IELTS no longer earns bonus points: Is it still worth the investment?

Under a circular amending and supplementing university admission regulations announced by the Ministry of Education and Training on Friday, universities will be allowed to award a maximum of 0.5 bonus point on a 30-point scale in the 2027 admission cycle, down from the previous maximum of three points.

From 2028, universities will no longer be permitted to award bonus points in admissions.

The changes have prompted students and parents to reconsider whether investing in international qualifications, particularly IELTS, will still offer an advantage in the competition for university places.

IELTS should not be seen merely as way to earn bonus points

Do Ngoc Anh, director of the Communications and Admissions Center at Hanoi Open University, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper that it was important to distinguish between using IELTS certificates to earn bonus points and using them as part of university admission assessments.

According to him, reducing and eventually eliminating bonus points does not mean IELTS certificates will lose their value in university admissions.

Under current regulations, eligible foreign language certificates can still be converted into foreign language subject scores in an admission combination, based on conversion tables announced by individual universities.

This means applicants holding IELTS certificates can continue to benefit when applying to programs and majors that use foreign language scores as part of their admission criteria.

"The most lasting value of IELTS lies not in the additional points it brings in university admissions, but in learners' actual language proficiency. Therefore, students should not view IELTS simply as a tool to increase their university admission scores," Ngoc Anh said.

From the perspective of educational investment, he said students should still consider international qualifications if they suit their abilities, academic goals and family finances.

However, they should not follow trends or regard international certificates as compulsory for gaining admission to university.

Developing strong English proficiency through IELTS can bring long-term benefits beyond university admissions, helping students access international learning materials, participate in English-medium programs and student exchanges, and broaden their employment opportunities.

Before investing in a certificate, Ngoc Anh advised students to consider three factors: whether their intended universities accept it; how much of an actual advantage it offers in admissions; and whether the time and money required to obtain it would affect their regular studies or exam preparation.

He advised against spending excessive time and money on certificates solely to earn bonus points.

International qualifications should be considered part of a broader process of developing skills and abilities, rather than the sole objective of a university admission strategy.

IELTS holders have advantages beyond admissions

IELTS certificates can also be useful at various stages of university education, rather than serving only as an admission qualification.

Dr. Le Anh Duc, head of the Office of Academic Affairs at the National Economics University, said the policy changes would not undermine universities' autonomy in admissions.

Universities can still use foreign language certificates to convert results into equivalent subject scores or replace English scores in the national high school graduation examination when determining admission eligibility.

Second, they can make IELTS a requirement for admission to certain academic programs, particularly those in which a proportion of courses are taught and studied in English.

Third, IELTS can serve as an admission criterion for international joint programs delivered entirely in English, depending on the requirements of each program.

Duc affirmed that applicants holding IELTS certificates would continue to enjoy several advantages when applying to the National Economics University.

The university offers numerous English-medium programs and provides a learning environment in which English is used as a second language.

Students may also have their English proficiency graduation requirement recognized and receive credit transfers for English courses.

From 'golden ticket' to the end of bonus points

IELTS was once regarded as a "golden ticket" to university admission, as many leading institutions offered direct admission to applicants holding the certificate in combination with certain high school academic records.

This gave IELTS holders an additional advantage in the admissions process.

In 2025, the Ministry of Education and Training tightened regulations on using foreign language certificates in university admissions.

Universities were allowed to convert certificates eligible for exemption from the high school graduation English exam into foreign language subject scores, but the weight of those scores could not exceed 50 percent of the admission score.

The total bonus points awarded for outstanding achievements and foreign language certificates were capped at 10 percent of the admission scale, equivalent to three points on a 30-point scale.

However, some universities effectively counted the same IELTS certificate twice, converting it into an English subject score of up to 10 points while also awarding up to three bonus points, giving applicants an advantage equivalent to as many as 13 points.

In 2026, the ministry halved the maximum bonus points for foreign language certificates to 1.5 points and stipulated that applicants could receive either bonus points or converted scores, but not both.

Under the new roadmap, the maximum bonus points will fall further to 0.5 point on a 30-point scale in the 2027 admission cycle before being abolished entirely in 2028.

According to education experts, even a difference of 0.01 point can determine whether an applicant is admitted to a university.

The policy changes are intended to reduce reliance on bonus points and encourage students to focus more on academic performance and actual abilities, while partly limiting the advantage enjoyed by those who can afford expensive international language qualifications.