JOINT CIRCULAR No. 17/2016/TTLT-BGDĐT-BTTTT ON THE ORGANIZATION OF EXAMS AND ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATES FOR THE APPLICATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

JOINT CIRCULAR

On organizing examinations and
issuing certificates for information technology application

Pursuant to the Education Law on June 14, 2005; the Law Amending and Supplementing Certain Articles of the Education Law on November 25, 2009;

Pursuant to the Law on Information Technology dated June 29, 2006;

Pursuant to Decree No. 75/2006/NĐ-CP dated August 2, 2006 of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Education Law; Decree No. 31/2011/NĐ-CP dated May 11, 2011 of the Government amending and supplementing certain provisions of Decree No. 75/2006/NĐ-CP dated August 2, 2006 of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Education Law; Decree No. 07/2013/NĐ-CP dated January 9, 2013 of the Government amending point b Clause 1 Article 1 of Decree No. 31/2011/NĐ-CP dated May 11, 2011 of the Government amending and supplementing certain provisions of Decree No. 75/2006/NĐ-CP dated August 2, 2006 of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of certain provisions of the Education Law;

Pursuant to Decree No. 32/2008/NĐ-CP dated March 19, 2008 of the Government on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Education and Training;

Pursuant to Decree No. 132/2013/NĐ-CP dated October 16, 2013 of the Government on the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Information and Communications;

The Minister of Education and Training and the Minister of Information and Communications issue this Joint Circular on organizing examinations and issuing certificates for information technology application.

Article 1. Scope of Regulation and Applicability

Article 1. This Joint Circular stipulates activities related to organizing examinations and issuing certificates for information technology application (IT).

Article 2. This Joint Circular applies to organizations and individuals participating in or related to activities of organizing examinations and issuing IT application certificates.

Article 2. Interpretation of Terms

In this Joint Circular, the following terms shall be understood as follows:

Point 1. IT application certificate is a certificate of the national education system confirming the level and ability to use IT according to the IT skill standards specified in Circular No. 03/2014/TT-BTTTT dated March 11, 2014 of the Minister of Information and Communications (hereinafter referred to as Circular No. 03/2014/TT-BTTTT).

Point 2. Direct management agency refers to universities, academies, and university-level schools for computer centers, foreign language-computer centers, and IT centers under their direct control; it refers to provincial People's Committees or municipal People's Committees directly under the Central Government (if authorized) for computer centers, foreign language-computer centers established pursuant to Circular No. 03/2011/TT-BGDĐT dated January 28, 2011 of the Minister of Education and Training promulgating the Regulations on the organization and operation of foreign language and computer centers.

Point 3. Examination center is a general term referring to computer centers, foreign language-computer centers, and IT centers that organize examinations and issue IT application certificates.

Article 3. Provisions on material infrastructure and equipment of examination centers

Clause 1. There must be examination rooms and functional rooms sufficient to organize both multiple-choice and practical parts of the examination for 20-30 candidates per examination session.

a) Examination room must ensure adequate lighting, desks, chairs, chalk or marker pens, boards or projection screens; have a clock visible to all candidates to monitor time; have a printer connected to computers;

b) Must have security checking devices such as metal detectors or handheld devices to control candidates bringing items into the examination room;

c) Must have a room for the Examination Board, with a safe, cabinet, or lockable filing cabinet to store examination files securely.

Clause 2. There must be an IT system ensuring the organization of examinations on computers

a) Internal network (LAN) including high-performance servers and workstations installed with stable operating systems and examination software meeting examination requirements; security devices integrated into the system, load balancing devices, data storage backup devices, uninterruptible power supplies, and backup power sources; internal network connection speed and internet connection speed must ensure smooth examination operations on computers;

b) The number of computers must ensure one computer per candidate and the number of backup computers must reach at least 10% of the total number of candidates taking the examination;

c) Must have video recording devices (cameras) for real-time monitoring and recording the entire examination room continuously throughout the examination period; storing examination images in the database of the examination center.

Clause 3. The examination area must meet security, safety, and fire prevention requirements; there must be a place to store candidates' belongings.

Article 4. Personnel provisions for examination centers

1. There must be a director and at least one deputy director with management and leadership capabilities, holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

2. There must be at least ten question setters and examiners holding a bachelor's degree in Information Technology or higher, with experience in setting and grading exams.

3. There must be a team of invigilators and technical staff capable of using IT equipment, sound, and image devices to organize and grade exams.

Article 5. Provisions on the bank of multiple-choice test questions

1. The bank of multiple-choice test questions for basic IT skills usage

a) Must have a minimum of 700 test questions;

b) Must adequately represent all skill groups of the six modules specified in Appendix No. 01 of Circular 03/2014/TT-BTTTT.

2. The bank of multiple-choice test questions for advanced IT skills usage

a) Must have a minimum of 150 test questions for each advanced module;

b) Must adequately represent all skill groups of each advanced module specified in Appendix No. 02 of Circular 03/2014/TT-BTTTT.

Article 6. Provisions on the multiple-choice test software

1. Must have a user-friendly interface, easy to install and use; able to disconnect from unrelated external applications and devices.

2. Allows candidates to log into the software to take the test using their personal test code.

3. Must have a subsystem for managing the bank of questions to update and supplement.

4. Must have an algorithm for randomly and evenly selecting questions from different knowledge sections to create a multiple-choice test from the test question bank.

5. Must have auxiliary functions such as a countdown clock, previewing the next question, statistics on answered questions, automatic logout and storage of the candidate's work when time is up.

6. Automatically grades the multiple-choice test, stores, and reports results on the screen or prints them out immediately after the test ends or when the candidate clicks the "end" button.

Article 7. Provisions on IT application tests

1. General Provisions

a) The test consists of two parts: a multiple-choice test and a practical test; conducted on computers connected via a LAN (with internal server storage). These two tests are mandatory and are carried out consecutively according to the examination center's regulations;

b) The multiple-choice test is generated by the software from the test question bank and graded automatically;

c) The practical test is compiled by the Test Question Committee in file form; the results of the practical test are graded by the Grading Committee and stored in files on the LAN server.

2. The basic IT application test is built based on the comprehensive knowledge and skills of the six basic skill modules of the IT Usage Skill Standard stipulated in Clause 1, Article 2 of Circular 03/2014/TT-BTTTT.

3. The advanced IT application test is built based on the knowledge and skills of each advanced module of the IT Usage Skill Standard stipulated in Clause 2, Article 2 of Circular 03/2014/TT-BTTTT.

4. Supplying test questions

a) Multiple-choice test questions are generated by the software from the test question bank;

b) Practical test questions

- Practical test questions are compiled by the Test Question Committee, encoded, and handed over to the Examination Committee in accordance with regulations;

- The Chairman of the Examining Board receives the test questions from the Test Question Committee, directly reviews, encodes, stores in memory devices, seals according to test security regulations, and prepares a handover record for the Head of the Examination Committee;

- The Head of the Examination Committee transfers the test data to the internal server no later than 60 minutes before the start of the test; directly decodes the test questions to prepare for handing them over to the candidates when the test begins.

Article 8. Question Bank for Examinations and National Examination Management Software

1. The question bank for examinations and national examination management software are established to ensure uniformity in examination questions and grading across the country.

2. The Ministry of Education and Training shall be responsible for building, managing, and operating the national question bank for examinations and national examination management software.

3. The national question bank for examinations and national examination management software shall be reviewed and approved by the Inter-Ministerial Review Board established by the Ministry of Education and Training in coordination with the Ministry of Information and Communications.

Article 9. Candidates for Examinations and Examination Conditions

1. Candidates for examinations: Individuals who wish to have their information technology application skills assessed or obtain an information technology application certificate as stipulated by the Ministry of Education and Training.

2. Examination conditions

a) Individuals must have a valid registration form for the examination and pay the full examination fee as prescribed;

b) Candidates applying for an advanced information technology application certificate must hold a basic information technology application certificate.

3. Registration for examinations

a) Individuals may directly register at the examination center or through an organization to register for the examination at the examination center;

b) The registration form for the examination includes:

- An examination registration form according to the model attached to this Joint Circular;

- Two (02) photographs measuring 4cm x 6cm in the format of a citizen identification card taken not more than six months prior to the date of registration; the back of the photograph must clearly state the full name, date of birth, and place of birth;

- A copy of one of the following documents: citizen identification card, citizen identity card, passport, or birth certificate accompanied by one document with a photo affixed with a matching stamp.

Article 10. Examination Board

1. The Examination Board is established by the head of the direct management agency of the examination center.

2. Composition of the Examination Board includes:

a) Chairman of the Board, Vice-Chairman of the Board (if necessary), to be held by the Director or Deputy Director of the center and other members of the Board;

b) Committees of the Examination Board include: Secretariat Committee, Question Committee, Supervision Committee, Grading Committee. Members of these committees are selected from staff and teachers with sufficient professional qualifications, expertise, and experience in examination and inspection work.

3. The Chairman, Vice-Chairman of the Examination Board, and members of the Committees of the Examination Board must not have relatives (parents, spouse, children, siblings; parents, siblings of spouse) participating in the examination at the Examination Board.

4. The Examination Board will dissolve itself upon completion of its tasks.

Article 11. Duties of the Examination Board

1. Chairman of the Examination Board

a) Directing the activities of the Examination Board;

b) Approving the list of candidates registered for the examination;

c) Receiving, managing, and securing examination questions;

d) Approving the list of candidates meeting the examination requirements, submitting the examination results for approval by the head of the direct management agency, and recommending the issuance of certificates to the competent authority;

e) Deciding on disciplinary actions against violators of the examination regulations (if any).

2. Vice-Chairman of the Examination Board

a) Assisting the Chairman of the Board and directing the activities assigned by the Chairman;

b) Directing the activities of the Examination Board when the Chairman is absent.

3. Secretariat Committee

a) Assisting the Examination Board in reviewing and compiling registration forms, preparing candidate lists, and drafting related documents for submission to the Chairman of the Examination Board, recording minutes of meetings of the Examination Board;

b) Announcing the time and location of the examination for each registered candidate;

c) Receiving examination papers and data from the Supervision Committee; storing, inventorying, and transferring examination data to the Grading Committee; compiling statistics on examination results. When compiling the score list, there must be one person reading and another recording, then switching roles for verification; the end of the list must indicate the date, month, year, and signatures of the reader and recorder;

d) Submitting to the Chairman of the Examination Board the list of candidates meeting the criteria for certification.

4. Question Committee

a) Organizing the preparation of practical examination questions with answers and detailed grading scales for selection and decision by the Chairman of the Examination Board;

b) Transferring examination questions to the Supervision Committee;

c) Staff preparing examination questions are responsible for the entire content, ensuring confidentiality and security of the examination questions in accordance with their duties and national secrecy protection principles.

5. Supervision Committee

a) The Supervision Committee has the following responsibilities:

- Arranging supervisors and technical staff for each examination room, security personnel to ensure safety during the examination and the candidates' answer sheets according to the examination schedule and examination room rules;

- Receiving, storing, and using examination questions as instructed;

- Collecting answer sheets, storing answer sheets and examination files, immediately handing over records to the Secretariat Committee.

b) Responsibilities of supervisors and technical staff:

- Supervisors and technical staff must arrive thirty minutes early to check the examination room, arrange seating for candidates, and receive examination data;

- Providing examination data to candidates;

- Adhering strictly to the supervision procedures as stipulated in this Joint Circular;

- After candidates finish their examination, requesting them to sign the confirmation list of candidates who completed the examination.

6. Grading Committee

a) The Head of the Grading Committee and exam graders must meet one of the following two conditions:

- Hold a bachelor's degree in computer science education or higher; have experience in teaching and examination organization;

- Hold a bachelor's degree in computer science or higher and a teacher training certificate; have experience in teaching and examination organization.

b) The Grading Committee has the following responsibilities:

- Receiving all examination papers and examination files handed over by the Secretariat Committee and storing them during the grading period;

- Organizing the grading of all candidates' examination papers;

- Compiling individual candidate scores by examination number;

- Submitting examination data and score sheets by examination number to the Secretariat Committee for consolidation of results;

- Evaluating the overall quality of examination questions and candidates' examination papers; providing feedback on examination questions, answers, and grading scales.

Article 12. Compilation of Candidate Lists and Examination Room Arrangement

1. The candidate list for each examination room shall be compiled in alphabetical order to assign registration numbers and arrange candidates' positions within the examination room.

2. Supervisors' arrangement inside and outside the examination room

a) Inside the examination room: Each examination room must have at least two supervisors; each supervisor monitors no more than ten candidates;

b) Outside the examination room: Each person supervises no more than three examination rooms.

3. Examination room arrangement

a) In each examination room, there shall be a list of candidate photos. At the entrance of the examination room, the examination room rules, candidate lists, and other relevant regulations for the examination period (if any) must be posted; there must be online surveillance cameras recording video and wall clocks functioning throughout the examination period;

b) Candidates' seating arrangements in the examination room must ensure a minimum distance of 1.2 meters between candidates both horizontally and vertically;

c) Each candidate is provided with a separate computer.

4. Computers in the examination room

a) There must be a sufficient number of operational computers as stipulated in Clause 2, Article 3 of this Joint Circular;

b) They must be isolated from any devices or means inside and outside the examination room (except for secure connections to receive test questions and submit candidates' answers); they must be set to the correct date and time; they must be virus-scanned;

c) They must be pre-installed with software serving the examination as prescribed by the center; no other software or documents may be installed;

d) Computers in the examination room must be arranged so that each pair is at least 1.2 meters apart both horizontally and vertically, ensuring that no candidate can see another's computer screen;

đ) There must be a main server and a secondary server (in cases where the examination takes place at a location different from the server location) to store information about candidates' answers;

e) Workstations at the examination site must be connected to the main server or secondary server (LAN network) but not to the internet.

Article 13. Responsibilities of Candidates

1. Be present at the examination venue on the specified date and time. Candidates arriving late by more than 10 minutes from the start of the examination period will not be allowed to take the examination.

2. Present a valid national identity card, passport, party membership card, driver's license, student ID, or other photo-bearing identification with a stamp over the photograph before entering the examination room.

3. Sit in the designated position according to the registration number assigned in the examination room; sign the candidate list for each examination session.

4. Only bring personal identification documents and examination materials as permitted.

5. Do not bring weapons, explosive, flammable substances, alcoholic beverages, documents, communication devices, or any information that could be exploited for cheating into the examination room.

6. During the examination period, do not communicate, discuss, copy others' work, maintain order; if seeking permission to speak or leave the examination room, request approval from the supervisor; only speak or leave the examination room when approved by the supervisor; follow the supervisor's instructions in case of unusual events.

7. Receive the examination questions and complete the examination on the computer.

8. Sign the Examination Participation Form.

9. Upon the signal to end the examination, all candidates must stop working and follow the supervisor's instructions.

10. After the examination ends, candidates may only leave the examination room with the supervisor's permission.

11. If examination regulations are violated, depending on the severity, candidates may face disciplinary actions ranging from warnings to disqualification or cancellation of examination results.

Article 14. Examination Supervision Procedure

1. At least one day before the examination, the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, secretary, and technical staff of the Examination Board shall be present at the examination venue to perform the following tasks:

a) Inspect the preparation for the examination period: physical facilities and equipment serving the organization of the examination;

b) Post the list of examinees, their examination codes, and examination room regulations.

2. Before the examination time

a) The invigilator shall inspect the examination room; assign seat numbers; check the identity documents and personal items of the examinees; compare the examinees with the photo lists; if there is any doubt about identification, take photos of the examinees for future verification purposes; call the examinees into the examination room and ensure they sit in the correct seat number positions;

b) The invigilator shall receive scratch papers and individual accounts of each examinee from the Head of the Examination Board or a person authorized by the Head of the Examination Board; the invigilator in the examination room shall sign on the scratch papers and distribute them to the examinees; check the power supply and the sealing of computers;

c) Upon the command to start the examination, the invigilator shall require the examinees to: turn on the computer; check the stability of the computer, keyboard, mouse, and headphones (headphone); log into the individual account provided by the invigilator; receive the examination questions from the server.

3. During the examination period

a) The invigilator in the examination room shall closely monitor the examination room, preventing examinees from exchanging information or copying;

b) In cases where it is necessary to allow examinees to leave the examination room, the invigilator in the examination room shall only permit individual examinees to leave and inform the invigilator outside the examination room to observe and supervise;

c) In cases where an examinee violates examination rules, the invigilator in the examination room shall prepare a record and immediately report to the Head of the Examination Board for appropriate measures;

d) The invigilator outside the examination room shall monitor the examinees and invigilators, examiners, and technical staff inside the examination room in the area assigned by the Head of the Examination Board; simultaneously, prevent any contact between examinees and other individuals.

4. After the examination time

a) The invigilator shall guide the examinees to perform the actions to conclude their examination;

b) The invigilator shall require each examinee to review their examination result files and sign confirmation (with the assistance of technical staff);

c) The invigilator outside the examination room shall monitor and assist the invigilator inside the examination room in maintaining order in the examination room in the area assigned by the Head of the Examination Board.

5. Packaging and transferring examination papers

a) The invigilator and technical staff shall store the examination papers of each examination room according to the established procedures in the examination software;

b) After confirming the storage of the examination papers, the invigilator and technical staff shall delete all examination data from the computers used by the examinees;

c) All examination data shall be stored in two separate devices in duplicate and sealed for transfer to the Secretariat.

Article 15. Examination Grading

1. General provisions on grading

a) The Examination Grading Board shall conduct the grading;

b) Examiners and technical staff shall be responsible for grading using the examination software;

c) Grading must be conducted in a secure, isolated area with online cameras monitoring the entire grading process.

2. Grading procedure

a) Each practical examination paper must be graded independently by two examiners, who shall record scores separately on the grading sheet according to the examination code and hand over to the Head of the Examination Grading Board. If the scores of the two examiners are identical, both shall record the score on the examination paper and sign together. If the scores differ, the two shall discuss and re-grade. If they still cannot reach an agreement after re-grading, they shall report to the Head of the Examination Grading Board for consideration and decision;

b) An examinee whose total score for both examination papers reaches 50% or more of the possible points for each multiple-choice and practical examination paper shall be recognized as meeting the requirements and shall be awarded a certificate;

c) The score sheet submitted to the Secretariat must have signatures of both examiners and the Head of the Examination Grading Board;

d) The Head of the Examination Grading Board shall be responsible for the grading results and submit them to the Chairman of the Examination Board for approval.

Article 16. Information Technology Application Certificate

1. The basic information technology application certificate shall be issued to individuals who meet the requirements of the examination according to the Basic Information Technology Skill Standard (including all six basic modules) as prescribed in Circular 03/2014/TT-BTTTT.

2. The advanced information technology application certificate shall be issued to individuals who have the basic information technology application certificate and also meet the requirements of the examinations corresponding to three modules among the modules of the Advanced Information Technology Skill Standard as prescribed in Circular 03/2014/TT-BTTTT.

Article 17. Management and Issuance of Certificates

1. The template for the certificate and the management of the certificate templates shall be governed by the Ministry of Education and Training.

2. Authority for management and issuance of certificates: The heads of examination centers where candidates take the exams shall have the authority to issue and revoke certificates for candidates meeting the conditions as approved on the list.

3. The management, issuance, and revocation of certificates shall be governed by the current regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training.

Article 18. Reporting System

1. After each examination session and issuance of certificates, examination centers shall report the results to the direct supervisory agency.

2. Every six months, at the latest on June 30 and December 31 of each year, the direct supervisory agency shall compile and report to the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Information and Communications on the following contents:

a) Characteristics and situation of the examination center;

b) Aggregate data on the organization of examinations and issuance of certificates;

c) Proposed plan for organizing subsequent examination sessions and issuing certificates;

d) Any recommendations or suggestions (if any).

Article 19. Record Keeping Administrative Procedure: Recognition of forest tree planting seed sources

1. Lists of candidates taking the exam, grade sheets, decisions approving examination results, lists of candidates receiving certificates, and certificate issuance registers shall be permanently stored.

2. Examination questions, answers, candidate papers; examination committee minutes, minutes of handling during the examination, decisions establishing the examination committee; final reports of the examination session accompanied by statistical tables of the examination committee; review files (if any) shall be stored for at least two years. Candidate papers may be stored in paper form, file format, screen capture, or other formats.

3. Camera footage from examination rooms shall be stored for at least six months.

Article 20. Inspection and Supervision

1. The Ministry of Education and Training shall lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Information and Communications to organize inspections and supervision of the implementation of regulations on examination organization, management, and issuance of information technology application certificates by examination centers as prescribed.

2. Direct supervisory agencies shall conduct inspections and oversight of the activities of subordinate examination centers within their jurisdiction.

3. Examination centers shall regularly self-inspect and supervise to ensure compliance with the provisions of this joint circular.

Article 21. Responsibilities of Agencies and Organizations

1. Responsibilities of the Ministry of Education and Training

a) Directing and guiding computer centers, foreign language-computer centers, information technology centers, and related organizations and individuals in organizing examinations and issuing information technology application certificates;

b) Guiding regulations on certificate templates and the management of issuance and recovery of information technology application certificates;

c) Leading and guiding the establishment, management, and operation of the national question bank and national examination management software, and related matters; forming a Joint-Ministry Examination Question Bank and National Examination Management Software Review Committee; guiding the organization of examinations and issuance of information technology application certificates based on the national question bank and national examination management software;

d) Monitoring and compiling the implementation status of examinations and issuance of information technology application certificates nationwide;

e) Organizing inspections, supervision, and handling violations by direct supervisory agencies and related organizations and individuals within their jurisdiction.

2. Responsibilities of the Ministry of Information and Communications

a) Coordinating with the Ministry of Education and Training to guide specialized content related to information technology as prescribed in this joint circular;

b) Participating in the Joint-Ministry Examination Question Bank and National Examination Management Software Review Committee;

c) Coordinating with the Ministry of Education and Training to establish regulations on the establishment, management, and operation of the national question bank and national examination management software;

d) Coordinating with the Ministry of Education and Training in inspecting, supervising, and handling activities related to examinations and issuance of information technology application certificates as prescribed.

3. Responsibilities of Direct Supervisory Agencies

a) Establishing an examination question bank and multiple-choice examination software review committee for subordinate examination centers as prescribed in this joint circular. Notifying the examination center of the review results in writing and simultaneously compiling and reporting to the Ministry of Education and Training;

b) Managing, supervising, inspecting, and disciplining subordinate examination centers (if they violate the provisions of this joint circular) within their jurisdiction.

4. Responsibilities of Provincial Departments of Education and Training

a) Appointing representatives to participate in the examination question bank and multiple-choice examination software review committees established by direct supervisory agencies as prescribed in this joint circular;

b) Inspecting and supervising the organization of examinations and issuance of information technology application certificates by subordinate examination centers within their jurisdiction.

5. Responsibilities of Provincial Departments of Information and Communications

a) Appointing representatives to participate in the examination question bank and multiple-choice examination software review committees established by direct supervisory agencies as prescribed in this joint circular;

b) Cooperating with Provincial Departments of Education and Training to inspect and supervise the organization of examinations and issuance of information technology application certificates by examination centers within their jurisdiction.

6. Responsibilities of Examination Centers

a) Ensuring sufficient facilities, equipment, and personnel for examination organization and certificate issuance as prescribed in this joint circular and reporting to the direct supervisory agency;

b) Handling individuals violating examination rules within their jurisdiction as prescribed;

c) Storing lists, candidate files, violation handling minutes, statistical data, and examination room camera footage as prescribed;

d) Providing materials, data, images, or online camera connections to serve regular or sudden inspections and supervision by authorized agencies.

Article 22. Effectiveness

1. This joint circular shall take effect from August 10, 2016.

2. This Joint Circular abolishes the provisions related to the organization of examinations and issuance of computer proficiency certificates at Clause 5, Article 3 of Circular No. 03/2011/TT-BGDĐT dated January 28, 2011, issued by the Minister of Education and Training on the regulations governing the operations and activities of foreign language and computer centers; replaces the provisions regarding the organization of examinations and issuance of computer proficiency certificates under the regular education program stipulated in Decision No. 30/2008/QĐ-BGDĐT dated June 6, 2008, issued by the Minister of Education and Training on the regulations for training, upgrading, examination, and issuance of foreign language and computer proficiency certificates under the regular education program. All previous provisions that conflict with this Joint Circular are hereby abolished.

Article 23. Transitional Provisions

1. For courses leading to the issuance of computer application proficiency certificates A, B, C (as per Decision No. 21/2000/QĐ-BGD&ĐT dated July 3, 2000, issued by the Minister of Education and Training on the Computer Application Proficiency Program A, B, C) that are being implemented before this Joint Circular takes effect shall continue to be carried out and certificates shall be issued until completion.

2. Computer application proficiency certificates A, B, C already issued have equivalent validity to basic information technology application certificates.

3. Until a national question bank and examination management software are available, examination centers shall independently develop multiple-choice test software, multiple-choice question banks, and practical test questions; organize examinations and issue certificates in accordance with this Joint Circular. The multiple-choice question banks and examination software of the examination centers must be reviewed by the Review Board established by the direct supervising authority. The Review Board must include representatives from the Department of Education and Training and representatives from the Department of Information and Communications.

4. Examination centers shall switch to using and organizing examinations according to the national examination question bank and national examination management software when regulations and guidelines are provided by the Ministry of Education and Training.

Article 24. Implementation Organization

1. The Director of the Office, the Head of the Department of Continuing Education, the Director of the Department of Information Technology of the Ministry of Education and Training; the Director of the Office, the Head of the Department of Information Technology of the Ministry of Information and Communications; the Heads of agencies and units under the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Information and Communications; the Heads of higher education institutions, Directors of provincial Departments of Education and Training, Directors of provincial Departments of Information and Communications, and relevant organizations and individuals are responsible for implementing this Joint Circular.

2. In the course of implementation, if there are any difficulties, the relevant agencies, organizations, and individuals are requested to promptly report them to the Ministry of Education and Training and the Ministry of Information and Communications for consideration and resolution./.