Eliminate civil servant promotion exams

The Government abolished the form of examination, only retaining the consideration of promotion of professional titles of civil servants based on capacity, expertise and profession.

According to Decree 85/2023 recently issued by the Government, all provisions related to civil servant promotion exams nationwide have been abolished. Civil servants are eligible to register for promotion to a higher professional title if they meet the standards. First, they must be classified as having completed their tasks well in the year immediately preceding the promotion; not within the disciplinary period.

Officials must have the capacity, professional qualifications and skills to take on a higher-ranking job title. They must also have a degree, certificate and minimum working time. In addition to the general standards set by the Government, officials considered for promotion must meet specific conditions set by the Ministry of Management.

Ministries, government agencies, and localities decide on promotion quotas appropriate to job positions and staff structure. If the number of staff considered for promotion exceeds the quota, units will prioritize those with higher achievements, women, ethnic minorities, older people, and longer working time.

Teacher at Dinh Tien Hoang Primary School, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City, September 2023. Photo: Quynh Tran

The Decree takes effect from December 7, but officials who have previously taken the exam or been considered for promotion will still be subject to the old regulations for the next 6 months. After 6 months, if units do not complete the approval of the promotion results of officials who have taken the exam or been considered for promotion, they must comply with this Decree.

According to Decree 115/2020, civil servants taking the promotion exam must take four exams including 60 general knowledge questions; 30 multiple-choice foreign language questions; 30 multiple-choice information technology questions and a specialized written exam. If the unit organizes the multiple-choice test on a computer, candidates do not have to take the information technology test. Civil servants with intermediate professional degrees or information technology degrees are also exempted from the information technology test.

The proposal to abolish civil servant promotion exams was proposed by the Ministry of Home Affairs in May. The reason is that there are 1.8 million civil servants nationwide, making annual promotion exams costly and fraught with negative consequences. Furthermore, in the past 6 years (2012-2018), only 6 ministries have organized exams. Localities send civil servants to participate in these exams, instead of organizing them themselves. Only Hanoi City organizes exams. Titles such as architect, accountant, surveyor, land surveyor, and director have not been tested.

"Abolish civil servant promotion exams to reduce the burden of exams and costs. There is no country in the world that tests or considers civil servant promotions," Minister of Home Affairs Pham Thi Thanh Tra said in June, emphasizing that she is calculating to eliminate both exams and consideration for civil servant promotions in the future and pay salaries based on job positions.

Viet Tuan

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