Students used ChatGPT and AI apps to cheat on Vietnam's 2025 high school graduation exam
Multiple students in Vietnam reportedly used ChatGPT, StudyX and Gemini to cheat on the national high school graduation exam in June 2025 by photographing test questions and submitting them to AI applications for answers. Police in Hanoi and Lam Dong are investigating the incidents, which have raised concerns about examination security and exam integrity.
What happened
During Vietnam's national high school graduation exam on June 26-27, 2025, multiple students used AI applications to cheat. One student in Hanoi took photos of Math test questions using a smuggled mobile phone and uploaded them to StudyX for answers, writing two answers before being detected. He repeated this with Chemistry and Physics tests the next day.
Another Hanoi student photographed Math, History and English test papers and submitted them to Gemini. A third student at Thang Long High School in Lam Dong purchased a bean-shaped wireless earphone and button-sized camera via Facebook, smuggled them into the exam room along with his phone, activated the camera about 15-20 minutes into the Literature exam to stream questions outside, and had a friend aged 17 use ChatGPT to solve the questions.
Reported impact
Math test questions were found circulating on an AI-based math-solving app before the exam ended at 4 p.m. on June 26, with a screenshot showing the student sent the question at 3:08 p.m. This caused concern about the security of examination materials and the integrity of the exam process.
According to police, the cheating incidents involved breaches by both students and lapses by proctors who failed to properly do their work. Police said students involved would be disqualified, have their test results annulled, and could face administrative or criminal action.
Index analysis
The Hanoi police investigated the incidents for 'accidental disclosure of classified information' while the Lam Dong police investigated for 'deliberate disclosure of classified information and appropriation of classified documents.' A Deputy Director of the Department of Internal Political Security stated this was a minor incident that did not affect the security or safety of the exam overall.
Governance controls
Over 1.16 million Vietnamese students took the 2025 national high school graduation exam. According to police, aside from student cheating, some proctors failed to properly do their work, allowing breaches to occur, with one student being detected only after continuing to cheat multiple times.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.