The Ministry of Education and Training clarifies the correct understanding and avoids misunderstandings.

"Early admission" is a term currently being interpreted differently in the draft amendments to some articles of the Ministry of Education and Training's regulations on student admissions, leading to confusion and concern with the regulation that "the quota for early admission must not exceed 20% of the quota for a major or group of majors."

Candidates taking the 2024 high school graduation exam

Two different interpretations of "early admissions" are causing anxiety among students and confusion among schools.

In the draft circular amending and supplementing several articles of the Regulations on university and college-level admissions for early childhood education (hereinafter referred to as the university admissions regulations), there is a provision on early admission that has attracted much attention from schools and students in recent days.

Specifically, the Ministry of Education and Training plans to amend and supplement two clauses in Article 18 of the current regulations on early registration and admission. The draft states that educational institutions may organize early admissions using appropriate methods to select candidates with outstanding abilities and academic achievements. The quota for early admissions is determined by the educational institution but must not exceed 20% of the quota for each major or group of majors. The institution must ensure that the admission cutoff score for early admissions is not lower than the cutoff score for the general admission round.

According to the draft, training institutions will conduct admissions for candidates who have completed the application procedures and publicly announce the list of eligible candidates. The number of candidates notified of admission will not exceed the announced early admission quota for each major or group of majors. Universities are not allowed to require candidates to commit to or confirm enrollment earlier than the general schedule in any form. Training institutions will publish and upload the list of eligible candidates (excluding the high school graduation requirement) to the system for processing applications along with other admission methods according to the general plan.

Early admission is used to differentiate it from the regular admission round planned by the Ministry of Education and Training in terms of timing. Meanwhile, the admission methods are used in any admission round. The only difference is that early admission takes place before the high school graduation exam, so the method of admission based on high school graduation exam scores cannot be used at that time.

Ms. Nguyen Thu Thuy, Director of the Higher Education Department, Ministry of Education and Training

The draft regulations regarding early admissions are causing two different interpretations, leading to concern for both educational institutions and students.

First interpretation: Early admission refers to the period when schools conduct admissions before the 2025 high school graduation exam.

However, most students and many educational institutions understand "early admission" in a second way, referring to admission methods that do not use high school graduation exam scores. Some representatives from educational institutions are concerned that with the regulation that early admission quotas cannot exceed 20% of the quota for a major or group of majors, the remaining 80% of the quota must be based on high school graduation exam results. Students also express concerns about the limited opportunities available through other admission methods such as: admission based on academic transcripts, admission based on aptitude test scores, etc.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thu Thuy, Director of the Higher Education Department (Ministry of Education and Training)

"Early admission and admission methods are two different things."

Speaking with a reporter from Thanh Nien Newspaper on the afternoon of November 27, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thu Thuy, Director of the Higher Education Department (Ministry of Education and Training), said that it is necessary to clarify the understanding of early admission because some training institutions and even candidates may have an inaccurate understanding.

Associate Professor Thuy said: "Early admission and admission methods are two different things. Early admission is used to differentiate it in terms of timing from the general admission round planned by the Ministry of Education and Training. Meanwhile, admission methods are used in any admission round. The only difference is that early admission takes place before the high school graduation exam, so the admission method based on high school graduation exam scores cannot be used at that time."

According to the Director of the Higher Education Department, universities and students are confusing the concept of early admissions with other admission methods (note that there is no such thing as an "early admission method," as universities can use admission methods in all admission rounds). Due to the misunderstanding that only early admission rounds can use "separate" admission methods (without using high school graduation exam scores), universities are worried about being limited to 20% of their quotas. Because of this misunderstanding, candidates are also worried about having limited opportunities in the admission methods used by universities, such as considering academic transcripts, aptitude test scores, and thinking skills assessments.

Candidates can participate in the admissions process through various methods, either during the early admissions phase or according to the general schedule.

"Candidates don't need to worry. Whether in the early admission phase or the phase according to the Ministry of Education and Training's general plan, candidates can still participate in the admission process using the various methods they have prepared for. For the past two years, the Ministry of Education and Training has provided complete data on high school academic results (transcripts) and supported schools in organizing their own exams (such as aptitude tests, thinking skills tests, etc.), uploading the exam results to the common admissions system, creating favorable conditions for training institutions to conduct admissions during the general admissions period. Therefore, the draft does not restrict any admission methods of the schools," Associate Professor Thu Thuy affirmed.

In addition, according to the Director of the Department of Higher Education, the draft regulations stipulate 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 also guaranteeing the quality of student intake and the quality of training at the university level.

"Therefore, candidates can rest assured and be confident, continue to strive their best, study and review well (regardless of which admission method they are aiming for) to achieve the highest possible results within their abilities, and they will have a fair chance to compete to get into the school and major they love," the Director of the Higher Education Department of the Ministry of Education and Training added.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/xet-tuyen-som-khong-duoc-vuot-qua-20-bo-gd-dt-neu-cach-hieu-dung-tranh-ngo-nhan-185241127190101013.htm