How are HSA assessment scores converted?

With the HSA score conversion method of Hanoi National University, with the same score, the level of competition for candidates choosing the science section will be different from that of candidates choosing the English section.

Hanoi National University has just announced the score distribution of the 2025 HSA high school student assessment exam, and at the same time announced the plan to convert HSA scores to a 30-point scale. This unit also created a tool for candidates who took the 2025 HSA exam to determine their ranking in the exam.

With the same 82 points, candidates achieved different rankings, depending on the exam content.

PHOTO: VNU - QUY HIEN

The 2025 HSA exam was held in 6 sessions, from March 15 to May 18. 89,059 candidates took the exam, reaching 98.3% of the number of candidates registered (90,632 candidates).

The 2025 HSA test score distribution is normally distributed with a mean score of 78.8/150; standard deviation is 14.3, median at 78.0/150.

The highest score in 2025 is 130/150, a candidate choosing the science test, combination Q01 (physics, chemistry, biology). The lowest score is 31/150.

The percentage of candidates achieving a score of ≥ 105/150 is about 3.94%; the score of ≥ 100/150 is 8.13%; the score of ≥ 90/150 is 23.7%; from 80/150 and above is 47.2%; from 75/150 is 60.2%.

Compared to 2024, the average HSA score in 2025 is about 2.3 points higher (78.8 compared to 76.5) and the standard deviation is slightly higher (14.3 compared to 13.3). This shows that the exam results in 2025 tend to increase slightly, up about 2 - 3 points compared to the same period last year.

Principles for converting HSA scores with high school graduation exam scores

According to the request of the Ministry of Education and Training, this year, Hanoi National University must convert HSA scores (150-point scale) to a 30-point scale to unify admission methods and ensure fairness.

However, the relationship between HSA scores and high school exam scores is not linear 1 - 1 due to the different nature of the two exams. Therefore, Hanoi National University has proposed a conversion method based on the percentile (Equipercentile).

Reference conversion based on HSA and High School exam data in 2024, based on analysis of the results of 62,460 candidates participating in both exams (HSA and High School) in 2024

PHOTO: VNU

This method uses test result data from candidates who took both the HSA and high school graduation exams, allowing for direct comparison of results from the same group of people. The percentile of each HSA score level is calculated, then the corresponding high school combined score at the same percentile is found. This method preserves the relative rankings of candidates between the two methods, ensuring fairness in competitive rankings.

Conversion can be done separately for each high school admission group (A00, A01, B00, C00, D01...) to match the characteristics of each group.

According to Hanoi National University, the Equipercentile method respects rankings: candidates in the top 5% of HSAs will be converted to the exact top 5% score in the corresponding group. Candidates taking the HSA exam are not disadvantaged when compared to candidates taking the high school exam, because their rankings are preserved. This allows universities to directly compare all candidates on the same 30-point scale.

Same score, different rank

Because the 2025 high school graduation exam scores are not yet available, Hanoi National University has only announced the principles for converting scores, but not the conversion results.

With the HSA 2025 exam scores (available), Hanoi National University has converted the scores of the science and English elective exams to serve the admission work for universities that use HSA exam scores.

Hanoi National University has also created a tool to help candidates compare their rankings (in relation to the two groups choosing the science test and choosing the English test).

This tool is based on the percentile rank (P%) and trough score (T%) statistics of 89,055 candidates who took the 2025 HSA.

Percentile rank reflects the percentage of exam scores that are equal to or lower than the candidate's score. Exam score tops list exam scores from highest to lowest by percentage, also known as percentile rank.

For example, with the same score of 82, the candidate who chose the science section was in the top 30% of the group with the highest score, while the candidate who chose the English section was in the top 55% of the group with the highest score.

To be in the top 30% of candidates, candidates who choose the English section must score 91 points. According to the equivalent conversion theory, candidates who choose the science section and score 82 points are equivalent to candidates who choose the English section and score 91 points.

Below are the statistics of the HSA 2025 exam scores according to the 2 groups of English and Science options:

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/diem-thi-danh-gia-nang-luc-hsa-duoc-quy-doi-the-nao-1852505300026545.htm