Universities "reverse" IELTS admission policy, students accept risks

Accept investment even if you may not be hired directly

"My entire class of nearly 50 children took the IELTS exam together since grade 11. Even though we knew there were risks if universities changed their policies, the family still accepted the large investment," Ms. Hang (42 years old, Nam Tu Liem district, Hanoi ) shared with concern.

Last week, the news that many universities no longer directly admit candidates with IELTS certificates made her feel uneasy about her child's future. She said that next year, her child will enter university, but with the constantly changing admission regulations, sometimes there is no time to prepare.

According to Ms. Hang, the mentality that having a high IELTS score guarantees a place in university has been ingrained in many students for several years now. When they achieve their desired score, they often neglect studying other subjects.

The fact that schools are changing direction, only using IELTS to add points, has caused many 12th grade students to "panic" and return to studying to "compete" with high school graduation exams.

Many families invest heavily in their children's IELTS preparation early to increase their chances of being admitted to university (Photo: AI).

"Since the beginning of the 11th grade school year, my child's parents have been "calling each other" to let their children review and take the IELTS English certificate exam. The new high school graduation exam regulations only require 4 subjects, so candidates with an English certificate are considered to have an additional subject, multiplying the admission combinations to increase the chance of being admitted to university," Ms. Hang shared.

The mother admitted that the pressure to get their children into a suitable university makes parents find every way, even accepting to invest time and a large amount of money for their children to study and take the IELTS exam, despite the risks if universities change their admission policies.

Sharing the same concern, Ms. Anh Dao, whose child is in grade 12 in Dong Anh district, Hanoi, said that for the past few months, her child has had to study extra hard for the graduation exam because he was previously subjective, thinking that having an IELTS certificate would mean he would be admitted directly.

"My child wants to go to the police academy, Hanoi University, and the University of Foreign Languages. Now 2/3 of the schools do not give much priority to English certificates anymore, so they have to combine IELTS and have good test scores to pass. For the next child, I have to balance studying in class and learning English, not leaning towards one side," said Ms. Dao.

IELTS is gradually "returning to its right position", students should change direction

Mr. Nguyen Anh Duc, a Harvard University graduate, English and IELTS test preparation expert, commented that the trend of universities shifting from direct admission to bonus points has put IELTS "back in its rightful place" as evidence of candidates' actual English proficiency.

However, paradoxically, despite the policy change, the number of students taking IELTS test preparation still tends to increase. Statistics from Mr. Duc's center system show significant growth in both the number of test preparation and registration at organizations such as the British Council and IDP.

"The number of students taking IELTS exams at the chain of centers and in high schools affiliated with our system alone has increased by about 20% compared to the previous school year. The number of students registering for IELTS exams at the British Council and IDP through our unit has even grown by over 30% compared to 2024," said Mr. Anh Duc.

Mr. Nguyen Anh Duc, English and IELTS test preparation expert (Photo: Character provided).

Explaining this, Mr. Duc said that many universities still use IELTS scores for admission or add points, and even the quota for admission options with IELTS has increased.

Universities that have changed to only awarding points for IELTS certificates are usually top universities with very fierce competition, so candidates still have to take the IELTS test to create a competitive advantage for themselves.

In addition, in recent years, many international universities in Australia, New Zealand, etc. have accepted Vietnamese high school graduation scores, so students with just an IELTS score can be admitted to international universities more easily than before.

Mr. Duc predicts that the trend of studying IELTS will move to an earlier stage, when 10th grade students tend to complete the certificate exam in 11th grade to focus on other subjects. This expert also advised students to study IELTS to improve their real English ability, instead of just focusing on "tricks" to get high scores.

"This is a positive adjustment because IELTS is only meaningful in terms of foreign language. Students need to quickly complete it early to save time for other important subjects," Mr. Nguyen Anh Duc shared.

From the university perspective, Master Trinh Huu Chung, an admissions consultant, said that the change in admissions policies of many universities clearly shows a shift to gradually put IELTS certificates and other subjects in high schools in a more appropriate position.

"This is a step to comprehensively assess candidates' abilities. Foreign language is an important skill and possessing a foreign language certificate is an advantage. But it is not the decisive factor for success in studies and future careers. Students and parents need to abandon the idea that a foreign language certificate is a "universal key" to ensure a place in university," said Mr. Chung.

From there, Mr. Chung advised students and parents to have a more multi-dimensional perspective, allocate investment resources in a balanced way between cultivating foreign languages ​​and improving academic performance in other subjects, as well as thoroughly research different admission methods to have the best preparation for university.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/dai-hoc-quay-xe-voi-chinh-sach-tuyen-ielts-hoc-sinh-chap-nhan-rui-ro-20250511230619793.htm