Vietnam University Admissions Face Data Glitches Ahead of 'Virtual Filtering'

The Ministry of Education and Training has updated student data provided to universities just before the start of the 'virtual filtering' process for university admissions. This is a rare occurrence in recent years, causing confusion at several universities, with dozens of applicants removed from lists or requiring re-evaluation for bonus points and priority status. A representative from the admissions department of a Hanoi-based university announced on the morning of August 4 that the ministry would not use the data provided on July 29. Instead, universities would use newly supplied data for the first virtual filtering round that morning. This updated data includes detailed information such as application preferences, applicant categories, and regional priorities. "Our technical team had to work overnight to review and compare the new data with the previous batch and synchronize it with our university's database," the representative stated. "While the task itself isn't difficult, meticulous attention is required as even minor discrepancies can affect a student's admission chances." Another university reported a similar situation, noting a reduction of around several dozen students compared to the initial data. In the South, an admissions officer at one university mentioned that information regarding applicant categories, priority regions, and graduation scores for approximately 100 students had been adjusted. "It seems the initial data had inaccuracies, prompting the ministry to conduct a re-examination and correction," the officer explained. A representative from another institution added that prior to releasing the data last night, the ministry had informed some universities about errors in supporting documents used for calculating bonus points, requiring coordination with local Departments of Education and Training for updates. Universities generally agree that it is highly unusual for the ministry to provide data twice, especially so close to the virtual filtering deadline. However, they acknowledge that this measure will lead to more thorough data, preventing errors, particularly in light of delayed student data updates in many localities and the discovery of exam fraud incidents leading to the cancellation of test scores. As of July 21, the Ministry of Education and Training had identified over 125,000 students whose supporting documents for priority status and foreign language certificates were unverified, more than 2,600 cases of priority region data requiring review, and tens of thousands of errors related to foreign language subjects in academic records. Regarding exam fraud, some students in Quang Tri and Ca Mau provinces had their graduation exam results annulled, effectively disqualifying them from university admission. Furthermore, exam fraud was detected at Tuyen Quang High School for the Gifted, where invigilators directly guided some students during the exam. The number of students involved among the 328 at this school and the handling of their cases have not yet been disclosed by authorities. The outcome of these investigations could impact the university admission process. The university application processing (virtual filtering) is scheduled to commence on August 4 and conclude at 5 PM on August 9, involving six rounds. Following this, universities will review their admission results and announce their cut-off scores by 5 PM on August 13. Information Source: VnExpress