Provinces prepare ships, pre-purchase plane tickets to transport high school graduation exam papers to islands

An Giang and Ho Chi Minh City have developed multiple plans, including buying plane tickets, to transport high school graduation exam papers to islands in case of adverse weather.

Provinces across Vietnam are implementing proactive measures to ensure the secure and timely delivery of high school graduation exam papers to remote and island areas for the 2026 exam. These preparations include readying maritime transport and even purchasing plane tickets as contingencies against severe weather.

During a conference on organizing the high school graduation exam held by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) on the morning of June 2, Nguyen Thi Minh Thuy, Vice Chairwoman of An Giang Provincial People's Committee (PC), announced that An Giang has nearly 40,000 candidates across 78 official test sites. Given the province's unique geographic features, which include special zones, a tailored plan for transporting exam papers is crucial.

For the Kien Hai special zone, where there are few candidates, students will be transported from the island to the mainland to take the exam. However, the Phu Quoc special zone has over 1,400 candidates at three test sites, prompting the province to devise three distinct plans for delivering exam papers to the island.

According to Ms. Thuy, under favorable weather conditions without rain or storms, the exam papers will be transported by ship and ferry. Conversely, if weather conditions are unfavorable, the province will transport the exam papers to Phu Quoc by plane, departing from Can Tho or Ho Chi Minh City (TP HCM).

"We have already purchased plane tickets and prepared all options", Ms. Thuy stated.

In TP HCM, Nguyen Van Hieu, Director of the Department of Education and Training, explained that in previous years, the furthest test site was only about 50 km away. This year, following the merger with Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau, the most distant location is over 200 km from the city center. Therefore, the department plans to transport high school graduation exam papers to these test sites one day in advance.

Specifically for the Con Dao special zone, TP HCM has also developed several plans for handing over exam papers, including air transportation.

Quang Ngai province has adopted a similar approach, planning to transport exam papers to the Ly Son special zone one day earlier than to the mainland to ensure security and timely delivery.

Ho Chi Minh City candidates taking 2025 high school graduation exam. Photo: Quynh Tran

The 2026 high school graduation exam is scheduled to take place from June 10-12, involving over 1.2 million candidates, the largest number to date.

The transportation of exam papers to 34 provinces and cities, facilitated by the Government Cipher Committee's system, has been successfully completed, ensuring security and confidentiality. All localities have received the papers for printing and reproduction.

Pham Tien Ngoc, a representative of the Government Cipher Committee, noted that the unit developed two information systems to facilitate the transportation of exam papers. All equipment, products, and cryptographic materials specifically used for MOET exams have been thoroughly reviewed.

Cipher forces are present in special zones such as Con Dao and Phu Quoc. Mr. Ngoc suggested that direct delivery of exam papers to these locations via the secure system would mitigate weather-related concerns. He proposed that the Ministry of Education and Training explore this option for future exams.

Minister of Education and Training Hoang Minh Son urged localities to continue reviewing potential issues, training assigned personnel, and raising awareness about the exam's importance and the consequences of cheating.

Provinces and cities must also review and establish contingency plans for epidemics, food safety, natural disasters, and other incidents. Mr. Son emphasized that incidents in the exam room can involve not only candidates but also proctors. Handling plans must be collective, swift, and timely, while also safeguarding the rights of candidates.