The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has just announced a draft Circular amending and supplementing a number of regulations on university enrollment and training. One of the notable contents is the proposal to remove bonus points set by training institutions themselves.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Education and Training proposes to abolish the maximum bonus of 3 points for IELTS certificates or excellent student awards when applying for university admission from 2027.
The above proposal is receiving the attention of many 12th grade students, especially those who have or are preparing IELTS certificates to serve their university admission plans.
12th grade students struggle to calculate admission plans
Pham Mai Hong Chi - a 12th-grade student at a high school in Dong Anh commune, Hanoi - said that she has been taking the IELTS exam since 11th grade, so she is quite interested in the proposal to remove bonus points for this certificate when applying for university admission from 2027.
According to Chi, having an IELTS certificate early helps her be more proactive in the process of learning about admission options. However, before the proposed changes, the female student is considering adding the Aptitude Assessment exam at universities and spending time focusing on preparing for the high school graduation exam to have more choices when applying.
“I have been taking the IELTS exam since 11th grade, so when I learned about the proposal to remove the score plus this certificate, I was quite surprised and somewhat worried because the expected admission plan was also affected. Currently, I have to learn more about the Aptitude Assessment exam, and at the same time focus on preparing for the high school graduation exam to have more choices” - Hong Chi shared.
Meanwhile, Nguyen Trung Dung - a 12th grade student at a high school in Vinh Thanh commune, Hanoi - said that he is studying IELTS and has registered for the exam schedule in December.
Trung Dung said that because his academic ability is quite good, he does not want to rely solely on high school graduation exam scores for university admission but to study IELTS to have more choices. Therefore, the proposal to remove IELTS bonus points from 2027 makes him have to reconsider the admission options. The male student hopes to have official information soon to proactively prepare.
I am studying IELTS and have an exam schedule in December. The proposal to remove bonus points makes me have to review the admission plan, because before that I determined IELTS was an option to increase my chances of getting into university. I hope there will be specific regulations soon to proactively calculate plans for 2027" - Trung Dung shared.
Besides preparing for the IELTS exam, Dung said that he still focuses on studying the 12th grade program and monitoring other admission options to avoid dependence on a single form.
Students waiting for new regulations
Hoang Lan Anh - an 11th grade student in Dong Anh commune, Hanoi - said that she is also studying IELTS. The female student is preparing many university admission plans for next year, while considering learning English as a way to practice and consolidate knowledge. Therefore, the proposal to remove IELTS bonus points only slightly affects her plan.
According to Lan Anh, she will still continue to study IELTS and learn more about other admission methods. According to the female student, preparing many options helps students be more proactive in the face of changes in admissions.
I think learning IELTS is still necessary for my own learning and training process, although the way certificates are used in admissions may change. I hope the upcoming admission plan is clearly oriented so that students can proactively prepare early" - Lan Anh shared.
