Vietnam weighs ending IELTS bonus points in university admissions: Will grade-12 students lose out?

Under the draft amended university admissions regulations, students would still be able to use IELTS scores to convert into English subject scores in admissions combinations or to meet entrance requirements for programs taught in foreign languages.

The proposed change comes after more than a decade of universities using IELTS in admissions under different conditions and scoring methods.

Experts say one competency should not be counted twice

Do Van Dung, former rector of the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education, said IELTS and academic competition awards should be considered differently when assessing the bonus-point policy.

IELTS is a fee-based service, while access to the test and intensive preparation courses is concentrated in urban areas, Dung said.

Adding 1.5 to three points on a 30-point scale could therefore make a significant difference in majors where admission scores are close.

This does not mean IELTS has lost its value.

Dung noted that foreign-language skills remain important for many fields, from English-taught programs to engineering and international trade.

"The issue is not that the certificate has no value, but that adding points outside the main scale turns the certificate into an advantage that can be bought," Dung said.

He suggested that a competency should be recognized only once, on a common scoring scale with a standardized conversion table.

IELTS could be converted into a foreign-language subject score or used as an entrance requirement for English-taught programs, rather than being both converted and awarded additional points.

For academic competition winners, Dung said national-level awards should be distinguished from provincial or school-level achievements.

The national competition uses common tests and is organized and supervised by the Ministry of Education and Training, providing an assessment of students' advanced ability in specific subjects.

He suggested that national award winners could continue to receive direct admission to majors related to their competition subjects, or have their achievements used as a tie-breaker when applicants have equal scores, instead of receiving bonus points across all admissions combinations.

Proposed 2027 IELTS change could affect announced admissions plans

Cu Xuan Tien, head of the Admissions and Student Affairs Office at the University of Economics and Law under Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, agreed with removing bonus points for foreign-language certificates.

Different universities currently use different conversion tables, meaning the same certificate can carry different values, Tien said.

Counting English as a subject in an admissions combination while also awarding bonus points for a certificate can also result in the same competency being counted twice.

However, the draft would still allow certificates to be converted into foreign-language subject scores, meaning applicants would not lose the value of their certificates altogether.

"But I do not agree with the argument that removing bonus points would bring universities' admissions scores closer to a standardized scale," Tien said.

"Differences come from how each university selects admissions combinations, converts different sources of results and allocates weights. 

"To compare admissions scores, the calculation methods need to be standardized and universities need to clearly publish their conversion rules."

He also noted that Vietnam's two national universities and regional universities have already announced their road maps to reduce bonus points. Removing bonus points from 2027 could affect announced plans, making transitional provisions necessary.

"Current regulations require universities to announce changes to their admissions methods at least 12 months in advance, while the draft is expected to take effect on January 1, 2027 and apply immediately to the 2027 admissions season. These two provisions need to be aligned," Tien said, suggesting that the implementation date be reconsidered.

A high school teacher in Ho Chi Minh City said both IELTS and academic competition awards reflect particular competencies and should not be viewed as having lost their value.

If bonus points are removed, they could instead be directly converted into criteria relevant to each major so that students' efforts are still recognized while admissions calculations become more consistent, the teacher said.

Parents, students call for stable admissions rules

Thai Son, a parent in An Hoi Tay Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, whose child is in grade 12, said admissions rules should be announced early enough for students and parents to make informed decisions about subjects, preparation, and exams.

"If the change takes effect in 2027, the ministry needs to provide information early and set out a clear road map. Families have invested time and money in IELTS preparation and tests because many universities have used the certificate in admissions. If it is no longer eligible for bonus points next year, students who prepared under the current rules may feel disappointed," Son said.

Nguyen Thi Luyen, a parent in Huong Tra Ward, Da Nang, said she supported limiting the situation in which universities use different bonus-point systems.

However, IELTS and academic achievements should be clearly recognized under the new rules so that students remain motivated to learn foreign languages and participate in academic competitions, she said.

"We are not opposed to new rules if they are reasonable and applied consistently. What concerns parents and students is preparing in one direction and then facing multiple changes," Luyen said.

A grade-12 student in Ho Chi Minh City who has an IELTS score of 6.5, said she had spent considerable time preparing for IELTS because she knew the certificate could be used in university admissions.

She hoped the new policy could apply to later cohorts, while students who had already prepared under the existing rules should be covered by transitional provisions.

"We are not worried about competition or higher requirements. But please do not make us spend too much time keeping up with changes to admissions rules. The more stable the rules are, the more students can focus on studying," she said.

Another grade-12 student in Gia Lai who does not have an IELTS certificate, said removing bonus points could make admissions easier to understand and reduce the disadvantage for students who cannot afford to prepare for and take the test.

He said the key issue is for universities to clearly publish their admissions criteria from the outset.