Joint Circular No. 47/2001/TTLT-BTC-BGDĐT guiding the level of funding for the preparation of examination questions and the organization of student excellence exams, international exams, and graduation exams.

JOINT CIRCULAR

Guidelines for the level of examination fees for the work of preparing examination questions and organizing national student excellence competitions, international examinations, and graduation examinations

_____________________________

Implementing Decree No. 87/CP dated December 19, 1996 of the Government guiding the implementation of the decentralization management, preparation, execution, and settlement of the State budget;

The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education and Training guide the standard expenditure for the work of preparing examination questions and organizing national student excellence competitions, international examinations, and graduation examinations as follows:

I - SCOPE AND APPLICABLE OBJECTS

1- National examinations organized by the Ministry of Education and Training:

The Central Examination Question Preparation Council prepares examination questions for the following examinations:

- Graduation Examination for Secondary General Education

- National Student Excellence Competitions

- Selection Examinations for National Student Excellence Teams to participate in International and Regional Olympic Competitions

2- National examinations organized by the Department of Education and Training:

The Local Examination Question Preparation Council prepares examination questions for the following examinations:

- Graduation Examination for Primary School

- Graduation Examination for Lower Secondary School and Lower Secondary Supplementary Education

- Entrance Examination for Initial Grades

- Student Excellence Competitions at District (County) and Provincial (City) Levels

3- International Competitions:

The Ministry of Education and Training implements the following tasks:

- Organizing training and practical skills workshops for student teams

- Organizing participation in International Competitions

- Organizing award ceremonies

II - SPECIFIC GUIDELINES

1- Contents of expenditures for examinations:

1.1. Expenditures for preparing examination questions (including both theoretical and practical examination questions):

- Preparing proposed examination questions: 5 proposed questions to select and build a new official question and only applicable to the Central Council

- Preparing official examination questions and backup examination questions

- Inviting external experts (if any) to provide opinions on official examination questions and backup examination questions

- Guiding marking and scoring - Collecting and printing tapes for foreign language examination questions (if any)

- Printing and sealing each subject examination question separately and collectively for all subjects of each examination council

1.2. Expenditures for marking examinations (including both theoretical and practical examinations):

- Numbering, separating, matching, checking papers, entering scores,

- Reviewing results and awarding prizes

- Marking examination papers (by two or more markers), including re-marking examination papers

- Responsibility allowances for examination marking team leaders and deputy leaders

1.3. Expenditures for organizing and managing examinations:

- Renting working locations for the Examination Question Preparation Council and marking council (if any) according to actual contracts

- Responsibility allowances for Chairmen, Deputy Chairmen, and Secretaries of examination councils

- Responsibility allowances for supervisors

- Expenditures for those in the Examination Question Preparation Council and printing examination questions during special isolation periods

- Expenditures for security guards, medical staff, technical personnel, and service staff in the isolation area during the examination council's operation period

- Expenditures for pre-examination, during-examination, and post-examination inspection and supervision

- Expenditures for additional examination days (in special cases) and re-marking examination papers

- Expenditures for summarizing and reporting examination results

1.4. Other expenses:

- Renting (or purchasing) equipment (if any)

- Purchasing supplies for examinations (soft disks, CDs for computers; materials for practical examination papers...)

- Office supplies

- Printing various certificates, examination papers, envelopes, admission cards, invigilator badges...

- Transportation means, transportation of examination questions, examination papers.

2- Level of expenditures for preparing examination questions and organizing secondary general education graduation examinations, national student excellence selection examinations, and team selection examinations for international and regional Olympic competitions:

2.1. Preparing examination questions

+ Preparing proposed questions:

- Graduation Examination (with answers): 85,000 VND/question

- Student Excellence Competition Examination (with answers): 170,000 VND/question

- International Examination: 200,000 VND/question

+ Preparing official questions:

- Graduation Examination (with answers): 300,000 VND/question

- Student Excellence Competition Examination (with answers): 400,000 VND/question

- International and Regional Examination: 500,000 VND/question

- Approving examination questions: 25,000 VND/question

+ Inviting experts to review official and backup examination questions for graduation, student excellence, and international and regional team examinations: 100,000 VND/question

+ Printing and sealing each subject examination question separately: 50,000 VND/question

+ Collecting, printing, and duplicating cassette examination questions: 200,000 VND/question

+ Packaging and sealing collectively for the Examination Council: 20,000 VND/person/day

2.2. Marking examinations:

+ Marking examination papers:

- National Student Excellence Competition Examination, Team Selection Examination: 15,000 VND/paper

- Graduation Examination: 4,000 VND/paper

+ Numbering, separating, matching, and entering scores: 25,000 VND/examination room/subject

+ Responsibility allowances for marking team leaders and deputy leaders included in the marking paper expenditure

2.3. Expenditures for organizing and managing examinations and organizing training for competition teams

a. Expenditures for management

b. Expenditures for organizing training for international and regional competition teams

c. Other service expenses according to actual contracts.

d. Expenditures for pre-examination, during-examination, and post-examination inspections and supervision at all levels:

+ Chief Inspector and Supervisor: 30,000 VND/person/day

+ Members of the Inspection and Supervision Team: 25,000 VND/person/day

||| For independent inspectors: VND 25,000/person/day. The aforementioned levels of expenditure are the maximum levels; annually, based on the allocated budget, the Ministry of Education and Training shall determine appropriate expenditure levels.

||| - The level of expenditure for examination question preparation and organization of examinations conducted by the Department of Education and Training shall be decided by the People's Committee at the local level but shall not exceed ninety percent of the expenditure level for national examinations organized by the Ministry of Education and Training as mentioned above.

||| - Expenditures for examinations shall be included in the annual education and training sector budget. Specifically, for admission examinations at various levels, examination organization costs shall be funded from the examination fee revenue according to current regulations. The Ministry of Education and Training and the Departments of Education and Training shall prepare budgets for organizing the aforementioned examinations within their annual budget plans and settle accounts concurrently with the settlement of the annual budget in accordance with current state regulations.

III. IMPLEMENTATION ORGANIZATION

||| This Circular takes effect from May 1, 2001, replacing Joint Circular No. 36/TTLB dated June 23, 1997, "Guidelines for Setting Standards of Expenditure for Examination Question Preparation and Organization of Student Excellence and Graduation Examinations," and Joint Circular No. 80-1998/TTLT/BTC-GDĐT dated June 13, 1998, which supplements Joint Circular No. 36/TTLB dated June 23, 1997, issued jointly by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education and Training. Any difficulties encountered during implementation should be reported to the Joint Ministries for timely supplementation and amendment.

||| Any difficulties encountered during implementation should be reported to the Joint Ministries for timely supplementation and amendment.