Expect many new points
According to Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thu Thuy - Director of the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Training, the core new point of the draft is related to adjusting the threshold to ensure input quality for the groups of pedagogical and health majors; early admission quotas are determined by training institutions but do not exceed 20% of the quota of each major; the admission scores and passing scores of the methods and subject combinations used for admission must be converted to a common scale; admission by transcript must be based on the results of the entire 12th grade year of the candidate.
"The change to meet the requirements of the new program will create a positive impact on teaching and learning at the high school level," Ms. Thuy informed.
However, according to Ms. Thuy, it is necessary to understand that early admission and admission methods are two different things. In particular, early admission is used to differentiate in terms of time compared to the admission period according to the general plan of the Ministry of Education and Training. Meanwhile, admission methods are used in any admission period. In terms of time, early admission is before the high school graduation exam, so at that time it is not possible to use the admission method based on high school graduation exam scores.
In particular, the draft stipulates that the admission score in the early admission round must not be lower than the admission score in the general admission round. These regulations aim to ensure fairness for candidates, while ensuring the quality of admission input and the quality of training at the university level.
"Candidates do not need to worry too much"
As a student who is reviewing and preparing for the 2025 high school graduation exam, Nguyen Mai Phuong - a 12th grade student at Luong Tai 2 High School (Bac Ninh) - said that the race of schools to consider early admission by methods such as: considering academic records, considering IELTS certificates, competency assessment test scores... but in recent years has caused many problems, creating unfair competition between groups of candidates.
"I personally agree with the Ministry of Education and Training's decision to limit early admission to no more than 20%. Not all students are qualified to take international certificates such as IELTS, TOEIC, etc. When they have these certificates, they will have more opportunities to enter university than other students. Therefore, limiting early admission will create fairness among candidates when applying" - Mai Phuong shared.
Meanwhile, many candidates of Mai Phuong's age are worried about the Ministry of Education and Training's plan. "I have spent time studying and planning to take the competency assessment test since the beginning of the school year and will register for the earliest exam in March 2025. But the ministry's change makes me uneasy and I have decided to focus more on the high school graduation exam" - Phan Nhat Tan - a 12th grade student at Vo Nguyen Giap High School for the Gifted (Quang Binh) - expressed his concern.
Mr. Nguyen Quang Trung - Deputy Head of Communications and Admissions Department of the University of Commerce - also expressed his support for the new points in the Draft of the Ministry of Education and Training related to early admission and admission based on high school transcripts.
Mr. Trung said that the number of candidates, wishes and quotas of schools remain unchanged. Therefore, if candidates do not apply early, they will be considered according to the time prescribed by the Ministry of Education and Training.
"The policy of the Ministry of Education and Training is to find truly outstanding candidates in the early admission round. Using the results of the entire 12th grade year to consider transcripts is also a way for students to focus on studying in class. On the other hand, it will promote their spirit of effort in studying. Avoid the case of many students being negligent and not developing their full potential after being admitted based on transcripts" - Mr. Trung analyzed.
However, what worries Mr. Trung is that students' psychology will fluctuate if the change takes place during the final exam preparation period. Giving advice to candidates, Mr. Trung said: "Worrying at this time is unnecessary because the regulations will be applied to all candidates. You should stick to your goals and develop your strengths. No matter what method you use, you still need to try your best."
