Reduce admission methods
In 2025, Hanoi University of Industry plans to eliminate the admission method based on independent high school transcripts. Candidates must combine their ability or thinking assessment test scores, international certificates, and excellent student awards.
Ho Chi Minh City University of Education plans to eliminate high school transcripts as admission criteria to ensure fairness and transparency, create favorable conditions for candidates, and ensure improved input quality to meet the requirements of the modern labor market.
Ho Chi Minh City National University also plans to reduce admission methods. This reduction is supported by member universities of Ho Chi Minh City National University.
In addition, many higher education institutions tend to reduce the admission rate based on high school graduation exam scores and increase the quota for separate admission methods, with the goal of selecting candidates suitable for the study program.
Expressing her concern, Nguyen Ha Phuong - a student at Le Quy Don High School - Dong Da (Hanoi) - said that considering academic records is one of the priority options for her and many other students to enter university. The female student is worried about her chances of entering university being reduced when many schools eliminate this method.
“The university admission process has many risks, considering academic records is a perfect backup plan, creating a sense of security, as well as increasing the chance of getting into the school we love. Many admission methods mean many doors to university. The fact that schools eliminate considering academic records really makes it difficult for us,” Phuong shared.
Candidates need to proactively adapt.
The Law on Higher Education allows higher education institutions to be autonomous in recruiting students. According to statistics from the Ministry of Education and Training, schools currently use more than 20 admission methods, mainly considering academic records, IELTS certificates, capacity assessment, thinking assessment, etc.
At M.V. Lomonosov Secondary and High School (Hanoi), Ms. Nguyen Thi Nhung - Vice Principal of the school - said that in recent years, students have tended to pursue methods such as considering transcripts, IELTS certificates, and separate exams. The fact that many schools have reduced admission methods has more or less affected candidates.
“Many students have determined their direction since their first years of high school. The tightening of early admission quotas as well as the reduction of admission methods makes students quite worried about their chances of being admitted being reduced. They will have to focus and try harder for the high school graduation exam or find more suitable options,” said Ms. Nhung.
Sharing with students about this issue, Associate Professor Dr. Tran Thanh Nam - Vice Principal of the University of Education, Vietnam National University, Hanoi - said that in recent years, the academic transcript scores have improved a lot, reflecting the certain capacity of learners, especially when implementing the 2018 General Education Program (aimed at assessing the qualities and capacities of learners). However, higher education institutions need much more than that.
“Top schools tend to reduce the method of considering transcripts and graduation exam scores and use their own competency assessments as an additional criterion to recruit students suitable for the program and the needs of the labor market. Therefore, what students need to do is to improve their knowledge and skills, meet the requirements of the curriculum and the changes of the schools. In particular, they should learn about the curriculum to assess its suitability, avoiding disillusionment later on,” Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thanh Nam noted.
Regarding this issue, Dr. Le Viet Khuyen - former Deputy Director of the Department of Higher Education (Ministry of Education and Training), Vice President of the Association of Vietnamese Universities and Colleges - said that the fact that schools do not consider high school transcripts does not cause disadvantages for students. He also affirmed that high school transcript scores should only be included as a secondary, supplementary criterion to ensure fairness among candidates.
