IELTS reigns supreme - VnExpress

Because it's used both to improve English scores in the high school graduation exam and for university admissions, the IELTS certificate has become valuable, causing students and parents to put in a lot of effort to obtain it.

In 11th grade, Nguyen Thi Thuy from Ha Dong district enrolled in an IELTS course (International English Language Testing System), attending four sessions per week. Thuy also took an additional supplementary English class, aiming to achieve a score of 7.0.

"Two-thirds of my classmates have been practicing for the IELTS, some have been studying since 8th grade," Thuy said.

Pham Thu Ha, an 11th-grade student at a high school in Hoan Kiem district, has been taking a basic IELTS course for the past two months. The class is held twice a week for 2.5 hours, with homework assigned every day. She spends her evenings reviewing the types of questions taught in class, practicing with sample tests, and practicing speaking with her friends.

Thuy and Ha are two of tens of thousands of students seeking to reduce exam pressure and secure university places by using international language certificates. This year, the number of students using IELTS certificates to be exempt from the English graduation exam has reached over 46,600.

The British Council and IDP, the two organizations administering the IELTS exam in Vietnam, do not disclose the number of test-takers or certificates issued. However, judging by the scale of their operations, the number of exams is increasing significantly.

Students take the high school graduation exam at Nguyen Trai High School, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi , on the morning of June 28. Photo: Giang Huy

In 2014, the frequency of paper-based tests for both BC and IDP was 3 or 4 per month in major cities. Last year, that number increased to 4-6. If taking the computer-based test, candidates can schedule tests on most days of the week, with up to 3 test sessions per day.

IDP test centers in Hanoi currently have no more or nearly full slots. Candidates wishing to take the test will have to wait until January 2024. Computer-based testing has more slots available, but is also nearly full.

The demand for IELTS certificates was so urgent that in November 2022, when the Ministry of Education and Training suspended the exam nationwide, many students had to pack their bags and go to Thailand to take the test in time, even though it cost them tens of millions of dong.

University admissions provide a stepping stone for IELTS candidates.

Ms. Doan Thi Nuong, Director of ECE Foreign Language Center, said that learning English is receiving increasing attention, especially after the Ministry of Education and Training allowed students with IELTS certificates of 4.0 or higher to convert them into English scores for the high school graduation exam.

In Hanoi alone, in the three years since 2019, the number of eligible students increased from over 3,000 to 10,800, a 360% increase. In Ho Chi Minh City, nearly 7,900 candidates were exempted from the foreign language graduation exam in 2022. an increase of 133% compared to the previous year.

The number of students taking the IELTS exam is steadily increasing because many universities accept this certificate as a method of admission.

In 2017, the National Economics University (NEU) pioneered the use of international foreign language certificates, including IELTS, in its admissions process. By 2023, approximately 100 universities, including those in economics, engineering, and medicine, had adopted similar methods. Combined admissions processes using international foreign language certificates typically account for 5-20% of total enrollment quotas. Some universities allocate a high percentage to this category, such as NEU, with up to 45%.

This year, NEU received approximately 11,000 applications with English certificates, the highest number in the past six years. According to Associate Professor Bui Duc Trieu, Head of the Training Management Department, when the university first used IELTS for admissions, it only received about 50 applications. Just one year later, the number of candidates with certificates increased to 400, a tenfold increase. The following year, the number reached 2,000, a fortyfold increase.

A number of medical and pharmaceutical universities, such as Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi University of Pharmacy, and Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, which previously only admitted students based on the B (Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology) and A (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry) subject combinations, have also incorporated IELTS into their admissions plans over the past three years, prioritizing candidates with certificates. In 2023, Hanoi Medical University set the cutoff score for the Medical program at 26 for candidates with a foreign language certificate and 27.73 for those without.

More and more students are interested in and using the IELTS-based admission method, said Dr. Tran Manh Ha, Head of Training Department at the Banking Academy. For universities, this also has significance in the admissions process.

"International certification exams not only assess foreign language skills but also evaluate candidates' critical thinking, analytical and synthesis skills, and presentation skills. The exam results are considered along with several other criteria, making them perfectly suitable for many universities to use in their admissions process," Mr. Ha commented.

Dr. Nguyen Tien Dung, Vice Rector of Hanoi University, said that the selection process for candidates with international foreign language proficiency certificates also helps to assess their future academic potential.

Mr. Dung and Mr. Ha both believe that in the future, universities will continue to use international certificates, including IELTS, for admissions.

Even within medical schools, prioritizing candidates with foreign language certificates will be implemented in the coming years. Representatives from Hanoi Medical University have repeatedly affirmed that this method helps the school recruit students with good foreign language skills, contributing to improved training quality. Without foreign language skills, students find it difficult to access resources, participate in international medical forums, and thus hinder their career development.

Get into the IELTS rhythm.

To increase their chances of getting into top universities, parents are eager to have their children prepare for the IELTS exam early, despite the cost. As soon as her daughter entered 10th grade, Ms. Dang Khanh Ly in Ha Dong district immediately started gathering groups and forming classes.

"We invited the teacher to tutor a group of 6-7 students, with the goal of exempting them from the foreign language graduation exam and giving them an advantage in university admissions," Ms. Ly said.

According to her, relying solely on the combined score of three subjects for university admission carries many risks and pressures, because the high school graduation exam is only taken once, while the IELTS exam can be taken countless times.

"Having a higher IELTS score makes me feel more secure," she said.

The average tuition fee for IELTS preparation courses ranges from 2 to 5 million VND per month. Intensive Speaking and Writing courses cost 9 million VND. Courses covering all four skills typically cost 13 to 15 million VND, depending on the duration.

According to a survey on living conditions, employment, and wages conducted by the Institute of Workers and Trade Unions, this cost accounts for between one-quarter and more than one-quarter of a worker's average monthly income of 7.88 million VND.

Demand is high, and supply is expanding rapidly. Language centers are offering numerous courses, from basic to advanced levels, catering to all skill levels from average to proficient, in-person or online. Learning facilities are also expanding. For example, Summit – an English test preparation and study abroad consulting center – currently has eight locations in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

"The number of students registering for IELTS courses has grown steadily in recent years, increasing by up to 30% annually. The number of people taking the certificate for university admissions is growing the fastest, accounting for 60%," said Ms. Tran Phuong Hoa, CEO of Summit.

Newly established centers also have a 20% student growth rate. An IELTS center run by a teacher who has repeatedly achieved a score of 9.0 has nearly 40,000 registered students each year across three provinces, both in-person and online.

"From 2017 to 2020, we experienced triple-digit growth, and now we're maintaining a stable rate of 15-20% per year," this person said.

The strength of IELTS preparation courses lies in teaching students to use English in various contexts, rather than focusing solely on grammar and reading comprehension as in high school. With proper preparation, learners build a solid foundation of knowledge, vocabulary, and grammar, enabling them to use English at both academic and everyday levels.

Ms. Ly said that besides trying to obtain the certificate for university admission, she and her daughter also clearly saw the positive aspects of the IELTS preparation process, which motivated them to achieve a specific goal and become more confident in communication and work. Therefore, whether the Ministry of Education continues to use this certificate to convert English graduation exam scores or not will not affect their plans.

"Preparing for the IELTS is like killing two birds with one stone," Ly said.

Two 11th-grade students, Thuy and Ha, remain determined to pursue the certificate. "I'm afraid there might be changes when I take the university entrance exam. I have to study for IELTS to be prepared," Ha said.

Binh Minh - Duong Tam

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