The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) provided universities with new candidate data last night, 3/8, just before the first virtual filtering round of university admissions. This update, which required schools to download a fresh dataset and disregard the one sent on 29/7, marks a rare instance of such a significant "last-minute" change in recent years. The new data includes crucial information such as candidate aspirations, eligible groups, and priority areas.

A representative from the admissions department of a university in Ha Noi stated on the morning of 4/8 that his technical team worked through the night to review, compare, and synchronize the new data with the university's system. He emphasized that while the process was not difficult, it demanded caution, as even a slight discrepancy could impact a candidate's admission chances. Another university reported a similar situation, noting a decrease of around dozens of candidates compared to the initial data.

In the Southern region, an admissions data officer at a university reported that approximately 100 candidates had their information adjusted. These adjustments pertained to eligible groups, priority areas, graduation examination scores, and high school graduation exemption status. "It appears the initial data was not accurate, so the Ministry reviewed and re-adjusted it for greater precision," he said. Additionally, a representative from another university noted that before releasing the data last night, MOET had informed them of errors in documentation used for calculating bonus points, necessitating coordination with local Departments of Education and Training for updates.

Universities acknowledged that this was a rare occurrence for MOET to provide data twice, especially so close to the virtual filtering date. However, they believe this process leads to more thorough data, preventing errors seen in previous years. This is particularly important given that many localities were slow to update candidate data or discovered examination fraud cases leading to score cancellations.

Candidates taking the 2026 high school graduation examination in Ha Noi. *Photo: Hoang Giang*

As of 21/7, MOET discovered several data discrepancies. Over 125,000 candidates had not had their priority proofs and foreign language certificates approved by local authorities. Furthermore, over 2,600 priority area data entries required review, and tens of thousands of cases had errors related to foreign language subjects in their academic records.

Examination fraud also contributed to the need for data adjustments. Some candidates in Quang Tri and Ca Mau had their graduation examination results canceled, effectively removing them from the university admissions list. Meanwhile, examination scores at Tuyen Quang High School for the Gifted were found to involve fraud, with invigilators directly assisting some candidates in the examination room. To date, authorities have not announced how many of the 328 candidates there violated regulations, nor the plan for handling this group. The verification results could impact the university admissions process.

The university aspiration processing, or virtual filtering, began on 4/8 and will conclude at 17h on 9/8, involving six rounds. Subsequently, universities will review admission results and announce benchmark scores before 17h on 13/8.

By Duong Tam and Le Nguyen