According to new regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training, university admissions from 2026 have many notable changes directly related to candidates such as: limiting the number of registered aspirations and adjusting the method of calculating admission scores based on transcripts...
Specifically, from 2026, each candidate can only register a maximum of 15 aspirations, instead of unlimited as before. The aspirations are still ranked in priority order and candidates are only admitted to one highest aspiration that meets the conditions.
In addition, with the transcript-based admission method, the new regulations require the use of the results of all 6 semesters in 3 years of high school. The admission combination must have at least 3 subjects, including compulsory Math or Literature.
These changes make many 12th grade students feel increased pressure, and at the same time force them to adjust their study plans and choose careers more cautiously.
Vuong Hoai Nam - a 12th-grade student at Ngo Quyen High School (Hanoi) - who plans to register for the Literature Pedagogy major, said that he must review his entire learning process. "I see that the regulation on calculating grade points for all 6 semesters makes studying from 10th grade very important. Previously, many students thought that 10th and 11th grades just needed to study well, and trying hard in 12th grade was enough. Now it can't be like that anymore" - Nam said.
Nam added that, for the Literature Pedagogy major, he determined that Literature would be the main subject, but due to the mandatory regulation of having Math or Literature in the academic transcript admission combination, he still maintained regular study of other subjects to maintain a stable average score. "I have to make a longer-term study plan, divide time to read works, practice writing and review basic knowledge early, instead of waiting until close to the exam to review" - Nam said.
Sharing with reporters, Nguyen Tuan Kiet - a 12th-grade student at Ngo Quyen High School (Hanoi) - said that the regulation on considering 6-semester transcripts makes him and many classmates feel pressured because the scores of previous years cannot be changed.
Some 10th graders did not study well, now they are quite worried because that score is still counted. This makes us more aware that learning must be regular right from the beginning of the grade level" - Kiet said.
Kiet added that although the grades of 10th and 11th grade cannot be changed, the results of the second semester of 12th grade can still make a difference. "If I can improve the scores of the upcoming tests, I will have more opportunities when registering for admission based on transcripts. I and some friends in the class also set up study groups to review lessons and exchange knowledge before important tests" - Kiet expressed.
Meanwhile, Hoang Viet Anh - a 12th grade student at Co Loa High School (Hanoi) - said that the change in the number of aspirations makes him think more realistically when choosing a school. "Previously, I planned to register quite a few aspirations to increase opportunities. Now with only a maximum of 15, I have to carefully select, find out the benchmark scores of previous years and my abilities before arranging them in order" - Viet Anh said.
According to Viet Anh, arranging aspirations in order also becomes more important. I plan to divide them into three groups: groups of favorite majors but high benchmark scores, groups suitable for academic ability, and safe groups. "If you don't calculate carefully, you may waste some aspirations on unrealistic choices" - Viet Anh shared.
