Press briefing on the exam-related violations at Tuyên Quang High School for the Gifted on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — All students who sat the 2026 national high school graduation exam at Tuyên Quang High School for the Gifted will have to retake every subject, the Ministry of Education and Training announced on Wednesday, after a police probe found that manipulation had tainted the entire exam site.

The decision follows weeks of investigation into a scandal that first surfaced when students in the northern province of Tuyên Quang recorded 154 perfect math scores this year, up from none in 2025, with the vast majority traced to the elite gifted high school.

Police have since charged 19 people, including the site's exam supervisor and a teacher accused of feeding students answers during the test, with abusing their positions while performing official duties.

Huỳnh Văn Chương, head of the ministry's Education Quality Management Agency, told reporters in Hà Nội that the ministry had cross-checked exam results from all 34 provinces and cities nationwide and worked with the Ministry of Public Security after media reports and public complaints flagged irregularities in Tuyên Quang.

"Police have since formally opened a criminal case and shared preliminary findings with the ministry," Chương said.

Investigators concluded that the violations extended across the entire exam site, breaching rules requiring exams to be conducted safely, seriously, honestly, objectively and fairly – providing legal grounds to void the results and order a full retest, he added.

The makeup exam will be held over two days, tentatively August 14 and 15, with results expected by August 19. The ministry representative stressed that the retest is a corrective measure to preserve the integrity of the exam, not a disciplinary action against the students involved.

Scores from the original test, administered between June 11 and 12, will not be accepted for university or college admissions, and affected students will be barred from any admissions track until the new results are in.

Once available, valid scores will be entered into the national system and applied to students' previously submitted university preferences.

The criminal investigation remains active, and the official said the ministry would continue coordinating with police to ensure strict penalties for organisations and individuals implicated in the violations.

Any student found to have violated exam regulations will face consequences proportional to the severity of their conduct, even those who have already graduated, been admitted to, or are currently enrolled at a university or college, the official said.

Looking ahead, Chương said the ministry pledged to review exam regulations to close loopholes exposed by the case, expand the use of technology and cross-checking to deter fraud, and continue deploying university lecturers to oversee exam sites.

The ministry also promised greater emphasis on legal and ethical education for students and stronger professional accountability for teachers, vowing that violations would be dealt with strictly and 'without exception'.

The official said the ministry would further refine plans for a pilot computer-based testing system, including trial phases and evaluation, as part of a longer-term push to secure the exam process against future manipulation. — VNS