Several leading universities in Vietnam, including the National Economics University, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, and Banking Academy, are developing equivalent score conversion formulas based on data from previous admissions, student performance, and scoring distributions of various methods in 2025.

The Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) has recently issued a circular to amend and supplement several regulations on university admissions, effective this year.

Dr. Le Anh Duc, Head of the Training Management Department at the National Economics University, noted that these changes facilitate both institutions and applicants in the admission process.

Streamlining the admissions process

One of the significant changes is the removal of early admission, allowing students to concentrate on high school studies and competency exams without being distracted by early application rounds.

Moreover, the requirement to establish equivalent score conversion formulas helps universities eliminate the need to allocate quotas for each admission method or combination, enabling simultaneous and unified selection.

This approach streamlines the admissions process, as universities previously conducted multiple selection rounds with different methods and varied admission standards.

Additionally, MOET's guidance on uniform score conversion and the requirement to publish conversion formulas no later than the announcement of minimum entrance scores - when all exam results are available - ensures consistency across the system. This adjustment enhances accuracy and reliability in equivalent score conversion.

Developing reliable conversion formulas

According to Dr. Le Anh Duc, the National Economics University has been researching conversion rules based on data from more than 20,000 admitted students over the past three years.

However, he emphasized that historical data only serves as a reference, and the reliability of conversion must be based on current-year data.

The university plans to publish its updated admission plan, reflecting the new MOET regulations, by the first week of April 2025.

"Fundamentally, the new regulations aim to simplify the admission process and benefit applicants. Regardless of how the conversion rules are structured, students with strong abilities demonstrated through competency exams, aptitude assessments, and high school graduation exams will have ample opportunities to secure admission to top programs," Dr. Duc affirmed.

Adjustments at other institutions

The Banking Academy also plans minor technical adjustments, such as eliminating quota distribution for each admission method to comply with the new regulations.

Additionally, the academy will include conversion of international English certificates like IELTS and TOEFL iBT as substitutes for the English subject in the 2025 high school graduation exam, provided the candidate holds a valid certificate.

Regarding equivalent score conversion between admission methods and combinations, Dr. Tran Manh Ha, Head of Training at the Banking Academy, explained that the university is calculating the formula based on two primary data sources:

The performance of previously admitted students via various methods and their academic results.

The scoring distribution of admission methods in 2025.

For example, the scoring distribution of high school graduation exam candidates admitted to the Banking Academy typically ranges from 25 to 27.5 points, while scores from the HSA competency assessment often fall between 105 and 115 points. These statistics will guide the development of the equivalent score conversion formula.

Similarly, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Phong Dien, Vice President of Hanoi University of Science and Technology, stated that the university is also devising an equivalent score conversion formula.

The criteria will be based on the academic and training results of students who have been admitted via these methods in previous years.

At Hanoi University of Science and Technology, the talent admission method is expected to have the highest conversion factor compared to the other two methods: the competency assessment and high school graduation exams.

Thuy Nga