University admissions need to be more open, flexible and transparent

The year 2025 basically ended with a vibrant admissions season, an increase in the number of admitted candidates, a stable online system and more proactive universities in announcing their projects. However, the complexity of the admissions method, the lack of consistency in score conversion and the pressure of virtual filtering are still prominent issues.

Therefore, there needs to be a more open, flexible and substantial direction for enrollment in 2026.

COMPLEX, LACK OF STANDARDS AND POTENTIALLY INJUST

Despite its many highlights, the 2025 university entrance exam shows the downsides of flexibility. It is complex and lacks unity.

There are up to 17 admission methods that make it easy for candidates to fall into a "confused" situation, while schools have to process huge amounts of data to determine actual admission quotas.

The conversion scores between methods lack a common standard, causing much controversy. With the same IELTS certificate of 6.5, school A converts it to 9 points, school B only calculates it to 8.5; with the same 9.0 transcript, the evaluation methods between localities are different. When all data is converted to a scale, "paper scores" easily obscure "real scores", causing the admission results to not accurately reflect academic ability.

Candidates check their 2025 high school graduation exam scores. The results of this exam are one of the admission methods of universities.

PHOTO: DAO NGOC THACH

In 2025, there will be 849,544 candidates registered with 7.6 million wishes, an average of nearly 9 wishes per candidate. Registering too many wishes puts great pressure on the admission system, from virtual filtering, data processing to announcing results, causing difficulties for both management agencies and schools. This is a prominent shortcoming of the 2025 admission season, which needs to be adjusted in 2026.

Some schools announce information late or change suddenly, making it difficult for candidates to prepare their applications; for example, some schools announced that they stopped recruiting block C00 and then adjusted it.

In addition, the admission rate based on academic records is higher because academic records are often stable and high, which helps TS and schools in the admission process, while graduation exam scores are low and there are only 4 subjects, so the admission combination is limited.

In 2025, there will be a new regulation on converting scores between admission methods. This is considered an effort to standardize data, but because there is no unified conversion framework, the method is still subjective. High school graduation exam scores reflect immediate thinking ability, while report card scores represent the long-term learning process; when "flattened" on the same scale, the difference between the two forms is erased.

Without a common database for calibration, the conversion can easily give advantages to candidates with foreign language certificates or high academic records, while not necessarily reflecting their true academic ability. This is a priority issue in admissions reform, especially when the national education data system is gradually being completed.

POLICIES AND ORIENTATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN 2026

At the request of the Ministry of Education and Training, training institutions will announce the 2026 enrollment method in October 2025, and complete the 2027 enrollment plan earlier to facilitate PhDs and high schools to orient teaching and learning related to university entrance.

The Ministry is also seeking opinions on maintaining or abolishing the consideration of high school transcripts and limiting the number of candidates' registration wishes, in order to ensure fairness and reliability between admission methods. In addition, the regional priority policy will also be adjusted in the context of administrative boundary mergers, ensuring the rights of students in disadvantaged areas.

At the 2025 University Education Conference last September, Professor Nguyen Tien Thao, Director of the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education and Training, emphasized: "Announcing the admission plan early helps students have time to prepare, and at the same time forces universities to improve their professionalism, avoiding passivity in the admission process."

Successful candidates complete admission procedures to university.

Photo: Dao Ngoc Thach

PROPOSALS TO CONSIDER FOR 2026 ENROLLMENT

From the 2025 experience, many experts propose three major improvements for the 2026 admissions season:

First, it is necessary to standardize the score conversion framework and national admission data. The Ministry of Education and Training should issue a standard conversion framework similar to that of member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), publicize the formula and verify it with post-enrollment learning data to ensure fairness.

Second, streamline but still be flexible in the selection method. Instead of 17 methods, it can be shortened to 4 main groups: high school graduation exam scores, ability/aptitude assessment, academic records and process combination, test scores combined with international certificates. This helps the virtual filtering system work more effectively, while reducing confusion for candidates.

Third, apply data technology and artificial intelligence in enrollment consulting and forecasting. The national data system can analyze trends in choosing majors, enrollment, graduation and employment rates, thereby suggesting appropriate pathways for each student and helping schools adjust their quotas to match labor needs.

In order to recruit the right students, with the right abilities and the right profession, the Vietnamese admission system needs to change dramatically: flexible but standardized, diverse but substantial, and transparent in every decision. Then, each university place will not only be a ticket to the lecture hall, but also a door opening to knowledge, opportunities and sustainable development for students, as well as the future of the country.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tuyen-sinh-dh-can-mo-linh-hoat-va-minh-bach-hon-185251019222317278.htm