Unusually high benchmark scores in many schools, pedagogical skills still thrive
This year, 6 majors in 4 universities have recorded the benchmark score of 30/30, including: Medicine (Army of Medicine), International Relations (Army of Science Academy), English Pedagogy and Chinese Pedagogy of 2 Foreign Language universities under Hanoi National University and Hue University. Dozens of majors have benchmarks from 29 points.
However, this is not the total score of the three subjects in the high school graduation exam. According to the Ministry's regulations, schools must convert equivalent benchmark scores between methods. The formula for calculating scores of the two pedagogical schools is quite similar, both on the 40 scale (foreign language subject multiplied by coefficient 2), adding points for certificate awards, excellent student awards... (1-3 points) and then reduce to the 30 scale.
However, to be able to achieve a score of 30 after conversion, candidates also need to achieve 9-10 points for each graduation exam subject - an excellent level compared to the assessment of many teachers because the high school graduation exam is considered to have good differentiation, especially in Math and English.
At other pedagogical schools, the highest conversion standard scores are above 29, approaching the 30 mark. For example, at the University of Education, Vietnam National University, the History - Geography Pedagogy major has a benchmark score of 29.84 - the highest in the school. Many other majors take above 28 points.
In addition to pedagogical, the majors of information technology, computer science, and artificial intelligence also have high benchmark scores.
At Hanoi University of Science and Technology, the advanced program in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence (IT-E10) has the highest benchmark score of 29.39 points according to the high school graduation exam score. Next is the Computer Science Program (IT1) with a benchmark score of 29.19 points. The hot majors all have very high benchmark scores such as the Control - Automation Engineering Program (EE2) with a benchmark score of 28.48 points; the microelectronics and nano Technology Program (MS2) with a benchmark score of 28.25; the Electronics - Telecommunications Engineering Program (ET1) with a benchmark score of 28.07 points.
Computer Science major (Advanced program), University of Natural Sciences, VNU-HCM up to 29.92 points, approaching the 30th mark.
According to Associate Professor, Dr. Ha Le Kim Anh, Vice Principal of the University of Foreign Languages, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, the absolute admission score is based on the plus points, partly due to the conversion of foreign language certificates. There are 3 main reasons why the school's benchmark scores for the two majors of English and Chinese Education are 30/30 points.
Firstly, the Pedagogical majors have recently had many preferential policies of the State, so they attract candidates to pay attention, especially excellent students.
Second, for many years now, pedagogical majors, especially English Pedagogy and Chinese Pedagogy, have had a large number of registered candidates, leading to fierce competition.
Third, due to the plus points mechanism of the Ministry of Education and Training, candidates with the Provincial Excellent Student Award and the National University Olympia High School Competition will have plus points.
Experts worry about unfairness
Evaluating the picture of this year's university admission scores, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Duc, University of Technology, Vietnam National University, Hanoi said that this year's admission scores are "excessive" compared to previous predictions.
According to Mr. Duc, this year's high school graduation exam is considered to be more differentiated than previous years, with the admission score predicted to decrease by 1-3 points. But in reality, for the top industries, hot industries, the benchmark score does not decrease, if there is a decrease, it is only 0.5 points. Some majors have even increased, for example, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence are not inferior to last year. Some schools have benchmark scores from previous years from only 15, this year increased to 17 points,...
As for technology schools, not based on transcripts, the score is from 24 - 25 points - down compared to last year.
Explaining this, Mr. Duc said that the reason is due to the regulation on converting equivalent benchmark scores of the Ministry of Education and Training.
"Every year, high school graduation exam scores are only considered, but this year, many schools have converted high school transcript scores, when compared with other methods such as competency assessment, thinking assessment, SAT, ... To be honest, if we consider high school transcripts and convert them like that, the benchmark scores will be very high" - Prof. Dr. Nguyen Dinh Duc acknowledged.
Experts recommend that the Ministry of Education and Training should continue to improve to make the high school graduation exam for the following years have a better differentiation. In addition, the Ministry of Education and Training should allow schools to announce admission information early instead of waiting for the Ministry to issue admission regulations to avoid being passive.
"During this year's admission period, the problem of virtual filtering and software has many technical problems, so this should also be considered. Personally, I recommend not to have too many admission combinations, and not to let candidates give too many wishes. There needs to be an opponent so that each candidate, when they have a wish, needs to consider carefully" - Mr. Duc said.
Dr. Hoang Ngoc Vinh, former Director of the Department of Vocational Education, Ministry of Education and Training, also warned that when each school builds a different conversion scale from the classification to the standard score, the scoreboard becomes a melee, while candidates are like lost. Not standardizing, not publicizing statistical models, not controlling errors - that is the formula of injustice.
"To effectively implement enrollment autonomy, the Ministry still needs to establish a unified regulatory framework in terms of technology, while building a centralized lookup portal - where all schools must fully update conversion methods and equivalent scoring thresholds" - Mr. Vinh suggested.
