Expected many new points
The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has announced the draft Regulation on enrollment at the university level for training majors and enrollment at the preschool education college level with many adjustments related to transcript review, IELTS bonus points, number of aspirations, etc.
For the high school transcript admission method, the admission combination uses the common average score of 6 semesters (10th grade, 11th grade and 12th grade) of at least 3 subjects, in which Mathematics or Literature are mandatory, with the weighting of the admission score not lower than 1/3 of the total score on a 30-point scale. Candidates need to achieve a high school graduation exam score of 16/30 points (combination of 3 subjects).
Regarding bonus points in admission consideration; bonus points for candidates with achievements or special talents; encouragement points for candidates with foreign language certificates or international certificates (if any), the Ministry expects a maximum of 3 points on a 30-point scale. The component score of each type of bonus point (admission points, encouragement points) is a maximum of 1.5 points on a 30-point scale.
In addition, the admission combination using the results of the high school graduation exam subjects for admission must have at least 3 subjects suitable to the characteristics and input requirements of the training program, in which it is mandatory to have Math or Literature, with the weighting of the admission score not lower than 1/3 of the total score according to the 30-point scale.
The Ministry of Education and Training also plans that each training institution can use a maximum of 5 admission methods, excluding the direct admission method. Candidates can register a maximum of 10 aspirations for training programs of different training institutions, but must arrange aspirations in order of priority from high to low. For teacher training programs, only candidates registered in aspirations with orders from 1 to 3 are considered for admission.
Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tien Thao, Director of the Higher Education Department, Ministry of Education and Training, said that the contents and adjustments of the regulations from the source of recruitment, admission methods, more comprehensive input control, ensuring the principles of fairness, objectivity, transparency, reducing costs and saving society, reducing pressure, linking the rights and responsibilities of candidates participating in admission.
This is to strengthen the autonomy and self-responsibility of higher education institutions and overall towards stability and sustainability in enrollment work," he said.
Towards fairness and transparency in admissions
Mr. Nguyen Quoc Binh - Principal of Luong The Vinh Secondary & High School (Tan Trieu campus, Hanoi) supports the new points in the Draft University Enrollment Regulations for 2026 that the Ministry of Education and Training is seeking opinions on, especially regarding regulations on high school transcript admission.
In recent years, considering high school transcripts has been a method used by many universities for admissions but revealed many inadequacies.
Mr. Binh analyzed that transcript scores will vary from school to school, from region to region. Even, there are cases where teachers correct scores and raise scores to "embellish" student transcripts.
High school transcripts evaluate students' academic results in 3 years of general education, while high school graduation exam results are assessed at the time students take the exam. Therefore, innovation in transcript review, requiring additional consideration of high school graduation exam scores will create fairness and completely meet the wishes of education managers," Mr. Binh emphasized.
On the side of the Ministry of Education and Training, Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tien Thao said that 16 points is the level that most candidates with a responsible learning attitude can achieve, also ensuring a source of recruitment that meets the quality threshold for universities to enroll students.
A new plan that many candidates are interested in is to limit schools to only be admitted by a maximum of 5 methods; students register for a maximum of 10 aspirations. According to Mr. Binh, this regulation will help simplify the admission process, save costs and not confuse learners between the admission information of schools.
When clearly determining what profession they want to learn, which school to choose, which exam block, students should focus on, spend time reviewing thoroughly to grasp basic knowledge and master the skills to do the test," Mr. Binh said.
Agreeing with this view, Dr. Nguyen Phi Long - Head of the Training Department of the Vietnam Women's Academy - said that the Ministry of Education and Training's expected adjustment is appropriate in the current context. "Regularly allocating time and carefully researching enrollment information is very necessary," Dr. Nguyen Phi Long advised.
