Official announcement of regulations for high school exams and university admissions 2017

The exam date, format and time for the national high school exam are not fixed but are regulated annually by the Ministry of Education and Training; in 2017, the minimum score for university admission will be maintained...

On January 25, the Ministry of Education and Training simultaneously issued two circulars including: regulations on national high school exams and recognition of high school graduation; and regulations on regular university admissions and regular college admissions for teacher training majors.

5 national high school exams

According to the regulations on national high school exams and recognition of high school graduation, like 3 years ago, the 2017 exam aims to consider recognition of high school graduation; consider university and college admission; and provide additional information to assess the quality of general education.

The Ministry of Education organizes 5 exams, including 3 independent exams: Math, Literature, Foreign Language and 2 combined exams: Natural Sciences (combination of Physics, Chemistry, Biology), Social Sciences (combination of History, Geography, Civic Education for candidates studying high school education program; combination of History, Geography for candidates studying regular education program).

To be considered for high school graduation recognition, high school candidates must take 4 exams, including 3 independent exams: Math, Literature, Foreign Language and one optional exam from 2 combined exams. Continuing education candidates take 3 exams, including 2 independent exams: Math, Literature and one optional exam from 2 combined exams.

To increase the chance of being admitted to university or college, candidates can choose to take both combined exams. The higher combined exam score will be used to calculate the high school graduation recognition score.

Candidates prepare to take the 2016 national high school exam. Photo: Ngoc Thanh.

No date set for national high school exam

According to regulations, the national high school exam is held annually. The exam date, schedule, format and time are specified in the annual national high school exam organization guidelines of the Ministry of Education and Training.

Thus, the circular does not specify the date of the exam or the format of the exam. However, in the national high school exam plan announced by the Ministry of Education at the beginning of the school year, it is clearly stated that except for the essay-based Literature exam, the remaining 4 exams will be in the form of multiple-choice tests. Each candidate in the same room has a separate exam code and will take the exam on the multiple-choice answer sheet.

In 2017, the exam content was within the 12th grade high school curriculum; in 2018, the exam content was within the 11th and 12th grade high school curriculum; from 2019 onwards, the exam content was within the high school curriculum.

Instead of having two types of exam clusters for university admission candidates and graduation candidates as in previous years, chaired by two agencies (Department of Education, university), this year each province and city will only organize one exam cluster chaired by the Department of Education. The Ministry of Education will mobilize university and college staff and lecturers to the exam clusters to coordinate the organization of the exam.

How to calculate high school graduation scores

According to the regulations, the graduation score (GPA) includes the scores of the exams that candidates take to be considered for high school graduation recognition, priority and incentive points (if any) and the average score of the entire 12th grade year. The score of each exam is converted to a 10-point scale to calculate the GPA.

Graduation scores are taken to two decimal places, automatically performed by computer software.

In 2017, the Ministry of Education still maintains the floor score in university admissions.

Instead of giving upquality assurance of university entrance (floor score) as draft announced in mid-December 2016, regulationsregular university admissionThe Circular issued on January 25 clearly states: based on the results of the national high school exam, the Ministry determines the threshold to ensure university entrance quality so that schools can develop admission plans.

Universities located in the Northwest, Central Highlands and Southwest regions are allowed to consider candidates with permanent residence for 3 years or more, studying for 3 consecutive years and graduating from high school in provinces in these regions with exam results (total score of 3 exams/subjects used for admission) lower than the floor score by 1 point and must take additional knowledge for one semester before officially entering school.

From 2018 onwards, when schools have fully and accurately disclosed information, they will determine their own floor scores.

Candidates are not limited in the number of registration wishes.

According to the regulations, candidates can register for an unlimited number of wishes and schools and must arrange their wishes in order of priority from high to low (wish 1 is the highest). In the first round of admission, for each school and major, candidates are considered equally based on exam results, regardless of the priority order of their registered wishes.

If a candidate registers for admission to multiple schools/majors, the admission process will be carried out in order of priority of the wishes. Candidates will only be admitted to the highest priority wish possible in the list of registered wishes. Candidates registering for admission to schools under the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of National Defense, in addition to these regulations, must also follow the instructions of the relevant ministry.

The admission score is the total score of the exams/subjects on a scale of 10 for each exam/subject of each admission group and is rounded to 0.25; plus priority points for subjects and regions. For candidates with the same admission score at the end of the list, admission will be considered according to the additional conditions announced by each school. If the quota is still exceeded, priority will be given to those with higher wishes.

Successful candidates must confirm their admission within the prescribed time limit. After this time limit, candidates who do not confirm their admission will be considered as refusing admission and the school will be allowed to consider other candidates in the supplementary admission round.

The new point of this regulation is that schools can conduct multiple enrollment rounds during the year, reporting enrollment results to the Ministry before December 31 every year.

How will the 2017 National High School Exam change? Graphics: Tien Thanh - Hoang Phuong

From 2018, schools must publish student employment rates

According to the regulations, each school must publicize its enrollment plan on its website and on the Ministry of Education's enrollment portal before candidates register for the national high school exam. The plan must provide full information on quality assurance conditions, including: facilities (classrooms, practice/laboratory rooms and key equipment, learning materials), teaching staff, training scale and some other important information.

The Ministry of Education will independently assess the information declaration. If it discovers that the declaration is not true to reality, it will decide to stop enrollment for the relevant major/group of majors. The school and individual in violation will be handled.

From 2018 onwards, schools must additionally disclose: total cost of training one student per year, the employment rate of full-time students within 12 months of graduation of the last two courses compared to the year of enrollment (by major group). Schools that do not fully disclose information will not be allowed to announce enrollment.

Pedagogical training schools can expand the scope of direct admission (in addition to the provisions in this regulation) for students who have graduated from specialized high schools in provinces and cities into majors suitable for specialized subjects, or prize-winning subjects if they meet the following conditions: three years of specialized high school in the province achieving excellent student status or winning first, second, or third prizes in excellent student competitions organized by the provincial level or higher and other conditions specified by the school in the school's enrollment plan.

The above two circulars take effect from March 10 and completely replace previous related documents.

According to VNE