According to information from the Center for Digital Knowledge and Communication, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, on April 27-28, 2024, Hanoi University of Science and Technology continued to organize a large-scale Thinking Assessment test for nearly 14,000 candidates registered to take the test at 29 testing locations in 11 provinces/cities.

The exam session consisted of two shifts, morning and afternoon, in which the morning shift had 7,130 candidates come to take the exam out of a total of 7,231 candidates registered to take the exam. The afternoon shift had 6,566 candidates come to do the procedures out of a total of 6,720 candidates registered to take the exam.

The morning exam was successful, all exam results have been recorded on the system. Some candidates had a problem opening the Mathematical Reasoning test a few minutes late, but it was still within the allowed time frame so it will not affect the results.

During the afternoon exam, the technical department discovered that the exam platform system was showing signs of instability from 1:50 p.m. (40 minutes before the exam). The exam steering committee decided to delay the exam start time by 60 minutes to re-check the system and reopened the exam time at 3:30 p.m.

The Mathematical Reasoning test was successful, but when the Reading Comprehension test was switched to the system, the system showed signs of instability again. The data synchronization services were interrupted, the test papers were not updated to the server, so the candidates could not continue to complete the test. The exam steering committee decided to stop the test team at 5:00 p.m.

On the same day, the technical department identified the cause of the incident: The server resources of the exam platform system were overloaded due to a number of new functions being put into use to synthesize data to help invigilators screen and detect risks of exam cheating. This function failed and occupied the system's resources, thereby creating a chain effect that caused the exam system to hang.

With the desire to bring the best experiences to candidates with modern exams, applying many new technologies, starting from 2023 until now, Hanoi University of Science and Technology has coordinated with technical partners to successfully organize 6 exams with a total of nearly 40,000 candidates participating.

All exams were successful and smooth, without any major technical problems. This system error was the first major incident that forced the Examination Council to decide to stop the exam team according to the regulations. In the next exams, the school and its technology partners are committed to stricter technical control to ensure that similar incidents do not occur.

Associate Professor, Dr. Vu Duy Hai, Head of Admissions and Career Guidance Department, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Permanent Vice Chairman of the 2024 Thinking Assessment Examination Council, said: "This is a very unfortunate technical incident. The school is very sorry and would like to send its sincere apologies to the candidates as well as their parents and hopes to receive sympathy and sharing from students and parents for this technical incident."

The examination board has sent an email to all candidates participating in the above exam group about this incident and provided solutions for candidates to choose to ensure their rights. The Hanoi University of Science and Technology Thinking Assessment Examination Board has decided to organize a make-up exam for candidates who were unable to complete the exam in the afternoon session of April 28 on Sunday, May 19.

Candidates who cannot complete the exam in the afternoon session of April 28 will be given priority to register for free in the 5th or 6th round taking place on June 8-9 and June 15-16.

For candidates who cannot arrange time to take the make-up exam on May 19, the Examination Council will refund the exam fee that they paid to the exam team on the afternoon of April 28.