Circular No. 04/2022/TT-BLDTBXH on organizing and conducting vocational training at the intermediate and higher levels under the academic year system or modular/credit accumulation system

CIRCULAR
Regulations on organizing vocational training at intermediate and higher vocational levels
according to academic years or modular or credit accumulation methods

Pursuant to the Law on Vocational Education dated November 27, 2014;

Pursuant to Decree No. 14/2017/NĐ-CP dated February 17, 2017 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs;

Pursuant to Decree No. 15/2019/NĐ-CP dated February 1, 2019 of the Government detailing certain provisions and implementation measures of the Law on Vocational Education;

At the proposal of the Director General of the General Department of Vocational Education,

The Minister of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs issues this Circular regulating the organization and management of vocational training at intermediate and higher vocational levels according to academic years or modular or credit accumulation methods; examination, testing, and graduation recognition regulations.

PART I
GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation and Applicability

1. This Circular regulates the organization and management of vocational training at intermediate and higher vocational levels according to academic years or modular or credit accumulation methods; examination, testing, and graduation recognition regulations.

2. This Circular applies to intermediate vocational schools, higher vocational schools, and higher education institutions that have been granted certificates for vocational education activities (hereinafter referred to collectively as schools).

3. This Circular does not apply to the organization of vocational training at intermediate and higher teacher education levels.

Article 2. Interpretation of Terms

In this Circular, the following terms are understood as follows:

1. Training according to academic years is a method of organizing training based on school years with relatively fixed classes throughout the entire course, allowing students to follow a unified training plan and timetable.

2. Training according to modular or credit accumulation methods is a method of training based on individual learning contents designed as modules or courses, where students can actively choose modules or courses according to the school's regulations to accumulate until they complete the required number of modules or credits specified in the program.

3. Online training is a form of teaching that allows part or all of the course content to be conducted through the Internet to replace direct teaching at vocational education training locations.

Article 3. Program and Duration of Training

1. Training Program

a) The training program reflects the training objectives, volume of knowledge, and competency requirements that students need to achieve upon graduation; scope and content structure; training methods and forms; assessment methods. The training program is established in accordance with Circular No. 03/2017/TT-BLDTBXH dated March 1, 2017 of the Minister of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs on procedures for building, reviewing, and issuing programs; organizing the compilation, selection, and review of textbooks for intermediate and higher vocational training programs.

b) The training program must be made public to students before enrollment and at the start of the course. Any changes or adjustments related to the training program must be announced before implementation, ensuring no adverse impact on students.

2. Duration of Training is the time for students to complete a specific training program and meet the conditions to receive a corresponding graduation certificate, specifically:

a) The duration of intermediate vocational training according to academic years for individuals holding a secondary school completion certificate or higher ranges from one to two school years depending on the field of study;

b) The duration of intermediate vocational training according to modular or credit accumulation methods is the time required to accumulate the specified number of modules or credits for each program;

c) The duration of higher vocational training according to academic years is carried out over two to three school years for individuals holding a high school completion certificate or intermediate vocational certificate and having a certificate of completion of general education or a certificate of meeting the required volume of general education knowledge or having passed the required volume of general education knowledge according to regulations;

d) The duration of higher vocational training according to modular or credit accumulation methods is the time required for students to accumulate the specified number of modules or credits for each program.

3. Maximum Time to Complete the Program

a) The maximum time to complete the program includes the time spent studying courses and modules and the time for final exams or thesis defense, determined by the principal, ensuring it does not exceed 1.5 times the training duration for programs lasting two to three years, and does not exceed twice the training duration for programs lasting one to less than two years, excluding the retention period stipulated in Clause 2, Article 9 of this Circular;

b) The maximum time for students enrolled in two programs simultaneously is the maximum time to complete the longer program and is calculated from the start of the first program;

c) The principal may consider and decide to extend the maximum training time for students who have a disability confirmation certificate in accordance with the Law on Persons with Disabilities;

d) The maximum time for cultural arts and sports fields with special characteristics is jointly regulated by the Ministry of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

4. The time for organizing lectures and studies depends on actual conditions and circumstances, specifically regulated in the school's training regulations, decided by the principal, ensuring the following requirements:

a) Lectures and studies are conducted from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM daily, including Saturdays and Sundays, except for special learning contents that require lectures outside these hours;

b) Online lectures and studies are flexibly organized based on the actual conditions and circumstances of each school, decided by the principal.

c) The teaching, practice, and internship time at enterprises shall be carried out according to the agreement between the school and the enterprise but must comply with the legal provisions on working hours.

5. The time spent studying the high school general knowledge curriculum or the high school education program under the regular education form shall not be counted towards vocational training time as stipulated in Clauses 2, 3, and 4 of this Article.

Article 4. Training Locations

1. Training locations shall be conducted at schools, branch schools, and linked training sites in accordance with Decree No. 143/2016/ND-CP dated October 14, 2016, of the Government on investment conditions and activities in the vocational education sector, and Decree No. 140/2018/ND-CP dated October 8, 2018, of the Government amending and supplementing related decrees concerning investment business conditions and administrative procedures within the scope of management of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs; organizing students to study, practice, and intern at domestic and foreign enterprises through contracts with enterprises in accordance with Clause 6, Article 23 of the Vocational Education Law.

2. Online training may be flexibly implemented regarding location based on the actual conditions decided by the school principal, but it must meet the conditions for training to ensure quality as prescribed.

Article 5. Training Plan

1. Based on the workload of the training program, the school principal shall approve the plan allocating subjects and modules for each semester and academic year.

2. Before starting a course, the school must publicly announce the training plan for that course. The training plan for each course and academic year must include: Time and activities of the training program; start and end dates of each semester, academic year, and course; time and duration of training for each subject and module in the program; theoretical and practical study and internship time; plans for organizing exams, thesis defense, and graduation project presentations (if applicable); exam and graduation exam dates; summer vacation, holiday, opening, and closing ceremony times; extracurricular study time, and other contents.

3. In the case of online training, the training plan must specify the contents, subjects, and modules taught through the online form.

Article 6. Enrollment Registration

1. When registering for enrollment, the student must submit the documents as prescribed in Clause 3, Article 11 of Circular No. 05/2021/TT-BLDTBXH dated July 7, 2021, of the Minister of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs on the admission regulations and determination of admission quotas for intermediate and higher vocational levels. Documents submitted by the student upon enrollment must be managed by units within the school or digitized for management using training management software if available.

2. Students shall be organized into classes according to specific training programs and trades suitable for each form of training organization decided by the school principal.

3. Students shall be issued student cards to facilitate management and tracking during the training period. Schools are encouraged to use electronic student cards to implement training management tasks (exams, checking academic results; online learning; accessing electronic libraries, computer rooms, laboratories), as well as financial transactions (paying tuition fees, receiving funds, e-commerce transactions...) and other social transactions when accepted.

4. The school must provide full information to students about the objectives, content, and study plans of the program, training regulations, obligations, and rights of the students.

Article 7. Transfer of Training Fields and Specializations

1. Students may transfer from their current training field or specialization to another field or specialization offered by the school.

2. The Rector shall specify in detail and decide to allow students to transfer fields or specializations when:

a) The student submits a request for transferring fields or specializations;

b) The proposed field or specialization to be transferred to must have the same admission form and admission criteria that are equal to or lower than those of the current field or specialization;

c) The transfer of fields or specializations must be carried out immediately in the first semester of the program;

d) The student is not within the period of suspending the current program, adjusting the study schedule, or has been disciplined at the warning level or higher, or has been criminally prosecuted.

3. The maximum time for a student to complete the program after transferring fields or specializations is stipulated in Clause 3, Article 3 of this Circular and is calculated from the date of enrollment in the previous field or specialization before the transfer.

Article 8. Concurrent Enrollment in Two Programs

1. Conditions for concurrent enrollment in two programs

a) The student submits a request for concurrent enrollment in two programs;

b) Has completed the first semester for programs lasting from one to two academic years, and the second semester for programs lasting more than two academic years. The academic performance in each completed semester of the first program must reach a good grade or higher;

c) Is not within the period of suspending the current program, has not been disciplined at the warning level or higher, or has been criminally prosecuted.

2. A student who needs to adjust the study schedule or is forced to withdraw from the first program will be forced to withdraw from the second program.

3. The time for a student to complete both programs is stipulated in Clause 3, Article 3 of this Circular.

Article 9. Suspension of Program and Retention of Academic Results

1. Retention of academic results refers to the school maintaining the student's achieved academic results and meeting the requirements for subjects and modules during a certain period when the student temporarily suspends the training program. The retained academic results of subjects and modules are counted when classifying academic results and evaluating graduation classification.

2. A student may suspend the current training program and retain academic results if they fall into one of the following cases:

a) Being mobilized by authorized state agencies to fulfill military service obligations, participate in disaster prevention and control, epidemic prevention; participate in international competitions;

b) Due to health reasons, having to stop studying for a long time for treatment, with confirmation from the medical facility where the examination or treatment was conducted, or with a disability certificate according to the Law on Persons with Disabilities;

c) Transferring to another school in the same field or specialization while the study progress differs between schools;

d) Participating in overseas labor programs under contracts or due to family circumstances being compelled to suspend studies;

đ) During the period of suspension from studies due to disciplinary action with a specified duration;

e) Being criminally prosecuted but without a conclusion from the competent authority, or having a conclusion from the competent authority but not falling into the case of disciplinary action leading to compulsory withdrawal from the program.

3. The retention period of academic results does not exceed five years from the date of suspending the study program and is not included in the maximum time limit for completing the course. Students wishing to retain their academic results must submit a request to the Rector for consideration and decision.

4. Students may temporarily postpone the study of subjects or modules according to the school's training plan and must complete these subjects or modules within the maximum time limit for completing the program if they fall into one or more of the following cases:

a) Due to health reasons, unable to study the subject or module and have a confirmation from the medical facility where the examination or treatment was conducted;

b) There are other reasons preventing participation in the study of the subject or module, accompanied by specific evidence and must be approved by the Rector;

5. The temporary leave of absence is included in the maximum time limit for a student to complete the program as stipulated in Clause 3, Article 3 of this Circular.

Article 10. Recognition and Exemption of Academic Content

1. Recognition of Academic Results

a) The academic results accumulated by a learner from another training program, a different level of education, or another vocational education institution shall be considered for recognition in the current training program, regardless of whether the training is conducted directly or online, specifically: Exemption from studying and taking final exams for subjects or modules if the learner has already studied and taken the final exam for those subjects or modules in another program with content and duration consistent with the current program's subjects or modules; partial exemption from studying certain content within a subject or module, while still requiring participation in the final exam for that subject or module if the learner has studied such content in another program but has not taken the final exam for it or if the previous content and duration were not consistent with the current program's requirements. The determination of exempted content and duration is decided by the rector;

b) The rector considers recognizing the knowledge and skills of the learner based on comparing and contrasting them with the content of the current training program;

c) The recognition of results and academic content is carried out on a per-subject or module basis or for the entire training program;

d) Institutions publicly stipulate the recognition of results and academic content in their training programs.

2. Learners may be exempted from academic content regardless of whether the training is conducted directly or online under any of the following circumstances:

a) Exemption from or reduction in the study of National Defense and Security Education subjects according to the regulations of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs regarding the curriculum, teaching organization, and assessment of learning outcomes for National Defense and Security Education subjects within the common course block in the intermediate and higher vocational training programs;

b) Exemption from studying and taking the final exam for Political Education subjects within the common course block in the intermediate and higher vocational training programs if the learner has graduated from an equivalent or higher level or holds a diploma or certificate from a program in intermediate political theory or an equivalent level;

c) Exemption from studying and taking the final exam for Foreign Language subjects within the common course block in the intermediate and higher vocational training programs if the learner has graduated from an equivalent or higher level or possesses foreign language proficiency equivalent to the level specified in Decision No. 1982/QĐ-TTg dated October 18, 2016 of the Government approving the National Qualification Framework of Vietnam or holds a diploma or certificate from a program at the intermediate level or above in foreign languages;

d) Exemption from studying and taking the final exam for Information Technology subjects within the common course block in the intermediate and higher vocational training programs if the learner has graduated from an equivalent or higher level or has passed the basic information technology skills test according to the regulations of the Ministry of Information and Communications or holds a diploma or certificate from a program at the intermediate level or above in the information technology field;

đ) Exemption from studying and taking the final exam for Physical Education subjects within the common course block in the intermediate and higher vocational training programs if the learner is a war invalid, has a disability or chronic illness affecting mobility; during the time at school, they have won first, second, or third place or received a medal in sports competitions at the ministry level or provincial level or higher;

e) A disability confirmation certificate issued in accordance with the Law on Persons with Disabilities shall be reviewed and decided upon by the rector to grant exemptions or reductions in some subjects or modules or exemptions or reductions in some contents that the individual cannot meet due to personal ability limitations.

Article 11. Transfer of Schools

1. A student transferring schools according to the decision of the competent state management agency shall have the transfer carried out in accordance with the decision of the issuing authority. The issuance of a school transfer decision must be agreed upon in writing by the student.

2. A student transferring schools based on personal needs shall have the transfer carried out in accordance with the regulations of the sending school and receiving school. The principal may only consider accepting or allowing the student to transfer if the following requirements are met:

a) There is a request for school transfer;

b) Not during the period of adjusting study progress, not subject to disciplinary action at or above the warning level, and not under criminal investigation;

c) Not transferring when studying the final semester of the academic program;

d) When transferring to the receiving school, the student must study the same field or profession as at the sending school.

3. The principal of the school where the student requests to transfer to decides whether to accept or not accept the student from the transferring school.

4. The maximum time for a student to complete the program after transferring schools is calculated from the date of enrollment at the sending school.

Article 12. Regular Assessment, Periodic Assessment, and Final Subject Examinations, Modules

1. Regular Assessment, Periodic Assessment

a) Regular assessment is conducted by teachers or lecturers teaching the subject or module at any point during the learning process, by each subject or module, through various forms such as: Question-and-answer sessions during class; written tests with a duration of up to 30 minutes; practical content assessments, grading assignments, and other forms of assessment and evaluation.

b) Periodic assessment is stipulated in the subject or module curriculum; periodic assessment can take the form of a written test lasting from 45 to 60 minutes, grading large assignments, essays, practical work, internships, and other forms of assessment and evaluation.

c) Regular and periodic assessments conducted online are decided by the teachers or lecturers teaching the subject or module. Online assessments for practical content are only applicable when meeting the conditions regarding infrastructure, training equipment; information technology systems, and ensuring accurate and objective evaluation of the student's learning outcomes.

d) The assessment procedures, number of assessments for each subject or module are implemented according to the principal's regulations, ensuring that there is at least one regular assessment and one periodic assessment in each subject or module. Regular and periodic assessment scores are graded on a scale of 10, rounded to one decimal place.

2. Final Subject Examination, Module Examination

a) Final subject examinations, module examinations are conducted at the school, branch, training location of the school; training units or enterprises; they can be conducted directly or online when the examination organization conditions are met.

b) Final subject examinations, module examinations are held once or multiple times after completing the subject or module or at the end of each semester.

c) The examination schedule must be announced at least two weeks before the examination period. Each subject or module is organized separately, without scheduling multiple subjects or modules in the same examination session for one student.

d) The list of students eligible or ineligible to take the examination must clearly state the reasons; the examination venue list must be publicly announced at least three working days before the examination day.

đ) Students participating in the examination must be informed about their rights, duties, and obligations during the examination period.

e) The format of the final subject examination, module examination can be written, oral questioning, multiple choice, practical work, large assignments, essays, defense of internship results by topic or a combination of these formats.

g) The duration of each written examination paper is from 60 to 120 minutes, the examination time for other examination formats or for subjects or modules with specific characteristics of the field or profession, or online examination time is decided by the principal.

h) For written examinations, each examination room must have at least two invigilators and no more than 50 examinees; examinees must be seated according to their registration numbers. For other examination formats, the principal decides on the examination room arrangement and related matters.

i) Final subject examinations, module examinations conducted online are carried out when meeting the conditions regarding infrastructure, training equipment; information technology systems. The principal specifies the format and procedures for organizing the examination to ensure accurate and objective evaluation of the student's learning outcomes and prevent cheating during the examination. The proceedings of the online examination session must be recorded in video and audio, and printed examination results must be stored according to the provisions of Clause 3, Article 19 of this Circular.

Article 13. Conditions for taking the final examination of a course or module

1. Conditions for taking the final examination of a course or module

a) A student must ensure attendance of at least 80% of the total study time, including theoretical study time, integrated study time, practical training, internship, and meet other requirements specified in the course or module program to be eligible to take the final examination of a course or module;

b) Achieve an average score of 5.0 or higher on regular and periodic tests according to a ten-point scale;

c) A student with a disability certificate as prescribed shall be considered by the rector for preferential conditions for taking the examination but must still meet the condition regarding the average score of regular and periodic tests.

2. Number of opportunities to take the final examination of a course or module

a) After completing a course or module, a student who meets the conditions stipulated in Clause 1 of this Article may take the final examination of a course or module. If a student does not take the first final examination due to valid reasons, they will be arranged to participate in the next examination session. Students who fail the first examination attempt may retake it; the number of retakes is determined by the rector;

b) A student who achieves the required score on the first attempt but wishes to improve their score may register for an additional examination session to enhance their score but cannot retain the previous test score. The score from subsequent examinations will not be considered for scholarship assessment;

c) A student absent from an examination without valid reasons will still count towards the number of examination attempts and must receive a zero for that examination attempt and must participate in a make-up examination, the number of retakes is determined by the rector.

Article 14. Repeating Courses and Retaking Examinations

1. A student must repeat a course or module and retake the examination if they fall under any of the following circumstances:

a) Not meeting the conditions for taking the examination;

b) Having exhausted the number of examination attempts for a course or module as prescribed but failing to achieve the passing grade;

c) A student studying through a modular or credit accumulation system may register to repeat and retake the examination to improve their score.

2. When repeating and retaking a course or module, the student's previous scores and study time will not be retained and must meet the examination conditions stipulated in Clause 1 of Article 13 of this Circular.

3. In cases where there are no longer courses or modules due to changes in the training program, the rector decides to select alternative courses or modules suitable for the program objectives.

Article 15. Setting Examination Questions and Grading Final Examinations of Courses or Modules

1. Examination Questions

a) Examination questions must be consistent with the content of the course or module as specified in the program; they must be randomly selected from the school's question bank; for online or specialized software-based examinations, the rector specifies the method of constructing or selecting examination questions;

b) Examination questions for students with a disability confirmation certificate as prescribed by the Law on Persons with Disabilities shall be decided by the rector.

2. Grading

a) The final examination paper of a course or module must be graded independently by at least two teachers, who assign points and sign the examination paper, grading sheet, and summary score sheet of the examinee. Written essay and multiple-choice examination papers must be sealed before grading; oral examination and practical examination grading must be conducted on the grading form prescribed by the rector;

b) The examination score is the average of the scores assigned by the grading teachers; if the scores assigned by the grading teachers differ by 1.0 point or more according to a ten-point scale, a re-grading must be conducted; if consensus is not reached after re-grading, the department head or subject head will review and resolve, and will be the final decision-maker regarding the examination score;

c) For online final examinations, the examination is graded through machines or specialized software, and the procedure for re-grading is specifically prescribed by the rector.

3. Announcing Examination Scores

a) Oral examination, practical examination, or internship report defense scores must be announced to the student immediately after grading;

b) For other examination forms, the scores must be announced to the student no later than ten working days after the examination date.

Article 16. Grading of Courses and Modules; Semester, Academic Year, and Program GPA and Cumulative GPA

1. Course and Module Grades

a) The course/module grade includes the weighted average of periodic test scores with a weight of 0.4 and the final exam score with a weight of 0.6;

b) The weighted average of periodic test scores is the sum of the product of each type of test score and its corresponding coefficient. Specifically, regular tests are given a coefficient of 1, while scheduled tests are given a coefficient of 2;

c) Course and module grades are calculated on a scale of 10 for academic programs following the annual system and on a scale of 4 for modular or credit-based programs.

2. Semester, Academic Year, Program GPA and Cumulative GPA

a) Formula for calculating semester, academic year, program GPA and cumulative GPA:

Where:

A: is the semester, academic year, program GPA or cumulative GPA;

× (n − n is the course/module number;

a_{international}: is the grade of the i-th course/module;

n_{international}: is the credit hours of the i-th course/module;

d is the total number of courses/modules in the semester, academic year, or program or the accumulated number of courses/modules.

b) The cumulative GPA is the average grade of all courses and modules that the student has accumulated from the beginning of the program up to the time of evaluation at the end of each semester;

c) The semester, academic year, program GPA, and cumulative GPA include retained and exempted course/module grades but exclude conditional course/module grades;

d) In cases where a student is temporarily suspended from a course or module, the study load of that course or module is not included during the suspension period.

3. Semester, Academic Year GPA and Cumulative GPA for Scholarship and Award Consideration after Each Semester, Academic Year, or Program are calculated based on the first final exam results; for progress adjustment and compulsory withdrawal, they are calculated based on the highest result of the final exam.

4. Physical Education and National Defense and Security Education courses are conditional courses within the common course block in the training program for intermediate and college levels. The assessment results of these two courses are not included in the semester, academic year GPA, cumulative GPA, graduation classification, but they are one of the conditions for completing the study load, qualifying for graduation exams or thesis defense, and are recorded on the transcript attached to the graduation certificate.

Article 17. Handling Violations in Examinations and Tests

1. A student who takes an exam for another person or asks someone to take an exam for them will be suspended from studies for one year for the first violation and will be expelled for the second violation.

2. During the examination, if a student engages in cheating or uses unauthorized aids during the exam or assists in cheating, the invigilator will record this in a report and decide whether the student should continue the exam or stop it. If the exam must be stopped, the student's exam will be graded as zero points.

3. Except for the cases specified in Clauses 1 and 2 of this Article, the principal shall specify specific forms of handling violations related to examinations and tests for each case and according to each specific form of examination, as stipulated in the examination and graduation certification regulations of the school.

Article 18. Graduation certificates, grade sheets, academic achievement certificates

1. Students who are recognized as graduates shall be issued a graduation certificate by the rector. The model of the intermediate and college graduation certificate is prescribed in Circular No. 10/2017/TT-BLDTBXH dated March 13, 2017 on the model of intermediate and college graduation certificates; printing, management, issuance, recovery, and cancellation of intermediate and college graduation certificates are amended and supplemented by Circular No. 24/2020/TT-BLDTBXH dated December 30, 2020 of the Minister of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs.

2. A grade sheet for each course and module throughout the program shall be issued to students along with the graduation certificate, indicating clearly the training major, vocational field, form of training, results, and courses or modules exempted or points reserved; final examination scores or thesis/project scores for annual system training; overall average score of the entire program, graduation classification, and reasons for lowering the graduation classification if applicable.

3. Students who have not been recognized as graduates shall be issued an academic achievement certificate for courses and modules they have completed in the program, specifying clearly the form of training and reasons for not being recognized as graduates.

4. The rector is responsible for organizing the issuance of graduation certificates to eligible candidates within thirty working days from the date of completion of the final examination for annual system training or the last course/module in the program for modular or credit-based training.

5. Graduates from fields and vocational areas under Computer Science and Information Technology; Engineering Technology; Engineering; Production and Processing; Architecture and Construction; Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries; Transport Services shall be recognized as practicing engineers; other fields and vocational areas shall be recognized as practicing bachelor's degree holders.

Article 19. Management of Training Records and Registers

1. The rector is responsible for establishing and managing training records in accordance with Circular No. 23/2018/TT-BLDTBXH dated December 6, 2018 of the Minister of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs on records and registers in intermediate and college level training; implementing preservation, storage, and use of training records and registers in accordance with the law and this Circular. In case of school dissolution, the records must be handed over to the competent authority.

2. Permanent records

a) Documents approving and issuing training programs; issuance files for textbooks or teaching materials; documents regulating organization and management of training;

b) Documents approving lists of admitted students and class lists;

c) Comprehensive grade sheets summarizing student academic performance by semester, academic year, or program;

d) Recognition files for graduation results in annual system training including: Decision to establish the final examination board; list of examinees and examination results, printed examination results for online examinations or specialized software examinations on computers, submission forms signed by the examinees. Recognition files for graduation results in modular or credit-based training include: Decision to establish the graduation review board, minutes of the graduation review meeting, comprehensive grade sheets for the entire program;

đ) Decisions recognizing graduation, issuance registers for graduation certificates to students;

e) Training plans for each program or academic year;

g) Reward and disciplinary files for students;

h) Files on domestic and international joint training.

3. Records to be stored for at least ten years from the date of recognition of graduation for students

a) Examination organization files for the end-of-course or module exams including: Examination plan and schedule; list of examinees and individual examination results; submission forms signed by the examinees and invigilators; audio and video recordings of the examination sessions for online examinations;

b) Grade sheets of students including: Regular and periodic test scores; end-of-course or module examination scores; printed examination results for online examinations or specialized software examinations on computers signed by the instructors and subject managers.

4. Records to be stored for at least five years from the date of recognition of graduation for students

a) Re-examination files for end-of-course or module exams and final exams;

b) Class registration books for each class.

5. Records to be stored for at least one year from the date of recognition of graduation for students

a) Used examination papers, examination scripts, marking sheets for final examinations in annual system training.

b) Timetables and assignments of instructors and lecturers.

Chapter II
TRAINING UNDER ANNUAL SYSTEM

Article 20. Organization of Classes

Education under the academic year system is organized according to school years, with each school year consisting of two semesters, each semester having at least 15 weeks of actual class time plus examination periods for subjects and modules. In addition to the two main semesters, the principal may decide to organize additional supplementary semesters for students to have the opportunity to retake or make up courses. Each supplementary semester must include at least 4 weeks of actual class time plus examination periods for subjects and modules.

Article 21. Classification of Academic Results

1. After each semester or school year, students will be classified based on their academic results using a scale of 10 points as follows:

a) Excellent: from 9.0 to 10;

b) Very Good: from 8.0 to 8.9;

c) Good: from 7.0 to 7.9;

d) Average: from 5.0 to 6.9;

e) Weak: below 5.0.

2. Students who achieve grades of Very Good or higher will be downgraded by one classification level if they fall into one or more of the following cases:

a) They are disciplined by the school at the warning level or higher during the semester or school year in which their academic results are being classified;

b) They have to retake one subject or module in the semester or school year for the Excellent classification; or have to retake two or more subjects or modules in the semester or school year for the Very Good classification (excluding conditional subjects; subjects or modules temporarily deferred or exempted).

3. The academic results from supplementary semesters will be combined with those from regular semesters for classification purposes.

Article 22. Adjustment of Study Progress, Compulsory Withdrawal, Voluntary Withdrawal

1. For students enrolled in programs with a training duration of 1.5 years or longer, upon completion of each school year, if they fall into one of the following situations, they must adjust their study progress and complete all unmet subjects or modules before continuing with new ones; the adjustment period will be included in the maximum time allowed to complete the program as stipulated in Clause 3 of Article 3 of this Circular, including:

a) Students have an average grade of between 4.0 and less than 5.0 points on the 10-point scale for the school year;

b) Students have an average grade of less than 4.0 points for the school year but hold a disability certificate in accordance with the Law on Persons with Disabilities.

2. Students will be compulsorily withdrawn if they fall into one of the following situations:

a) Upon completion of the school year, their average grade is less than 4.0 points;

b) They have exceeded the maximum time allowed to complete the program as stipulated in Clause 3 of Article 3 or the number of times allowed to take the graduation exam as stipulated in Clause 2 of Article 24 of this Circular, but their graduation exam score or graduation thesis/project score does not meet the passing standard;

c) They are disciplined at the compulsory withdrawal level.

3. Students who do not fall into the category of compulsory withdrawal, if they fall into one of the following situations, may request the school to allow them to withdraw voluntarily:

a) Students self-assess that they no longer have the ability to complete the program due to insufficient remaining time;

b) Due to other reasons requiring withdrawal accompanied by specific evidence and approved by the principal.

4. The principal shall specify the procedures, rights, obligations, or responsibilities of students, retain academic results, and decide on adjustments to study progress, compulsory withdrawal, and voluntary withdrawal of students.

Article 23. Plan and Organization of Examinations, Defense of Graduation Theses/Projects

1. The examination plan, defense of graduation theses/projects must be developed and publicly announced at least four weeks before the graduation examination period.

2. Content, Time, and Form of Organization of the Graduation Examination

a) The content of the graduation examination includes: Theoretical Subject Exam and Practical Subject Exam;

b) The Theoretical Subject Exam is conducted in the form of written tests, oral examinations, or multiple-choice questions; the written test or multiple-choice question time does not exceed 180 minutes, the oral examination preparation time does not exceed 40 minutes and the response time for one candidate does not exceed 20 minutes, carried out in either direct or online forms;

c) The Practical Subject Exam is conducted in the form of practical skill exercises to complete a product, service, or part thereof. The specific examination time for the Practical Subject Exam is determined by the principal to ensure suitability with the characteristics of the training field or profession;

d) Online Practical Subject Exams are applied to fields or professions in the Arts; Humanities; Journalism and Information; Business and Management; Law; Social Services or other fields when ensuring the following requirements:

Fields or professions for graduation exams do not require mandatory equipment or raw materials for practical work or have equipment or raw materials that can be replaced appropriately for online examination conditions; fields or professions have specialized examination and evaluation software; fully meeting infrastructure, information technology equipment, audio and video recording equipment requirements for the examination process;

e) The principal specifies in detail the form and procedure for organizing online examinations to ensure accurate and objective assessment of student learning outcomes and prevent cheating during the examination. The proceedings of the online examination must be recorded in audio and video and printed out for storage in accordance with Clause 3 of Article 19 of this Circular. The form of online examination must be agreed upon by members of the graduation examination board and the students.

3. Graduation Examination Board

a) The graduation examination board is established by the principal's decision, consisting of at least five people: The chairman of the board is the principal or vice-principal responsible for training activities; the deputy chairman is the vice-principal or head of the training department; the secretary of the board and other members are staff, teachers, lecturers of the school, representatives of enterprises with the same specialty or closely related to the field or profession organizing the examination;

b) The chairman of the graduation examination board is responsible for specifying and directing all activities related to examinations, defense of graduation theses/projects. Decisions are made to establish committees assisting the board, including: Secretariat Committee, Question Setting Committee, Supervision Committee, Grading Committee, Thesis/Dissertation Grading Committee, and other assistance committees as required by the examination period;

c) The graduation examination board implements the recognition of graduation for students in accordance with Article 26 of this Circular; submits to the principal for review and decision on the list of students eligible and ineligible for graduation recognition.

4. Question Setting, Supervision, and Grading

a) The examination questions must be consistent with the study outline, each subject must have a main set of examination questions and at least one backup set equivalent in content knowledge and having the same duration for the examination time for the Professional Theory subject;

b) Online examination questions must ensure compliance with requirements similar to those for direct examinations and be equivalent in content;

c) The answer points for written and practical examination questions shall be divided according to content not exceeding 0.25 points on a scale of 10; if the total score of the examination has a decimal point of 0.25, it will be rounded up to 0.5; if the decimal point is 0.75, it will be rounded up to 1.0;

5. Grading of special topics and graduation theses

a) The grading panel for special topics and graduation theses shall consist of from three to five members including the Chairperson, Secretary, and other members;

b) The grading panel for special topics and graduation theses shall convene when there are at least three members present; the Chairperson and Secretary may not be absent;

c) The grading panel for special topics and graduation theses shall grade through secret ballot; the average score of the members shall be the official score for the special topic or graduation thesis;

d) The minutes of the grading of special topics and graduation theses shall be kept like examination grading minutes and filed according to the provisions of Article 19 of this Circular;

Article 24. Conditions for Graduation Examinations and Number of Attempts

1. Conditions for Graduation Examinations:

a) The cumulative scores of subjects and modules in the program must meet the passing standard;

b) Not during a period of disciplinary action from suspension of studies for a specified period or higher, nor during a period of criminal responsibility investigation;

c) Still within the number of attempts and within the maximum timeframe for graduation examinations as stipulated in Clause 2 of this Article;

d) A student who does not meet the conditions for graduation examinations as stipulated in Point a of this Clause, if they still have time to complete the program, may be considered by the Rector to allow completion of unsatisfactory subjects and modules and organize the review of graduation examination conditions;

đ) A student who does not meet the conditions for graduation examinations due to disciplinary action of suspension of studies for a specified period, upon expiration of the disciplinary period or criminal responsibility investigation, with a conclusion from the competent authority but not falling under the case of being expelled, may be organized by the Rector to review the conditions for graduation examinations;

e) A student who violates discipline or commits a violation of the law that does not reach the level of criminal responsibility investigation, the Rector must organize a disciplinary review before reviewing the conditions for graduation examinations for that student;

2. Number of Attempts for Graduation Examinations

a) A student who scores below 5.0 in a graduation examination subject may retake that subject no more than three times within the maximum timeframe to complete the program;

b) The first retake for a student who fails to meet the requirements in a graduation examination subject shall be held at least thirty days from the date of announcement of the examination results, with the retake time determined by the Rector;

c) A student holding a disability confirmation certificate as prescribed, if scoring below 5.0 in a graduation examination subject, may be given priority consideration by the Rector for additional retake attempts within the maximum timeframe to complete the program;

d) A student who does not participate in the graduation examination for valid reasons and force majeure shall not count the attempt and may be scheduled for another examination session. If absent without valid reasons, it shall still count as an attempt and must participate in the retake examination within the permitted retake attempts;

đ) A student may be exempted from taking the graduation examination for a subject if they have previously taken and been recognized as meeting the requirements for that subject at an equivalent field, profession, and level.

Article 25. Final Thesis and Graduation Project

1. The Rector decides on the class and students eligible to undertake final thesis and graduation project; assigns teachers and lecturers to guide the final thesis and graduation project according to the proposal of the relevant department.

2. The volume of the final thesis and graduation project shall not exceed 5 credits and is specified in the college training program.

3. The teacher or lecturer guiding the final thesis and graduation project must submit a request for the student to defend the final thesis and graduation project, along with the full text of the thesis and project, to the relevant department at least 15 days before the defense; the final thesis and graduation project must be handed over to the examination board at least 10 days before the defense.

4. The results of the examination of the final thesis and graduation project must be announced immediately after the defense session. The Rector stipulates the conditions for re-defense or allows the student to switch to a graduation exam for cases where the final thesis and graduation project do not meet the requirements.

5. For certain fields and professions in the areas of Arts, Health, Sports, National Defense and Security, the Rector specifies the content and form of the final thesis and graduation project suitable for the characteristics of the field or profession.

Article 26. Graduation Conditions

1. A student is recognized as having graduated when they meet the following conditions:

a) The score of each graduation exam subject or the score of the final thesis and graduation project reaches 5.0 or higher on a scale of 10;

b) Not during a period of disciplinary action from suspension of studies for a limited time or being pursued for criminal responsibility;

c) Completing other conditions as prescribed by the school;

2. In cases where a student violates discipline or commits a violation of the law but does not reach the level of being pursued for criminal responsibility, the Rector must organize a disciplinary review before considering the conditions for recognizing graduation for that student.

3. In cases where a student is disciplined with suspension of studies for a limited time, upon completion of the disciplinary period or being pursued for criminal responsibility and having received a conclusion from the competent authority but not falling under the category of being expelled from school, the Rector organizes a review for recognizing graduation.

4. At the latest within 15 working days from the end date of the graduation exam or the defense of the final thesis and graduation project, the graduation review board organizes the graduation review for the student. At the latest within 5 working days from the date of the graduation review for the student, the graduation review board submits to the Rector a list of students who meet and do not meet the conditions for recognizing graduation.

5. At the latest within 3 working days from the date the graduation review board makes a recommendation, the Rector issues a decision recognizing graduation for students who meet the graduation conditions.

Article 27. Graduation Evaluation Points

1. The points for evaluating the graduation classification for graduation exams are calculated using the formula:

Where:

- Office of the President of the State_TN: points for evaluating the graduation classification

- Office of the President of the State_TB: average points throughout the entire course

- Office of the President of the State_TNTH: points for the Practical Exam subject

- Office of the President of the State_TNLT: points for the Major Theory Exam subject

2. The points for evaluating the graduation classification for defending the final thesis and graduation project are calculated using the formula:

Where: G_{College Degree}: points for the final thesis and graduation project.

3. The graduation classification of the student is based on the graduation evaluation points and is calculated on a scale of 10 as follows:

a) Excellent: from 9.0 to 10

b) Good: from 8.0 to 8.9

c) Fair: from 7.0 to 7.9

d) Average: from 5.0 to 6.9

4. Students who have achieved graduation evaluation points at the Good level or above and do not need to retake any graduation exam subjects or re-defend the final thesis and graduation project will have their graduation classification reduced by one level if they fall into any of the following situations:

a) Have 1 subject or module in a semester that needs to be retaken for the Excellent level; 2 subjects or modules or more in a semester that need to be retaken for the Good level (excluding conditional subjects or modules; subjects or modules temporarily deferred or exempted);

b) Have a study load that needs to be retaken exceeding 10% of the program duration;

c) Are disciplined by the school from a warning level or higher during the study period at the school, excluding the levels of discipline as stipulated in Clause 2 and Clause 3 of Article 17 of this Circular;

5. Students who need to retake the graduation exam or re-defend the final thesis and graduation project will be classified as follows:

a) If there is 1 graduation exam subject that needs to be retaken or 1 re-defense of the final thesis and graduation project, the highest graduation classification is Fair;

b) If a student needs to retake the graduation exam or re-defend the final thesis and graduation project two times or more, the graduation classification is Average.

Chapter III
TRAINING ORGANIZATION IN
CREDIT AND MODULE ACCUMULATION FORM

Article 28. Organization of Classes

1. Classes shall be organized according to each subject or module based on students' registration for study in each semester. The rector shall stipulate the minimum number of students for each theoretical and practical class to ensure appropriate training conditions in accordance with actual circumstances but ensuring that integrated and practical classes do not exceed 18 students for ordinary trades; and do not exceed 10 students for heavy, toxic, or dangerous industries and trades listed by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs.

2. Depending on actual conditions, there may be from 2 to 3 semesters in a year, including the main semester and the supplementary semester. The main semester is the compulsory semester, each main semester must have at least 15 weeks including study time and examination time. The supplementary semester is not mandatory, during the supplementary semester, students can study subjects or modules delayed from the main semester, retake subjects or modules not passed, improve their cumulative average score, or take advanced subjects or modules in subsequent semesters if there are classes available. Each supplementary semester must have at least 6 weeks including study time and examination time.

Article 29. Registration of Study Load

1. Before each semester, students must register for study in accordance with the school's training regulations. The study load registered by students in each semester shall be as follows:

a) The minimum study load shall not be less than two-thirds of the average study load of a semester according to the study plan;

b) The maximum study load shall not exceed one and a half times the average study load of a semester according to the study plan;

c) There is no minimum study load requirement for the supplementary semester.

2. Students may register to retake subjects or modules where they achieved a D grade in the final exam as stipulated in Article 31 of this Circular to improve their cumulative average score.

3. The study load registered by students in each semester shall be recorded on the study registration form retained by the school.

Article 30. Reduction of Registered Study Load

1. The reduction of registered study load shall be carried out two weeks after the start of the main semester, and one week after the start of the supplementary semester. Depending on specific conditions, the rector shall stipulate the maximum amount of study load that can be reduced. Apart from the reduced study load, the subjects or modules remain unchanged in the study registration form; if the student does not attend these subjects or modules, it will be considered as voluntarily dropping out and must receive an F grade as stipulated in Article 31 of this Circular.

2. Students can only reduce their registered study load when they submit a request to the school and receive approval from the school.

Article 31. Conversion of Subject and Module Grades and Semester Cumulative Average Grade, Accumulated Cumulative Average Grade

1. Conversion of subject and module grades to letter grades

a) The subject and module grades are determined according to Clause 1 of Article 16 of this Circular on a ten-point scale, rounded to one decimal place, converted to letter grades as follows:

Pass category:

Fail category:

b) For subjects or modules without sufficient basis to calculate grades for evaluation, the following symbols shall be used:

I: Insufficient component points for evaluation due to permission to postpone examination or test;

X: No results received from examination or test;

R: For subjects or modules exempted or allowed to transfer grades with accompanying results.

c) The classification at the F grade level, in addition to the provisions stated in point a of this clause, also applies to cases where students violate examination rules as stipulated in Article 17; voluntarily drop out of courses as stipulated in Clause 1 of Article 30 of this Circular;

d) The classification at the I grade level applies to the following cases: During the study period or at the end of the subject or module examination period, the student falls ill or has an accident and cannot take the exam, but must obtain permission from the rector; the student does not participate sufficiently in regular or periodic tests or final exams for subjects or modules due to objective reasons, approved by the school. Except for special cases specified by the rector, before the start of the next semester, students with an I grade must complete all outstanding regular or periodic test points to be eligible for grade conversion;

đ) The classification at the X grade level applies to subjects or modules where the training result consolidation unit has not yet received the student's learning outcome report from the training unit;

e) The symbol R applies to the following cases: The grade for subjects or modules evaluated at levels A, B, C, D during the initial assessment at the beginning of the semester (if applicable) for some subjects or modules permitted to take early exams to help students advance. These subjects or modules are recognized when students transfer from another school or between programs.

2. To calculate the semester cumulative average grade and accumulated cumulative average grade, letter grades of each subject or module are converted to numerical scores on a four-point scale as follows:

In cases where a letter grading scale with more levels is used, as stipulated by the rector, it shall also be converted to numerical scores on a scale from 0 to 4.

3. The semester cumulative average grade and accumulated cumulative average grade are determined according to Clause 2 of Article 16 of this Circular.

Article 32. Classification of Academic Performance

1. The classification of academic performance for students during each semester shall be based on their cumulative average grade on a four-point scale as follows:

Excellent: from 3.50 to 4.00

Good: from 3.00 to 3.49

Average: from 2.50 to 2.99

Passable: from 2.00 to 2.49

Weak: below 2.00

2. Students who achieve grades of Very Good or higher will be downgraded by one classification level if they fall into one or more of the following cases:

a) Students who are disciplined by the school at or above the warning level during the semester in which the academic performance is classified shall not be counted.

b) Students who have to retake one course or module in the semester for the excellent category, two courses or modules or more in the semester for the good category, excluding conditional courses or modules; courses or modules that are temporarily deferred or exempted shall not be counted.

3. The academic results from supplementary semesters will be combined with those from regular semesters for classification purposes.

Article 33. Warning on Academic Performance, Compulsory Withdrawal, Voluntary Withdrawal

1. Warnings on academic performance are implemented for each semester to help students with poor academic performance become aware and plan appropriate study schedules to improve their academic results. A warning on academic performance will be issued when:

a) The total number of courses or modules not passed in the semester exceeds 50% of the registered credit load;

b) The semester average grade is less than 1.2 for the first semester of the program, and less than 1.5 for subsequent semesters;

c) The rector specifies the number of warnings on academic performance and the method of notification to the student.

2. After each semester, a student will be compulsorily withdrawn if they fall into one of the following cases:

a) The number of warnings on academic performance exceeds the school's regulations;

b) They have exceeded the maximum time limit to complete the program as stipulated in Clause 3, Article 3 of this Circular;

c) They are disciplined at the compulsory withdrawal level.

3. Students who do not fall into the category of compulsory withdrawal, if they fall into one of the following situations, may request the school to allow them to withdraw voluntarily:

a) Students self-assess that they no longer have the ability to complete the program due to insufficient remaining time;

b) Due to other reasons requiring withdrawal accompanied by specific evidence and approved by the principal.

4. The rector shall establish procedures, rights, obligations, or responsibilities of the student, retain accumulated academic results, and decide on compulsory withdrawal or voluntary withdrawal of the student.

Article 34. Graduation Conditions

1. At the end of the program, or when a student has accumulated the required number of modules or credits as specified in the program, the rector shall establish a graduation examination board for the student.

2. A student will be recognized as having graduated when they meet all of the following conditions:

a) Accumulating the required number of modules or credits as specified in the program;

b) The cumulative average grade of the entire program on a four-point scale is 2.0 or higher;

c) Completing other mandatory requirements as specified in the program;

d) Not being under disciplinary action from suspension of studies for a limited period or criminal prosecution;

đ) Submitting a request for graduation examination in cases where they meet the conditions for early or late graduation compared to the program duration.

3. In cases where a student violates discipline or laws but does not reach the level of criminal prosecution, the rector must organize a disciplinary review before examining the conditions for recognizing graduation for that student.

4. In cases where a student is disciplined with suspension of studies for a limited period, after the disciplinary period ends or after criminal prosecution with a conclusion from the competent authority, but does not fall into the case of compulsory withdrawal, they may be considered for recognition of graduation.

Article 35. Classification of Graduation

1. The classification of graduation is determined based on the cumulative average grade of the entire program as stipulated in Clause 1, Article 32 of this Circular.

2. Students who achieve a graduation classification of good or higher will have their graduation classification reduced by one level if they fall into one of the following cases:

a) Having to retake one course or module in the semester for the excellent category, two courses or modules or more in the semester for the good category, excluding conditional courses or modules; courses or modules that are temporarily deferred or exempted shall not be counted;

b) Having to repeat more than 10% of the training program's workload;

c) Being disciplined at or above the warning level during their time at school, excluding the levels of discipline specified in Clause 2, Clause 3, Article 17 of this Circular.

Chapter IV
IMPLEMENTATION

Article 36. Responsibilities of schools

1. Schools shall independently and be responsible for selecting training methods according to the academic year system or modular or credit accumulation system suitable for the specific conditions of the school but must ensure the quality of training for each program.

2. Implement inter-level training for students in fields, trades, and levels that the school is currently training in accordance with Circular No. 27/2017/TT-BLDTBXH dated September 21, 2017, issued by the Minister of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs on inter-level training within vocational education; implement joint training in accordance with Circular No. 29/2017/TT-BLDTBXH dated December 15, 2017, issued by the Minister of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs on joint organization and implementation of training programs.

3. Based on this Circular, schools shall establish and promulgate training regulations, examination and graduation recognition regulations, and specific provisions regarding the organization and management of training for their own schools according to each method and type of training.

4. Before starting a course, schools must publicly disclose the quality assurance conditions; objectives, minimum knowledge volume, and requirements for abilities that students need to achieve upon graduation; the curriculum of each field and trade; the maximum time to complete the program for each specific field and trade; training regulations; training plans for the course and academic year; estimated graduation exam date; examination and graduation recognition regulations.

Article 37. Application of Information Technology in Organizing Training

1. Schools have autonomy in applying information technology in organizing training at their institutions, specifically:

a) Building infrastructure, investing in technology, and information technology equipment to meet the requirements of digital transformation in training;

b) Developing management programs for organizing training including managing training programs, teaching staff; electronic student files from enrollment to participation in the labor market and other contents serving the training activities of the school on computer networks;

c) Building online training systems including online learning (e-learning), online learning management systems (LMS - Learning Management System), learning content management systems (LCMS - Learning Content Management System);

d) Researching and applying virtual reality (VR - Virtual Reality) and augmented reality (AR - Augmented Reality) technologies to support practical training;

đ) Digitizing curricula, textbooks, teaching materials, lesson plans, training progress; building an electronic library to serve the organization of training.

2. The organization of intermediate and higher vocational training levels according to the academic year system or modular or credit accumulation system through the application of information technology must comply with the provisions of this Circular and relevant laws.

Article 38. Reporting System

1. The Rector shall report in writing on the school's training work annually up to December 31 of each year to the direct management agency of the school; the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs of the locality where the school is located before January 10 of the following year. The report includes main contents such as: Enrollment, graduation, withdrawal, and ongoing study numbers in the year, expected graduation numbers in the next year, employment status of graduates within 12 months according to the entry level, field of training, training course, and training form; number of new, updated, and supplemented training programs; joint training activities (fields, units, locations); commendation, disciplinary actions, or violation handling situations (if any) and favorable and unfavorable factors in organizing training and recommendations to competent authorities.

2. The Director of the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs of provinces and centrally-administered cities shall report in writing on the summary of intermediate and higher vocational training of schools in their areas annually up to December 31 of each year to the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs before January 25 of the following year.

3. In addition to the reporting regime stipulated in Clause 1 and Clause 2 of this Article, the Rector and the Director of the Department of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs of provinces and centrally-administered cities shall be responsible for reporting to competent authorities on other issues related to organizing training as prescribed by law or ad hoc reports when required.

Article 39. Effective date

1. This Circular takes effect from May 15, 2022. Circular No. 09/2017/TT-BLDTBXH dated March 13, 2017, issued by the Minister of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs on the implementation of training programs for intermediate and higher vocational levels according to the academic year system or modular or credit accumulation system; examination and graduation recognition regulations become invalid from the date this Circular takes effect.

2. In cases where the referenced documents in this Circular are amended, supplemented, or replaced, they shall be implemented according to the newly issued documents.

3. For courses admitted before the effective date of this Circular, schools shall organize training according to current regulations at the start of the course until its completion.

4. In cases of natural disasters, complex epidemics, and other force majeure situations, it is requested that agencies, organizations, and individuals promptly reflect to the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs for research and resolution.

Article 40. Responsibility for Implementation

Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, government agencies, provincial People's Committees, political-social organizations, Departments of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs, intermediate vocational schools, higher vocational schools, and related agencies, organizations, and individuals are responsible for implementing this Circular./.