The Ministry of Education and Training is currently soliciting feedback on its draft university admissions regulations for 2026. This draft introduces several new provisions, including regulations concerning international foreign language certificates.

The proposed changes for 2026 university admissions include three key points:

First, universities may convert international foreign language certificate scores, such as IELTS, into a 10-point scale for the foreign language subject within their admission criteria. The principle states that the weighting for the foreign language component must not exceed 10 out of 30 points in the total admission score.

Crucially, the conversion table must feature a minimum of five distinct score levels, corresponding to the certificate's scoring scale.

For example, an IELTS score of 5.5 could convert to 8 English points; 6.0 to 8.5; 6.5 to 9; 7.0 to 9.5; and IELTS 7.5 and above to 10 points. Universities will no longer be permitted to convert all certificate scores to a single range like 9-10 points.

Last year, the Ministry did not issue specific regulations on conversion tables. While many universities adopted five distinct conversion levels, a considerable number only used two to four levels. In isolated cases, some institutions converted all IELTS scores, regardless of whether they were 5.0 or 9.0, to a uniform 10 points.

Students taking the 2025 high school graduation exam in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Thanh Tung

The second proposed change by the Ministry aims to reduce the bonus points awarded to candidates holding foreign language certificates like IELTS.

Specifically, bonus points in university admissions are categorized into three types: reward points for candidates who achieve national excellent student awards or international Olympiad medals (if they do not use direct admission rights); special achievement bonus points for candidates with exceptional accomplishments or talents; and incentive points for those with foreign language or other international certificates.

The total bonus points are capped at 3 out of 30. Within this, each component (reward points, special achievement bonus points, and incentive points) is limited to a maximum of 1,5 points.

Consequently, candidates with foreign language certificates such as IELTS will receive a maximum of 1,5 bonus points, a reduction from the 3 points awarded last year.

Finally, the Ministry proposes that foreign language certificates can only be used for either conversion into a foreign language subject score or for bonus points, but not both. This means universities cannot simultaneously convert a candidate's certificate score and award them bonus points for it.

In previous years, some universities, including Thuong Mai University and National Economics University, awarded 0,5-3 bonus points to IELTS certificate holders while also converting their scores to 8-10 points for the English subject. This allowed a candidate to potentially gain up to 13 out of 30 points solely through IELTS.

According to many admissions experts, this practice created significant inequity, particularly given that last year’s English exam was considered challenging, with only 144 perfect scores nationwide. The Ministry’s new proposals are expected to rectify this situation.

Last year, over 70 universities converted IELTS scores of 4.0 and above into English subject points for combined admission with high school graduation exam scores or academic transcripts. Conversely, some universities did not convert scores but offered bonus points for IELTS holders. For instance, Hai Duong University of Medical Technology awarded 0,5-3 points, Hanoi Medical University 1-2 points, and Ho Chi Minh City University of Law 2-3 points.

Duong Tam