The wrong strategy can easily lead to failing the university entrance exam.

The 2026 university admissions season, with its numerous changes, makes getting into university no longer easy. A warning has been issued that even a good score could lead to failure if the application strategy is flawed.

Students learn about admission information for the University of Economics and Law at the 2026 Admissions and Career Guidance Fair organized by Tuoi Tre newspaper - Photo: TRAN HUYNH

Tightening entrance quality standards, limiting the number of admission methods, and setting a common minimum score of 15 are changes predicted to significantly impact the admission plans of universities, as well as the choices of candidates in the 2026 admission season.

To be considered for university admission, you need a minimum score of 15.

The 2026 university admissions regulations stipulate that to be considered for admission, candidates graduating from high school in 2026 must achieve a minimum of 15/30 points for 3/4 subjects in the high school graduation exam (the combination of three subjects for admission).

This minimum threshold also applies to candidates who are considered based on their scores in mathematics, literature, and one other subject (this does not apply to candidates who are granted special exemptions or are exempt from the graduation exam).

Candidates who graduated from high school in previous years are not subject to the above regulations.

Specialized fields have higher requirements: 18 points for education and law majors, and 20 points for health-related majors (or 16.5 points for some fields).

The Ministry of Education and Training will announce the minimum quality standards for admission to three groups of majors: teacher training (pedagogy), health, and law. This is the first year the ministry has set an entrance threshold for majors in the field of law.

Admission combination: Mathematics or Literature must account for at least 1/3 of the total score.

A notable new point is that the weighting of either mathematics or literature in the admission test combination must be at least 1/3.

For example: In the combination of Math - Physics - English (each subject with a coefficient of 1), Math = 1/(1+1+1) = 1/3, so the weight of Math must be 1/3 (meets the requirement). In the combination of Math - Physics - English (English with a coefficient of 2), Math = 1/(1+1+1x2) = 1/4 < 1/3, then the weight of Math is only 1/4 (does not meet the requirement).

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Limited to 15 preferences, based on high school transcripts from all three years.

According to the new regulations, this year candidates are only allowed to register a maximum of 15 preferences (in previous years, candidates were not limited in the number of preferences they could register for admission).

Notably, for teacher training programs, candidates can only register for 1st to 5th choice. This forces candidates to carefully consider their priorities and avoid applying to too many programs. A flawed application strategy can easily lead to failure to get into university, even with good scores.

Another new point is that for the academic transcript-based admission method, instead of only considering 12th-grade scores or 5 semesters as before, from 2026 onwards, the academic results of all three years of high school (grades 10, 11, and 12) will be considered.

Maximum bonus points: 3 points

The new regulations stipulate that the total number of points (including bonus points, reward points, and incentive points) must not exceed 3 points on a 30-point scale.

The bonus points awarded to candidates admitted directly range from 0 to 3 points, the bonus points for candidates with special achievements or talents range from 0 to 1.5 points, and the incentive points for candidates with foreign language certificates or international certificates range from 0 to 1.5 points.

Foreign language certificates can only be used to convert points for the foreign language subject in the admission test combination or as bonus points. The conversion table must have at least 5 different score levels corresponding to the certificate's scoring scale.

Schools that have converted certificate scores will no longer add bonus points. This significantly reduces the huge advantage that bonus points provided in previous years.

Another significant change this year is that the priority for regional areas will be determined solely based on the high school attended.

Simple admissions support system

The admission process is conducted in a way that considers all admission methods and combinations equally, regardless of the priority order of the registered preferences, except in the following cases:

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For candidates with the same score at the end of the list, priority is given to those with lower bonus points; for candidates with the same score at the end of the list, if the bonus points are equal, priority is given to those with higher-ranked preferences.

These changes not only directly affect the chances of admission but also force candidates to adjust their application strategies from the outset.

According to Professor Dr. Nguyen Tien Thao - Director of the Department of Higher Education (Ministry of Education and Training), the ministry's admissions support system this year continues to simplify the application process (candidates register for admission by major, without choosing a data source for admissions).

Candidates applying for college-level programs will continue to register on the system if colleges wish to participate. The system also provides information and proof of priority status as soon as candidates register for the exam.

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TRAN HUYNH

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/sai-chien-luoc-de-truot-dai-hoc-20260425103622177.htm