Teacher detained over abnormally high math scores in Vietnam’s national high school exam

Authorities said the emergency detention order was issued as part of an investigation into results at the school’s exam site.

Statistics show Tuyen Quang recorded 154 perfect scores in math out of 17,589 test-takers.

Nationwide, there were 4,028 perfect scores.

Notably, more than 140 of Tuyen Quang’s top marks came from students at Tuyen Quang High School for the Gifted, accounting for over 95 percent of the province’s perfect scores.

Only seven other perfect scores were scattered among different exam-takers, including three from Tuyen Quang’s Ha Giang High School for the Gifted.

Nguyen Thi Hang, principal of Tuyen Quang High School for the Gifted, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper last Friday that the school’s 35 math-specialized students took part in this year’s exam, with the rest studying specialized subjects including physics, literature, history, chemistry, English, and informatics, along with students from one non-specialized class.

She attributed the high math scores to extensive preparation and practice exams organized by the school.

Hang added that the school’s average math score during the 2025 national high school exam was above 8 out of 10.

The Ministry of Education and Training last Friday announced that it had identified irregularities in Tuyen Quang’s math results and sent a working group to review the exam process.

Officials said any violations would be handled in line with prevailing regulations.

Le Thanh Tuyen, chief of staff at the provincial Department of Education and Training, said 328 students sat for the exam at the Tuyen Quang High School for the Gifted test site, with the vast majority being students from the school itself.

He emphasized that exam invigilators assigned to this test location came from three other schools, not from Tuyen Quang High School for the Gifted.

Only administrative personnel, including the examination secretary and either the vice-principal or principal, remained at the test site in management roles as deputy examination supervisors.

Police confirmed they were working closely with education authorities to review and verify all information thoroughly.