After the Ministry of Education and Training announced the exam scores and score distribution, universities in turn set their own floor scores. Currently, the Ministry of Education and Training only sets floor scores for specific fields such as health, education, and semiconductors.
Low floor score mistakenly thinks the standard score is also low
Associate Professor Bui Hoai Thang, Head of Training Department, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, admitted that the school does not pay much attention to the floor score, so it often uses the median of the score range for announcement. From a general admission perspective, he sees that some large schools also use a similar method as Bach Khoa (using the median).
However, the school always has statistical channels, providing forecasts for candidates to consider. Unfortunately, the current scoring scale is a raw scale, not a standardized scale, so every year the announcements have to be made in a predictive manner.
This year, Nha Trang University is very different when it does not announce the floor score. " The school does not announce the floor score but mainly informs candidates about the standard scores of recent years and predicts that this year will decrease compared to last year so that candidates have a clearer orientation. In fact, the announced floor score is not very meaningful, sometimes causing difficulties for candidates and the school" , said Associate Professor To Van Phuong, Head of Training Department of Nha Trang University.
According to Associate Professor To Van Phuong, the school based on the score distribution of this year's high school graduation exam, predicts that the admission score will decrease by 1-3 points depending on the major, compared to last year. At the same time, this forecast information is provided to candidates, so that they can decide for themselves how to submit their application. The school will conduct admissions from high to low until the quota is met.
According to Master Cu Xuan Tien, Head of Admissions and Student Affairs Department of the University of Economics and Law, except for majors such as medicine, pharmacy, pedagogy, semiconductors, and law that must announce the floor score, the floor score for the remaining majors does not have much meaning. The reason is that candidates can base on the score distribution of this year and the standard score of last year to estimate. Perhaps the floor score only helps candidates not to register too many wishes regardless of the actual situation of exam scores.
Candidates taking the 2025 high school graduation exam. (Photo: Trong Tung)
Master Pham Thai Son, Director of Admissions and Communications at Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade, said that schools have complete autonomy to decide whether to announce or remove the "floor score", and are not required to make approximate predictions.
“Perhaps there should be a regulation that universities should base their admission scores on the scores of the last three years to set a floor score close to the standard score. The floor score is too low, leading to the misconception that the standard score is also low. And the department that creates the high school graduation exam questions must also standardize the scores to match previous years. Because the high school graduation exam questions are different every year, some years the scores are sky-high, some years they are very low, making universities worried. Therefore, the most important thing is still the high school graduation exam questions,” said Mr. Son.
Eliminating the floor score requires university responsibility
Associate Professor Dr. Do Van Dung, former Principal of Ho Chi Minh City University of Technical Education, acknowledged that removing the floor score is a new and progressive idea. According to Mr. Dung, if the floor score is removed, Vietnam's university admission system will shift more strongly to an autonomous mechanism - where universities must take primary responsibility for input quality, training process and output.
When there is no common minimum floor score as a "barrier", schools need to enhance their autonomy and responsibility to ensure the quality of education, avoiding the situation of massive enrollment leading to "too many teachers, not enough workers" or unemployment after graduation. At this time, it is necessary to develop and publicize clear and transparent admission criteria. Schools must set their own admission threshold scores based on training capacity, social needs and appropriate input quality.
In addition, ensuring the quality of input and output is very important. The biggest responsibility is to filter out candidates who are capable of studying, avoiding "sweeping" admissions leading to high dropout rates or poor student quality. Schools must control output through standard training programs, periodic assessments and partnerships with businesses to ensure that graduates have jobs. If the quality is low, the school will lose its reputation and reduce the source of enrollment in the long run. Thus, the market rules will be reflected in enrollment.
On the other hand, it is necessary to strengthen internal supervision and coordinate with management agencies. Schools need to transparently report on admission results, avoiding abusing autonomy to lower standards.
“Removing the floor score is a step forward in granting autonomy in enrollment according to the Law on Higher Education, but schools must take social responsibility, contributing to the student stream, directing a portion of students to vocational schools instead of universities,” said Mr. Dung.
In the case that schools still intentionally "sweep" candidates with predicted low benchmark scores like the floor score, Associate Professor Do Van Dung said that this is a big risk because some schools may lower the threshold to attract applications, leading to poor input quality and long-term consequences, thus creating unhealthy competition.
Students admitted with low scores cannot keep up with the program, increasing the dropout rate and having difficulty finding jobs after graduation, contributing to the current unemployment situation. These schools also lose their reputation, making it difficult to attract high-quality students in the future.
Therefore, if a school violates its quota or has low quality, it may have its quota cut, enrollment suspended, or its autonomy revoked. The Ministry of Education and Training must still issue separate floor scores for specific majors such as pedagogy or medicine to ensure quality. Parents and candidates will "vote" by avoiding schools with poor reputation.
“Removing the minimum score promotes autonomy but requires schools to be more professional, with a focus on quality and transparency. Otherwise, the education system risks losing its overall reputation. Candidates should carefully consider information from many sources before registering to avoid risks,” Mr. Dung advised.
Source: https://vtcnews.vn/bo-diem-san-thay-bang-du-bao-diem-chuan-dai-hoc-se-do-kho-cho-thi-sinh-ar956507.html
Comment (0)