English test is difficult, the minimum score of Foreign Language University is decreasing rapidly

On the evening of July 22nd, the University of Foreign Languages (Vietnam National University, Hanoi ) announced the minimum admission scores for undergraduate programs in 2025 based on high school graduation exam scores.

This score applies to candidates in Region 3 with a minimum score (without applying the foreign language subject coefficient, excluding bonus points, and including regional and preferential treatment points if any) for all combinations of 3 subjects/tests (regardless of the chosen combination).

Đề tiếng Anh khó, điểm sàn Trường Đại học Ngoại ngữ giảm không phanh - 1 — The minimum admission score for the University of Foreign Languages (Vietnam National University, Hanoi) in 2025 has dropped sharply (Photo: NT).

The above minimum quality assurance threshold applies to all admission methods to the University of Foreign Languages after the admission scores are converted to an equivalent 30-point scale.

The minimum admission scores for various majors at the university have dropped significantly this year. In 2024, the minimum admission score was between 20 and 21 points, but this year it has fallen to between 15 and 19 points, with many majors seeing a decrease of up to 5 points.

According to the university's forecast, the cut-off scores this year may decrease by 1.5 to 2 points compared to 2024. Some majors, such as English, Chinese, Japanese, and Russian, may experience a greater decrease.

In 2024, candidates needed an average score of around 9.7 points per subject to be admitted to English and Chinese language teaching programs. However, this year the predicted cutoff scores are only in the range of 23-25 points.

According to school representatives, this year the number of candidates taking the foreign language exam was only about 353,000, approximately one-third of previous years, as it is an elective subject. The score distribution was also lower compared to 2024, with only 141 students achieving a perfect score of 10, a fourfold decrease; the average score was 5.38, a decrease of 0.13.

More than 134,000 out of 351,848 candidates scored below 5. The number of candidates scoring 7 or higher in English was only over 15%, a decrease of more than 10% compared to 2024.

This year, the University of Foreign Languages uses 42 admission combinations, including 6 combinations that include mathematics and English, namely D15 (literature, geography, English), D14 (literature, history, English), D07 (mathematics, chemistry, English), D01 (mathematics, literature, English), D08 (mathematics, biology, English), and A01 (mathematics, physics, English).

The English exam in this year's high school graduation exam is considered more difficult than in previous years and may pose challenges for candidates applying to universities.

Đề tiếng Anh khó, điểm sàn Trường Đại học Ngoại ngữ giảm không phanh - 2 — For majors and universities that include English as an admissions subject, the minimum admission scores tend to drop sharply (Photo: Hoai Nam).

According to many experts, this year's English score distribution is good, but good in the sense that it effectively categorizes candidates – meaning these results are only suitable for university admissions purposes, not for high school graduation exams.

This score distribution looks good on paper but is not realistic when students use this subject for university admissions, as they will have to compete with at least four other groups: those applying through subject combinations in blocks A or C, those using IELTS scores, those using other foreign language exam results (higher scores), and those taking last year's English exam.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/de-tieng-anh-kho-diem-san-truong-dai-hoc-ngoai-ngu-giam-khong-phanh-20250722195457059.htm