Since 2022, HCMC University of Technology (HCMUT) under Vietnam National University-Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM) has served as a pioneering institution nationwide in implementing comprehensive admissions based on a holistic blend of high school transcripts, graduation exam scores, Vietnam assessment competency test (V-ACT) organized by VNU-HCM, aptitude marks, and social activity credits.
However, in 2026, numerous prominent universities are insistently utilizing these comprehensive admission formulas. During this year’s enrollment season, all eight member universities of VNU-HCM are reportedly applying a single unified method, which is the comprehensive evaluation besides the mandatory direct admission method stipulated by the Ministry of Education and Training.
The passing benchmark is, therefore, calculated by summing various component scores, encompassing high school graduation exam results, competency assessment marks, academic transcripts, bonus points, aptitude scores, and social work activities. Among these, the high school graduation exam score accounts for less than 50 percent across all member institutions, with HCMUT sitting at 20 percent, the University of Health Sciences (UHS) at 30 percent, and the University of Information Technology (UIT) at 47.5 percent.
Shifting from multiple enrollment options, the University of Economics HCMC (UEH) is adopting only one combined admission method this year. This particular method utilizes a 100-point scale, heavily relying on the total score of either the high school graduation exam, V-ACT, or the V-SAT university entrance evaluation, and the high school academic transcript.
The university seamlessly applies bonus points for specific groups, such as candidates holding an English certificate equivalent to IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL iBT 73 and above, first, second, or third-prize winners in provincial academic competitions, and students from specialized or gifted high schools.
Similarly, the Industrial University of HCMC (IUH) calculates its benchmark score by summing component scores, which consist of the high school graduation exam making up 35 percent, the competency assessment accounting for 30 percent, and the academic transcript holding 30 percent. However, if candidates don’t utilize their high school graduation scores, their competency assessment results can be weighted up to 70 percent.
Several other higher education institutions such as Nguyen Tat Thanh University, HCMC University of Technology (HUTECH), HCMC Open University, University of Finance and Marketing, and HCMC University of Industry and Trade are introducing notable changes alongside steadily maintaining four to five conventional methods. Specifically, it’s a combined evaluation blending high school transcripts with graduation exam scores or results from independent institutional exams.
Vice President Quach Thanh Hai of HCMC University of Technology and Engineering, the persistent troubles involving score conversions between different methods in 2025 have prompted a decisive pivot. He observed that schools are shifting gears to opt for combined admission methods this year to avoid those administrative headaches.
Last year, score conversions encountered severe difficulties due to incomplete data and numerous underlying variables, such as notable point discrepancies across different subject combinations. In reality, administrative errors in this specific phase previously jeopardized the legitimate rights of over 1,000 applicants.
Consequently, the university is actively adjusting its enrollment scheme to entirely scrap the score conversion phase. Instead of evaluating individual elements like high school transcripts, graduation exam scores, and competency assessment results before converting them into a common scale, the university will comprehensively assess all three scoring factors based on a predetermined mathematical formula.
For Dr Nguyen Trung Nhan, Head of the Academic Affairs Office at IUH, statistical anomalies served as a major wake-up call. “In 2025, score conversions lacking comparative data caused the group of candidates admitted via high school transcripts to surge dramatically, vastly exceeding our initial projections,” he explained, carefully reviewing the recent enrollment statistics.
Therefore, transitioning to a combined evaluation method simultaneously ensures absolute fairness for candidates while comprehensively assessing their academic capabilities.
HCMUT’s Head of the Academic Affairs Office Assoc Prof Dr Bui Hoai Thang commented that the broader educational landscape is undergoing a profound transformation. He noted that higher education is actively shifting from a selection process heavily reliant on a single exam’s scores to a much more comprehensive competency assessment approach. It appears this strategic move perfectly aligns with prevailing global trends embraced by numerous prestigious universities.
For core engineering programs and strategic technology majors, the rigorous demands placed upon learners are increasingly high. In the end, these highly specialized fields strictly require students to possess logical thinking, analytical prowess, problem-solving skills, independent learning capabilities, and the remarkable adaptability to cope with the rapid evolution of science and technology, which are undeniably difficult to reflect comprehensively through just a single standardized test.
University admissions are currently executed through diverse methods, heavily depending on specific selection criteria and the institutional autonomy of each educational establishment.
Looking back at the 2022-2025 period, educational facilities primarily utilized three main enrollment methods, including high school graduation exam scores that accounted for 60 to 90 percent of the quota, high school academic results, and the combination of graduation exam scores with independent testing results.
However, in 2025 alone, the method relying solely on high school graduation exam scores reportedly captured merely 50.3 percent of the admission quota, while the remaining 49.7 percent originated from alternative enrollment methods such as academic transcripts, independent exams, and combined evaluations.
