Foreign language certification exams: Vietnamese partners must take primary responsibility

The newly issued circular of the Ministry of Education and Training stipulates that the joint exam organization party, i.e. the Vietnamese party, must take primary responsibility for organizing exams to grant foreign language certificates.

The Ministry of Education and Training has just issued Circular No. 16/2025/TT-BGDDT regulating the joint organization of certification exams. foreign language ability of foreign countries. Circular 16 has some new points compared to the old circular (issued in 2022), notably the regulation that the Vietnamese party (affiliated unit) must take primary responsibility for organizing the examination to issue foreign language proficiency certificates (hereinafter referred to as foreign language certificates).

Students attend an IELTS festival organized by the British Council Vietnam

PHOTO: BRITISH COUNCIL

According to Circular 16, the Vietnamese party is the joint testing organization - the testing facility in Vietnam - that has an agreement or cooperation contract with a foreign language proficiency assessment facility in Vietnam. The foreign party is the foreign language proficiency certificate issuing unit.

The Vietnamese side must be responsible for organizing the exam and supervising and inspecting the exam organization process at approved exam locations to ensure safety, quality, seriousness and objectivity. The Vietnamese side must also be responsible for receiving and handling problems related to certificates and exam candidates; feedback and recommendations related to exam organization and certificate issuance.

Another new point of Circular 16 is to emphasize the requirement for the People's Committee of the province/city to manage the joint organization of foreign language proficiency exams in their locality. Or to specify the responsibilities of state management agencies, to strengthen the responsibilities of the parties that join in the joint organization of foreign language proficiency exams...

Circular 16 also does clearly defines the concept of a legal and popular foreign language proficiency certificate in the world . Specifically, a foreign language proficiency certificate is legally recognized in the host country when the competent authority of that country allows the organization of the certificate examination.

Or used to review immigration applications, naturalization, and issue entry visas for citizens of countries who want to settle, work, research, study, and recognize the input and output standards in training programs for international students in countries where the language used for the certification exam is the official language.

View full version Circular 16 is here.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/thi-cap-chung-chi-ngoai-ngu-doi-tac-ben-viet-nam-phai-chiu-trach-nhiem-chinh-185250905195841509.htm