Joint Circular No. 49/2007/TTLT/BTC-BGDĐT guiding temporarily on the content, expenditure levels, and financial management work for implementing the construction of question banks, organizing general examinations, preparing to participate in international and regional Olympic competitions.

JOINT CIRCULAR

Temporary Guidelines on Content, Expenditure Levels, and Financial Management for Implementing the Construction of Question Banks, Organizing General Examinations, and Preparing to Participate in International and Regional Olympic Competitions

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Pursuant to Decree No. 77/2003/NĐ-CP dated July 1, 2003 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, authorities, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Finance;

Pursuant to Decree No. 85/2003/NĐ-CP dated July 18, 2003 of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, authorities, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Education and Training;

Pursuant to Decree No. 60/2003/NĐ-CP dated June 6, 2003 of the Government detailing and guiding the implementation of the State Budget Law;

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;

The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education and Training jointly issue guidelines on content, expenditure levels, and financial management for implementing the construction of question banks, organizing general examinations, and preparing to participate in international and regional Olympic competitions as follows:

I. GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. These guidelines apply to the following tasks:

a) Construction of question banks;

b) Organization of examinations:

- Selection exams for outstanding students at district (county) and provincial (city) levels;

- National selection exams for grade 12 high school students;

- High school graduation exams and supplementary high school exams;

- Selection exams for national teams participating in international and regional Olympic competitions;

- Admissions exams for primary and secondary grades and cultural supplementary classes (if applicable).

c) Organization of other related tasks:

- Training of national teams participating in international and regional Olympic competitions;

- Arranging transportation and rewarding students with achievements in international and regional Olympic competitions;

- For other related tasks, relevant institutions and localities may apply these guidelines.

2. The Ministry of Education and Training shall specify the functions and responsibilities of relevant levels in organizing examinations and implementing the aforementioned tasks.

II. SPECIFIC PROVISIONS

A. Guidelines on Expenditure Content:

1. Expenditure content for constructing question banks:

- Organizing training and capacity building for staff drafting questions;

- Drafting questions for editing;

- Reviewing and editing questions;

- Conducting trial tests;

- Determining the size of questions;

- Typing and entering questions into the question bank.

2. Expenditure content for examination organization work:

2.1. Expenditure for examination paper preparation:

a) For essay-type papers:

- Preparing proposed papers for selection and new paper creation (official or backup);

- Expenditure for drafting and reviewing official and backup papers accompanied by marking instructions and scoring criteria.

b) For multiple-choice papers:

- Expenditure for building test matrices: purpose of the exam, evaluation objectives, time limit, requirements, technical aspects of the test structure, establishing the matrix;

- Expenditure for reviewing the matrix and papers;

- Expenditure for extracting multiple-choice questions from the bank according to the matrix to form the test version;

- Expenditure for reviewing the papers.

2.2. Expenditure for responsibility allowances for the Examination Paper Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Committee):

- Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Standing Member, Secretary, and outer security personnel;

- Secretary and inner security personnel in the isolation area (24-hour security).

2.3. Expenditure for supporting examination paper preparation work:

- Renting working locations for the Examination Paper Committee (if necessary);

- Food and accommodation expenses for committee members during special isolation periods;

- Inspection and supervision costs before the exam;

- Outer security, medical staff, technical staff, and service personnel costs during the isolation period;

- Renting or purchasing equipment (if necessary);

- Purchasing supplies and office materials;

- Transportation and delivery of examination papers;

- Printing various types of examination papers, answer sheets, envelopes, etc.

2.4. Expenditure for the Examination Paper Printing Committee:

- Renting working locations for the Examination Paper Printing Committee;

- Food and accommodation expenses for committee members during special isolation periods;

- Outer security, medical staff, technical staff, and service personnel costs during the isolation period;

- Inspection and supervision costs;

- Renting or purchasing equipment (if necessary);

- Purchasing supplies and office materials.

2.5. Expenditure content for examination supervision work:

2.5.1. Expenditure for responsibility allowances for the Examination Supervision Committee: Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Standing Member, Secretary, invigilators, inspectors, and supervisors.

2.5.2. Expenditure for organizing examinations:

- Security, medical staff, and service personnel costs;

- Renting examination venues (if necessary);

- Costs for additional examination days (if necessary);

- Renting or purchasing equipment (if necessary);

- Purchasing supplies and office materials;

- Printing admission cards, invigilator badges, etc.

2.6. Expenditure content for examination marking work:

2.6.1. Expenditure for examination marking work:

a) For essay-type exams:

- Marking costs;

- Responsibility allowance costs for marking team leaders and deputy leaders.

b) For multiple-choice exams:

- Responsibility allowance costs for staff processing multiple-choice exam papers;

- Renting marking machines (if necessary);

2.6.2. Expenditure for responsibility allowances for the Examination Marking Committee:

- Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Standing Member, Secretary;

- Inspectors and supervisors for marking;

2.6.3. Expenditure for supporting examination marking work:

- Renting working locations for the Examination Marking Committee (if necessary);

- Security, medical staff, technical staff, and service personnel costs at the marking location;

- Renting or purchasing equipment (if necessary);

- Purchasing supplies and office materials;

- Renting transportation for delivering marked papers;

- Printing certificates, invigilator badges, etc.

2.7. Expenditure content for re-examination of papers (if necessary):

- Costs for staff involved in re-examination work;

- Supporting costs for re-examination (if necessary): similar to organizing marking work;

- Inspection costs.

3. Expenditure content for training national teams for participation in international and regional Olympic competitions::

- Costs for detailed program development;

- Translation costs for reference materials (if necessary);

- Costs for class instructors;

- Costs for theoretical teaching, practical teaching, and laboratory assistance;

- Food, accommodation, and transportation costs for students in the national team.

- Provide means of transportation and accommodation for teachers living far away and those not receiving state budget salaries;

- Rent equipment for fieldwork and other services;

- Purchase raw materials, supplementary assembly and installation of equipment, and various types of experimental and practical test papers;

- Organize reception and farewell activities for delegations participating in international and regional Olympic competitions;

- Food, accommodation, travel expenses, and pocket money for students participating in international and regional Olympic competitions shall be implemented according to the regulations on travel expenses for state officials and civil servants on short-term missions abroad, guaranteed by the state budget;

- Uniforms for delegations participating in international and regional Olympic competitions, purchase of gifts, and other services (if any);

4. Other related expenses.

B. Provisions on expenditure levels:

1. Specific expenditure levels are detailed in the attached Appendix.

The above payment level applies to actual working days during the official period of the competition. In cases where one person performs multiple tasks in a day, they will only receive the highest remuneration level.

2. Within the annual allocated budget, the Ministry of Education and Training, localities, and educational institutions base their specific expenditure decisions on the established expenditure framework to ensure appropriateness.

3. The expenditure levels stipulated in this Circular are the maximum levels, and localities should establish specific regulations based on these levels, taking into account the actual situation and budget capacity of the locality, but must not exceed the expenditure levels set forth in this Circular.

C. Budget preparation and settlement:

a) The Health Insurance Fund;

The funds for implementing the tasks specified in Section A, Part II are secured from examination registration fees as prescribed and the state budget; they are allocated within the annual state budget for education and training expenditures according to the分级预算管理体制。

2. Agencies and units should base their budget preparation for the implementation of assigned tasks within the annual budget expenditures on the requirements of work related to exam question setting, organizing exams, and the expenditure levels stipulated in this Circular, and settle accounts together with the state budget settlement according to current regulations.

III. IMPLEMENTATION

1. The Ministry of Finance shall cooperate with the Ministry of Education and Training to organize guidance and inspection of the implementation in accordance with the provisions of this Circular.

2. Provincial People's Committees have the responsibility to direct the Finance Departments, Education and Training Departments, and relevant functional agencies to inspect and urge the implementation of the provisions of this Circular.

3. Outside the examinations and tasks specified in this Circular, educational institutions may independently define the content and expenditure levels to organize examinations and contests within their professional duties and operational funding sources.

4. This Circular takes effect fifteen days after its publication in the Official Gazette, replacing Joint Circular No. 47/2001/TTLT/BTC-BGD&ĐT dated June 20, 2001, jointly issued by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education and Training, titled "Guidelines on Expenditure Levels for Exam Question Setting and Organizing Student Excellence Competitions, International Competitions, and Graduation Examinations."

5. During the implementation process, if any issues arise or difficulties occur, agencies and organizations should report them to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education and Training for timely resolution./.