Over 650,000 Students Sit for University Entrance Exams

There was no serious problems reported on the first day of nationwide university entrance exams, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Vinh Hien said. Hien said that more than 650,000 candidates in group A subjects (maths, physics, and chemistry) and V (maths, physics and a field specific subject) sat for the first day of their university entrance exams yesterday, accounting for 75 per cent of the total of registrations for taking university entrance exams across the country and a 6.2 per cent rise against last year. The students sat at 25,233 examination rooms in 997 locations to compete for admissions to 83 universities and academies. The Ministry of Education and Training (MoET) sent two inspection groups to conduct quality control test at random locations, one led by MoET Deputy Minister Nguyen Thi Nghia at Hanoi Open University and the other led by her counterpart Nguyen Vinh Hien, at the Academy of Cryptographical Techniques. The inspectors said the first day of examinations had taken place in an orderly and disciplined atmosphere and test regulations had been tightened. Hien appreciated the preparations made by universities such as guiding students through registration procedures, and providing comfortable conditions for students to rest after sitting their exams. Power and water supply was also ensured, he added. Examination test papers had managed to be kept secret prior to the beginning of the tests. A draft report made by the MoET after the first day said of the total sitting students, 51 have been suspended for using their mobile phones or bringing study materials into test rooms. Four others had not been allowed to take their exams due to being late. One invigilator was also suspended from work. Traffic was monitored by police and student volunteers, especially at intersections such as Nguyen Trai and Kim Ma streets and at coach stations. According to statistics from the Ministry of Education and Training, as many as 1.8 million candidates have registered for this year's examination, of which 1.3 million have applied for universities and 500,000 for colleges. Nearly 54 per cent of candidates chose to sit group A subjects followed by group B (maths, chemistry, biology 19.8 per cent), group D (literature, maths, foreign languages 15.2%), group C (literature, history, geography 8%), and the other groups (nearly 3.4%).