The Ministry of Education and Training is seeking opinions on a draft amendment to university admission regulations, in which it is proposed that from 2027, there will only be priority points according to regions and policy beneficiaries. Schools are not allowed to self-regulate bonus points for achievements, certificates or additional criteria.
This proposal will affect many students because in recent years, IELTS, excellent student awards and many other achievements have become a significant advantage in the university entrance race.
However, the issue that needs to be viewed correctly is that the Ministry of Education and Training proposes to remove bonus points, not to remove the value of IELTS or deny excellent student achievements.
The issue is how to recognize those achievements to create fairness.
According to the explanation of the Ministry of Education and Training, foreign language certificates can still be converted into foreign language subject scores in the admission combination or used to prove the entry requirements of the foreign language training program.
The principle set out is that a capacity is only recognized once, avoiding the situation where it is both converted into admission scores and continues to become bonus points.
This is a reasonable principle.
Because on a very closely matched competitive scale, a small, seemingly positive score can make a very big difference.
In the 2026 entrance exam, the total bonus points can be up to 3 points on a 30-point scale. While the whole country only has 5 candidates achieving 30/30 points in three high school graduation exam subjects, some schools still record candidates achieving absolute admission scores, even higher after calculating bonus points.
More importantly, the opportunity to own certificates or participate in points-winning activities is not the same between students. Family economic conditions, living area, learning environment and affordability can all create significant gaps.
However, fairness also needs to be seen from the perspective of students who have prepared for the 2027 enrollment season.
Many students have spent several years learning foreign languages, taking certificates, participating in excellent student exams or building dossiers according to previous regulations and enrollment orientations.
A policy that changes right before the enrollment season, even if the goal is reasonable, still needs a clear enough roadmap so that learners are not put in a passive position. Some experts have also noted the requirement to ensure the rights of students during the transitional period.
Finally, removing bonus points should not make students think that studying IELTS or striving to become good students is no longer necessary.
Foreign languages are still an important competence of learners in an increasingly integrated educational and labor market environment. Similarly, the excellent academic achievements of students still need to be respected and recognized.
The only thing is, in university admissions, each competency must be placed in the right position and measured by a reasonable measure.
Fairness does not mean egalitarianizing different competencies, but ensuring that all competencies are recognized for their true value.
