Guidelines for designing questions in competency assessment exams.

A COMPREHENSIVE EXAM OR INDEPENDENT SUBJECTS

To date, more than 10 institutions have announced information regarding the organization of aptitude and thinking skills assessment exams for university admissions. Regarding the exam format, candidates will be required to take the test on a computer or on paper. Most exams are conducted in a multiple-choice format, except for some that include additional essay questions or other skills.

The biggest difference lies in the exam structure, which can be a comprehensive test or consist of separate subjects. Depending on the specific admission requirements of each school, the number of subjects included in each exam also varies.

Candidates participating in the specialized computer-based aptitude test at Ho Chi Minh City University of Education in 2023.

However, according to representatives of the organizations conducting the separate exams, all exams are similar in their approach to question design.

According to Master Nguyen Ngoc Trung, Vice Rector of Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, although separate entrance exams are organized differently, the approach to question design is always based on assessing students' abilities, closely aligned with the high school curriculum to serve the goal of university admissions. Depending on the specific field of study, each exam has certain differences in organization, the necessary competencies to be assessed, etc.

Master Trung illustrated this point by comparing the separate entrance exams of Hanoi University of Education and Ho Chi Minh City University of Education. The Hanoi University of Education exam covers eight subjects and candidates take the exam on paper, while the Ho Chi Minh City University of Education exam requires candidates to take the exam entirely on computers. Despite the difference in format (computer-based or paper-based), the two exams are similar in that they both assess students' specific competencies and include a combination of essay and multiple-choice questions. The scope of knowledge tested closely follows the high school curriculum, with 80% focusing on 12th-grade material.

You can participate in multiple different exams.

Even when compared to other exams, Master Trung added: "A student who performs well in high school combined with good reasoning skills can confidently participate in various exams."

Regarding this issue, Master Nguyen Hua Duy Khang, Deputy Head of the Training Department at Can Tho University, also acknowledged: "Different universities organize their own separate exams, assessing different abilities and skills, but all are based on the knowledge learned in the general education program. Whether a student prepares for the separate exam early, from grades 10 or 11, or only considers participating in the exam in grade 12, there will be no difference if they have already mastered the knowledge in the curriculum." According to Master Khang, students should not rush into exam preparation courses but should thoroughly understand the exam format and further practice their test-taking skills to achieve better results.

"For example, the computer-based university entrance exam (V-SAT) organized by Can Tho University will have a section of the exam with combined questions. This type of question is rarely used in regular exams but is more common in gifted student competitions. Therefore, studying the sample exam to understand the requirements and then developing a suitable approach to answering the questions is essential," added Master Khang.

Many universities recognize and use the results of a single exam to help students avoid having to take the exam multiple times.

Expanding Mutual Recognition of Exam Results

However, representatives from universities generally advise candidates not to take too many exams simultaneously. Instead, they should focus on choosing a field of study and a university to select an exam that suits them best. This is especially true in the context of many universities recognizing and using the results of a single exam, helping candidates avoid having to take multiple exams.

Most of the separate entrance exams organized serve the admissions process for multiple universities. The most widely used exam currently is the aptitude test of the Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City, with 105 different universities and colleges using it. In 2023, the aptitude test of the Vietnam National University Hanoi was also used by 74 universities and academies for admissions. The exams of Hanoi Pedagogical University and Ho Chi Minh City Pedagogical University are also recognized for use in the admissions process for a group of 7 pedagogical universities nationwide. As of February this year, 36 universities have also registered to use the results of the Hanoi University of Science and Technology's aptitude test for admissions. Most recently, the V-SAT exam, organized by the National Center for Educational Testing and Quality Assessment (Department of Quality Management, Ministry of Education and Training) in collaboration with 6 universities, has also been recognized for use by these universities.

According to Master Nguyen Ngoc Trung, in 2023, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education accepted the exam results of 10 candidates who took the exam at Hanoi University of Education for admission consideration. This year, candidates from the North can take the exam at Hanoi University of Education, and candidates from the South can take the exam at Ho Chi Minh City University of Education to obtain results for admission to any of the 7 universities that train teachers. Besides the two universities organizing the exam, the remaining 5 universities participating in the admission process are: Hanoi University of Education 2, Hue University of Education, Da Nang University of Education, Thai Nguyen University of Education, and Vinh University. For the Central region, candidates can choose to take the exam at the testing center of one of the two universities to obtain results for admission to the remaining universities. "Candidates only need to take the exam and have a certificate of exam results from one of the two universities to be eligible for admission consideration like other candidates," Master Trung emphasized.

Regarding the V-SAT exam, Master Nguyen Hua Duy Khang stated that six universities have signed an agreement to jointly organize and use this exam for admissions. Candidates can register to take this exam at one of the six universities to have their results used for admission to the others. However, Mr. Khang noted that while the exam is organized identically at all universities, the use of these results for admissions may differ. For example, this year, Can Tho University is organizing the V-SAT exam for the first time to admit 20% of its students (excluding teacher training, literature, and journalism programs). This method only considers the exam score, without combining it with other admission criteria. Meanwhile, while also using this exam, in 2023 Saigon University used the Literature score from the high school graduation exam results because it did not hold an exam for this subject.

"The university will begin accepting applications for the exam from March 15th and will announce the specific list of majors and subject combinations for admission using this method," added Master Khang.

Students with better reasoning skills will achieve higher results.

Dr. Nguyen Quoc Chinh, Director of the Center for Testing and Quality Assessment of Training (Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City), also stated that each exam has its own unique characteristics in terms of questions, but the common goal is to assess the academic ability of high school students as a basis for university and college admissions. The difference lies in the degree of differentiation in each exam, and therefore the requirements set for candidates also differ. A diligent student who memorizes easily achieves high scores in the high school graduation exam, but in aptitude assessment exams, students with better reasoning skills will achieve higher results. "But in short, students who are well-equipped with knowledge and skills in high school will be able to participate in these exams," Dr. Chinh emphasized.

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