University admission priority ticket
Vu Hong Ngoc (a 12th grade student in Hanoi) started the roadmap of studying and preparing for IELTS certificates from 9th grade with the hope of having priority in higher-level entrance exams. Hong Ngoc cannot remember the details of the amount of money spent, but it is estimated at several hundred million. Because in just the three peak months of sprinting exam preparation, her family had to pay 1.4 million VND/study session. In addition to expensive expenses, the female student also spends a lot of time studying and preparing for exams.
There were times when I stayed up all night doing exam questions, studying to exhaustion, accepting neglecting cultural subjects in class" - the female student shared.
At the present time, despite owning IELTS 7.0 - the desired score of many peers, Ngoc believes that this has not yet met the expectations of herself and her family, especially in the context of many fluctuations in enrollment like this year.
Previously, this IELTS 7.0 score could be converted into a perfect score of 10 in some schools, even plus bonus points. But with the new draft, this advantage is narrowed down. The feeling that the effort and huge amount of money the family spent suddenly "depreciated" makes me very stressed" - the female student expressed.
Ms. Phan Minh Hanh (parent in Nghe An) also just boldly spent 56 million VND to register her child for an intensive IELTS preparation course with the aim of serving university admissions.
“My child studies very hard, parents also have to save. 56 million is not a small number, especially when the policy changes too close to the enrollment time, causing all initial calculations to be reversed” - Ms. Hanh said.
Removing the pressure of scores, returning foreign languages to their real value
The draft enrollment regulations for 2026 are being consulted by the Ministry of Education and Training with many adjustments.
According to the draft, bonus points in admission include: Bonus points for candidates who win national excellent student awards, international olympic prizes (but not used for direct admission); bonus points for candidates with special achievements or talents; encouragement points for candidates with foreign language certificates or international certificates (if any), up to 3 points on a 30-point scale. The component points of each type of bonus point (admission points, encouragement points) are up to 1.5 points on a 30-point scale.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Huong Thuy - a teacher at Viet Vinh High School, Tuyen Quang supports this adjustment and believes that the new regulation will restore fairness and reduce the pressure to "buy" opportunities with expensive courses.
An IELTS 5.0 certificate cannot have the same admission value as a score of 8 or 9 in the graduation exam - a score that requires many times more effort" - Ms. Thuy assessed.
Ms. Tran Thi Quynh Le - Teacher of Bilingual Program Management and International Cooperation, Phenikaa Secondary & High School (Hanoi) said that owning an IELTS certificate has many positive aspects, bringing no small advantages in the high school graduation exam and university admissions.
Learning IELTS early, if approached with the right method, will help students build a comprehensive English foundation of all 4 skills, instead of just focusing on grammar and vocabulary and reading comprehension as in the exams in the general education program.
However, in addition to the positive aspects, many parents and students consider IELTS as a mandatory "passport", leading to the situation: Forcing learning, cramming, coping learning: Students are pushed into the training furnace when they are not ready in terms of ability and psychology, leading to pressure and stress.
Students, please clearly define "What is IELTS for?" instead of following trends" - Ms. Quynh Le advised students.
When you have an answer and intend to prepare for the IELTS exam, you need to build a solid English foundation, choose reputable centers and teachers, have systematic pedagogical methods, have a clear learning roadmap, and teachers with expertise and experience. In addition, it is necessary to balance between formal learning and exam preparation to ensure health and comprehensive development of yourself.
IELTS is a good tool to assess and improve English proficiency, among many other measurement tools, but it is not the ultimate destination. Parents and students should become smart learners, use it effectively and in the right time, to the right audience to avoid unfortunate consequences" - Ms. Quynh Le said.
