What's new in university admissions for 2026?

Candidates can register their preferences for university admission in 2026 from July 2nd to 4th. The results of the first round of admissions will be announced before 5 PM on August 13th, earlier than in previous years.

The Ministry of Education and Training has announced the decision to issue the plan for implementing university and college admissions in 2026. It is expected that the Ministry of Education and Training will issue the 2026 admissions plan on November 10th.

Accordingly, the Ministry of Education and Training requires educational institutions to develop enrollment plans and promptly announce enrollment information so that students can plan their studies and exam preparation for the 2026 high school graduation exam.

Educational institutions must comply with the regulations of the admissions rules and current legal regulations and plans, and fulfill their accountability to the ministry, competent authorities, and society regarding all aspects of the institution's admissions process.

Training institutions issue their own admission regulations to specify the provisions of the current admission regulations for different forms of training, and publish them on the institution's website.

Educational institutions must complete the publication of admission information on their websites by February 15, 2026.

Candidates can practice registering and adjusting their college application preferences on the system from June 17th to June 21st. Afterwards, candidates provide the information to the receiving point for review, correction, and confirmation of priority status information.

On June 20th, candidates will provide and the receiving institutions will review foreign language certificates and SAT scores; update preliminary selection results, results of independent and supplementary exams, aptitude tests, and thinking skills assessments (if any).

Candidates must complete the submission of applications for direct admission and priority admission to educational institutions by June 20th. The direct admission process and notification of results, along with updating the list of admitted candidates on the system, must be completed before June 30th.

From the date candidates register for the exam until August 30th, educational institutions and the Department of Education and Training will support candidates in registering for the first round of admissions online.

Students of the Foreign Trade University (Photo: FTU)

Key dates to note

According to the Ministry of Education and Training, from May 1st to May 20th, 2026, the Departments of Education and Training will provide supplementary accounts to candidates (who have graduated from high school or vocational school) who do not yet have an account to register for admission on the system.

From July 2nd to 5 PM on July 14th, candidates can register and adjust their admission preferences an unlimited number of times within the specified period.

On July 10, 2026, the Ministry of Education and Training announced the minimum quality standards for admission to teacher training programs, health-related fields, and law-related programs.

At 5 PM on July 10, 2026, educational institutions will adjust and announce the minimum application scores and equivalent admission scores on their systems and websites.

From July 15th to July 21st, 2026, candidates can pay the application fee online.

Before 5 PM on August 13th, candidates will be notified of their first-round admission. Subsequently, candidates must confirm their online enrollment for the first round on the system before 5 PM on August 21st, 2026.

From August 22, 2026, educational institutions will announce supplementary enrollment.

Direct admission and priority admission methods will continue to be applied in 2026; however, the Ministry of Education and Training has not yet decided whether to continue or discontinue admission based on high school transcripts.

The Ministry of Education and Training announced that in 2026, the Quality Management Department (Ministry of Education and Training) will standardize the criteria for assessing the competence of higher education institutions, prior to the time when these institutions organize their own entrance exams.

Aptitude tests, critical thinking tests, and entrance exams must adhere to principles, criteria, content, and expertise, ensuring a consistent quality standard for entry across different university admission methods.

LINH NHI

Source: https://vtcnews.vn/tuyen-sinh-dai-hoc-2026-co-gi-moi-ar985020.html