Many universities reveal admission plans

Competency assessment exams are still organized by universities, but in 2026, there will be more schools that conduct comprehensive admissions.

According to the request of the Ministry of Education and Training, in October 2025, universities must provide information on enrollment in 2026. Up to now, many schools have planned admission methods.

Maintain the competency assessment exam

Dr. Nguyen Quoc Chinh, Director of the Center for Testing and Training Quality Assessment - Ho Chi Minh City National University, said that the 2026 competency assessment exam will still be held in 2 rounds. Round 1 will be on the last Sunday of March 2026, round 2 is expected to be 1 week earlier than in 2025. The adjustment of the second round exam schedule is to match the 2026 university and college exam and admission schedule of the Ministry of Education and Training.

According to Dr. Nguyen Quoc Chinh, the test time and structure will not change compared to 2025. Specifically, the competency assessment test has 120 questions, and candidates will have 150 minutes to complete the test.

The exam structure consists of 3 parts: language use (Vietnamese, English) with 60 questions; mathematics with 30 questions; scientific thinking through logic - data analysis, scientific reasoning with 30 questions. This year, the exam is still done on paper - creating convenience, comfort and accessibility for candidates in all regions.

Candidates take the capacity assessment test organized by Ho Chi Minh City National University in 2025

The HCM City National University's capacity assessment exam is the largest among the capacity and thinking assessment exams organized by universities and colleges. In 2025, a total of 218,569 candidates will take the exam in both rounds, of which 67,623 candidates who took the first round will register to retake the second round to improve their scores. In 2025, 101 universities and 10 colleges used the results of this capacity assessment exam for admission.

Ho Chi Minh City University of Education will continue to organize specialized competency assessment exams for admission in 2026. MSc. Nguyen Ngoc Trung, Vice Principal, said that in 2026, the school plans to increase the number of exam sessions compared to 2025 (5 sessions).

In this exam, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education organizes exams in 6 subjects, including: math, physics, chemistry, biology, literature, and English. When applying to the school, candidates only need to take 1 subject (score coefficient 2) depending on the combination and major; the remaining 2 subjects in the combination will use the transcript score. In 2025, the school will reserve 50% of the total quota for admission based on the method of considering specialized competency assessment test scores.

In addition to the above two competency assessment exams, many universities in Ho Chi Minh City also organize the V-SAT exam for admission. Information from the schools said that in 2026, this exam will continue to be organized for admission.

Multiple adjustment fields

In 2026, many schools will adjust their admission methods and admission combinations... According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Nhan, Head of Training Department - Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry (IUH), in 2026, the school plans to use a comprehensive admission method to replace the following methods: considering high school graduation exam scores, considering the capacity assessment test scores of Ho Chi Minh City National University, and considering academic transcript scores.

The comprehensive admission method will combine high school graduation exam scores, capacity assessment test scores, and academic transcript scores into one. The proportion of component scores is being calculated and considered by IUH.

At Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology - VNU, the comprehensive admission method has been used since the 2022 university entrance exam and is considered effective. According to Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Hoai Thang, Head of the Training Department, the school's comprehensive admission method includes criteria on academic ability, other abilities, and social activities, with 95% - 99% of the total target.

MSc. Pham Thai Son, Director of the Admissions and Communications Center - Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade, said that in 2026, the school plans to continue using 5 admission methods. Accordingly, direct admission according to the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training, considering the capacity assessment test scores of Ho Chi Minh City National University, considering the specialized capacity assessment test scores of Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, considering the high school graduation exam scores and considering the transcripts. However, the school is considering adjusting the quota ratio in the transcript consideration method in a decreasing direction.

Information from Ho Chi Minh City University of Education shows that in 2026, the school will still use two main admission methods: considering specialized competency assessment test scores and considering high school graduation exam scores. In particular, the school plans to increase the quota for the method of considering specialized competency assessment test scores because this method is effective in admission results as well as candidate quality.

Admission survey of more than 200 universities

At a recent university education conference to review the results of 2025 and determine tasks for next year, the Ministry of Education and Training distributed a survey on university admissions from 2026 to delegates of more than 200 universities.

Regarding the admission based on high school transcripts, the Ministry of Education and Training has proposed two options: to abolish or continue using it. In the survey, the Ministry of Education and Training also asked for opinions on the number of wishes for each candidate; proposed three options for schools to comment: a maximum of 5-10 wishes or to continue with an unlimited number of wishes.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/nhieu-truong-dai-hoc-tiet-lo-phuong-an-tuyen-sinh-196251014232625919.htm