Adjusting priority subjects in university admissions

Priority subjects and areas with bonus points will change, that is the latest point in the Draft amending and supplementing the regulations on regular university and college admissions in 2014, just announced by the Ministry of Education and Training.

Candidates taking university entrance exams. (Photo: VNA)

Accordingly, the priority policy will include 7 priority groups.

Priority subject 01 has the most changes, including Vietnamese citizens whose father or mother is an ethnic minority in areas with especially difficult socio-economic conditions.

Thus, subject 01 in the new policy has been narrowed down compared to the old regulation. In the old regulation, subject 01 is a Vietnamese citizen whose father or mother is an ethnic minority.

Subject 02: Direct workers who have worked continuously in production for 5 years or more, of which at least 2 years have been emulation fighters recognized by the province and awarded certificates of merit.

Subject 03: War invalids, sick soldiers, people who enjoy policies like war invalids. Military personnel, people's police who have been discharged from the army and are recognized as having completed their military service obligations according to the law (if in region 1, only 12 months are required).

Subject 04: Children of martyrs; children of war invalids, sick soldiers, children of people enjoying policies like war invalids with a loss of working capacity of 81% or more; children of resistance fighters infected with toxic chemicals with a loss of working capacity of 81% or more and children of resistance fighters infected with toxic chemicals with deformities, disabilities, and reduced ability to self-reliant in daily life and study due to the consequences of toxic chemicals.

Children of Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, children of Armed Forces Heroes, children of Labor Heroes during the resistance period; Children of revolutionary activists before January 1, 1945 or children of revolutionary activists from January 1, 1945 to before the August 1945 General Uprising.

Subject 05: Youth volunteers sent to study; Soldiers and police officers on active duty sent to study with less than 18 months of service not in area 1; Commanders and deputy commanders of military commands of communes, wards and towns; Village team leaders, Platoon leaders of core militia and self-defense forces, core militia and self-defense forces, militia and self-defense forces who have completed their service in the core militia and self-defense forces for 12 months or more, taking the entrance exam for the basic military sector.

Subject 06: Vietnamese citizens who are ethnic minorities outside the designated areas in priority group 1; People with severe disabilities; Children of war invalids, sick soldiers, children of people who enjoy policies like war invalids with a loss of working capacity of less than 81% and children of resistance fighters infected with toxic chemicals with a loss of working capacity of less than 81%; Children of revolutionary fighters, resistance fighters who were imprisoned or exiled by the enemy; Children of resistance fighters to liberate the nation, protect the fatherland and perform international duties; Children of people who have contributed to the revolution.

Subject 07: Excellent workers from all economic sectors recognized by provincial, centrally-run city, ministerial level or higher as skilled workers and artisans, and awarded with creative labor badges by the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor or the Central Committee of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union.

Teachers who have taught for 3 years or more can apply for pedagogical majors. Nurses, pharmacists, technicians, physicians, and intermediate pharmacists who have worked for 3 years or more can apply for medical and pharmaceutical majors.

The regional priority policy has also been adjusted in region 1 in a narrower direction. Specifically, in the old regulation, region 1 includes localities in mountainous, highland, remote and island areas, including communes in areas with particularly difficult socio-economic conditions according to Government regulations.

However, according to the new regulations, area 1 only includes extremely disadvantaged villages, area III communes (communes with extremely difficult socio-economic conditions according to regulations), border communes, and island communes. Other localities of the previous area 1 will be transferred to area 2 - rural areas.

Priority for direct admission to universities and colleges with the addition of high school graduates who won first, second, or third prizes in the Science and Technology Competition organized by the Ministry of Education and Training will be directly admitted to universities in the same major or a related major as the subject in which the contestant won the prize. Candidates who won the consolation prize in this competition will be directly admitted to colleges in the same major or a related major as the subject in which the contestant won the prize.

According to Deputy Minister of Education and Training Bui Van Ga, the adjustment of priority groups and priority areas is due to the economic conditions of the regions having changed a lot compared to before. The adjustment aims to bring more fairness to candidates between regions.

According to regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training, the difference in admission scores between two consecutive groups of subjects is 1 point, and between two consecutive regions is 0.5 point./.

According to Vietnam+