Finalize university admission regulations 2025

On March 21, the Ministry of Education and Training announced a circular amending and supplementing a number of articles of the university admission regulations, effective from this year.

One of the new points is to eliminate early admission. These are admission rounds before the high school graduation exam, commonly considering academic records, test scores to assess ability, thinking, international certificates (SAT, ACT, IELTS...) combined with other criteria.

This year, universities can still use these methods, but must consider them together with graduation exam scores, and convert scores between methods and combinations to a common scale.

Like at Hanoi University of Science and Technology last year, the thinking assessment exam was calculated on a 100-point scale, the talent admission exam was calculated on a 110-point scale, and the high school graduation exam score was calculated on a 30-point scale, so this year it must be converted to the same scale.

This was mentioned in the previous draft, but the new point is that the conversion rule must be determined according to the guidance of the Ministry of Education and Training. Schools are responsible for explaining the scientific and practical basis for the conversion.

In addition, the Ministry for the first time stipulates that the incentive points and bonus points for candidates with special achievements or foreign language certificates must not exceed 10% of the maximum score on the scale, for example, a maximum of 3 points on a scale of 30. At the same time, schools must ensure that no candidate has an admission score (including bonus points and regional and subject priority points) exceeding the maximum.

For the admission combination, the set of requirements must include at least 3 subjects suitable to the characteristics and requirements of the training program, including math or literature with a score weight of not less than 25%. In fact, in previous years, most schools guaranteed this.

Universities are allowed to convert foreign language certificates into scores for this subject to include in the admission combination, but the weight must not exceed 50%. In the case of considering transcripts, schools must use the entire 12th grade academic results with a weight of no less than 25%.

Another notable new point is that candidates who are considered for direct admission will not be confirmed for early admission as before. They still have to register their wishes on the system according to the general plan of the Ministry. Schools are not allowed to ask this group to commit or confirm early admission.

Compared to the draft, most of them have been adjusted, mainly in specific regulations on subject score weighting.

To date, about 140 universities have announced expected enrollment information, basically recruiting by many methods but have not announced the time and quota. Some schools have issued official plans with some changes to comply with the draft enrollment regulations that the ministry released at the end of last year.

Many parents and students are confused by the new regulations such as converting methods to a common scale and adding priority points. However, schools are waiting for the ministry's official regulations before providing detailed information.

Last year, the whole country had 733,600 candidates applying for university admission. The number of successful candidates in the first round was nearly 673,600.