Students choose high school exams for university admissions

Compared to previous years when many candidates took exams merely to qualify for high school graduation, 643,151 candidates this year have applied to use exam results for university admission, up five percent year-on-year.

Candidates have also listed more desired universities this year on their applications than in previous years.

Though candidates were not limited to a certain number of application choices for college admission, they only selected four to five desired choices, said Deputy Minister of Education and Training Bui Van Ga.

Some 13% of applicants registered for one, while 30% of them went with two options, demonstrating that applicants had identified careers which they want to pursue, he said.

However, this has presented a new challenge for university administration offices since they have to deal with a significant number of candidate files.

After each college determines a standard for admission and its list of potential students is submitted to the MoET, the ministry will help universities in administration by only retaining the names and scores of students who chose the respective university as a “main option” in their list of desired schools to attend. 

More than 417,330 candidates applied for social science exams, accounting for nearly 50% of total registered candidates.

Meanwhile, more than 321,450 candidates will sit for natural science exams, accounting for more than 37%, the ministry said, adding that remaining candidates had signed up for both exams. 

Da Nang city’s Department of Education and Training reported that of 11,000 candidates registered for national high school exams, 6,000 will take natural science exams, 5,000 will attend social science exams, and 1,000 will sit for both of them.

Students who signed up for social science exams would have to take history exams this year, Nguyen Minh Hung, deputy chairman of the department, said.

Compared to previous years when candidates were required to take either social or natural science exams, they are now allowed to take both and use the exam with a higher score to apply for high school graduation or college admission.

This has encouraged more students to choose what is more suitable for them, and in this case, it has been social science, according to Ga.

Also, a recent change from essay to multiple-choice exams, which requires more understanding than memorisation, has also explained why more candidates have chosen to take social science exams.

Many colleges have offered various groups of subjects to help applicants increase their admission chances.