VNU-HCM Unifies University Admissions with Comprehensive Assessment

The integration of admission methods by Vietnam's National University Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM) marks a significant shift in how students are evaluated for higher education. Previously, each member university operated with distinct admission tracks. Now, a unified approach, termed 'comprehensive assessment,' combines scores from the national high school graduation exam, VNU-HCM's competency assessment, and high school transcripts. This move, as reported by Tuổi Trẻ, aims to create a more holistic and equitable evaluation system.

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The integrated assessment method uses multiple data sources including high school graduation exam scores, VNU-HCM's 2026 competency assessment, and high school academic results.

What's particularly noteworthy is how different universities within VNU-HCM are applying this new framework. While the core components remain the same – high school exam scores, competency assessment, and academic records – the weighting of each element varies. For instance, the University of Technology (Bach Khoa) emphasizes the competency assessment, particularly in mathematics, by assigning it a higher weight. This flexibility allows each institution to tailor its selection criteria to its specific academic focus and needs, ensuring that students are assessed based on a broader range of abilities.

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The admission score formula for 2026 is: Comprehensive Admission Score = w₁ × High School Graduation Exam Score + w₂ × Competency Assessment Score + w₃ × Academic Transcript Score + Bonus/Award Points (if any).

The underlying principle is to encourage students to excel across the board, rather than concentrating solely on one or two exams. This encourages a more balanced and rigorous approach to learning throughout high school. The university's goal is to ensure transparency and fairness by converting all admission scores to a 100-point scale, facilitating easier comparison and selection. This strategic adjustment reflects a commitment to improving the quality and relevance of higher education admissions in Vietnam.

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The university continues to use the competency assessment as an important basis for admission, combined with high school graduation exam scores and academic records.