Ensure consistent input quality

Regarding the conversion to a common scoring scale between different admission methods and subject combinations, as outlined in the draft university admission circular for 2025 currently under review, educational institutions believe this will help ensure fairness.

University admissions are currently divided into two phases: early admissions, conducted before the high school graduation exam results are released, and general admissions, conducted after the exam results are available. Universities can use one or more methods for early admissions. These include: admitting students who have won national or international awards; reviewing academic transcripts; considering scores from aptitude tests and critical thinking assessments; considering international standardized test certificates (SAT); and considering international language certificates (IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, etc.).

Representatives from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City) acknowledge that the purpose of converting admission scores from different methods to a common scale is to limit the uneven distribution of quotas among methods, thus preventing unfairness for candidates. However, converting scores to a common scale to ensure fairness for candidates is not simple, as it requires ensuring comparability and correlation between students' academic results across each admission method.

According to Mr. Le Dung, Head of Training Department, University of Economics and Finance Ho Chi Minh City (UEF), the admission scores and acceptance scores for the various admission methods and subject combinations used should be converted to a common, unified scoring scale for each major, program, or group of majors. This is a reasonable regulation that helps ensure fairness in admissions.

Mr. Dung analyzed that currently in Vietnam there are about 20 methods of university admission. Having a common scoring scale would create a uniform admission standard across universities and admission methods, helping to avoid situations where universities use inconsistent conversion methods, leading to unnecessary discrepancies. In addition, this would facilitate universities in organizing training and improving educational effectiveness due to the similarity in the entry-level abilities of candidates. Converting admission scores according to a common scale creates a unified frame of reference for evaluating candidates' abilities. This also partially affects the chances of admission and the quality of admitted students, so clear regulations are needed. Currently, the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has not issued specific regulations on a common scoring scale, leading to universities having to convert scores in their own way, making it difficult to ensure uniformity across the entire education system.

Regarding the method of admission based on academic transcripts, experts believe that this method makes it difficult to assess the quality of incoming students. Dr. Le Viet Khuyen - Vice President of the Association of Vietnamese Universities and Colleges; former Deputy Director of the Higher Education Department (Ministry of Education and Training) - argues that the current method of admission based on academic transcripts faces many difficulties in evaluating the quality of incoming students. The reason is that the reliability of students' academic transcripts is not high, and in many high schools, there is still the practice of "begging for grades" and the pursuit of achievements to improve academic records.

Regarding concerns that applying a common scoring system for admissions would compromise fairness, Nguyen Thu Thuy, Director of the Higher Education Department (Ministry of Education and Training), stated: On what basis do training institutions offer different admission methods or combinations for a single training program or major – when the entrance requirements should, in principle, be the same? This must stem from the fact that these admission methods and combinations all have appropriate evaluation criteria to assess the academic ability of candidates according to the requirements of the training program or major.

According to Ms. Thuy, the evaluation criteria of different admission methods and combinations for the same program or major must be comparable. Standardizing admission scores to a single scale ensures that universities can choose the most suitable admission methods for the majors/programs they are recruiting for; it also allows for comparison of candidates to select the most suitable ones – regardless of whether they use high school graduation exam scores, academic transcripts, or results from independent exams or international certificates.

Regarding the proposal to abolish early admissions, at the regular government press conference held in early December 2024, Deputy Minister of Education and Training Hoang Minh Son stated that the Ministry is listening to feedback from experts, universities, and general education administrators and is considering the matter. Adjustments to the admissions regulations must be based on the principles of fairness, quality, improved efficiency, and convenience for both candidates and universities.

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/dam-bao-dong-bo-chat-luong-dau-vao-10296886.html