularities at Le Truc High School in Quang Tri Province and Luong Tai High School in Bac Ninh Province resulted in criminal proceedings against two suspects at each school.
Six candidates at Le Truc and three at Luong Tai were also found to have breached examination regulations.
More than 1.2 million candidates took the 2026 high school graduation examinations, with a graduation rate of 99.01 per cent.
Despite the examinations being largely conducted safely and properly, 89 candidates nationwide violated regulations. Fourteen were reported for using mobile phones, with their results annulled following verification.
Thuong said the overall success of the examinations should not overshadow the violations, stressing that prevention must remain the top priority in 2027.
He emphasised that while surveillance technology and security equipment could help prevent cheating, human responsibility remained decisive in ensuring examination integrity and fairness.
Preventing misconduct becomes particularly difficult when those entrusted with maintaining examination integrity deliberately break the rules, he warned.