Ministry of Education and Training issues urgent announcement after sudden controversy over IELTS score conversion regulations

On the afternoon of June 15, Mr. Huynh Van Chuong, Director of the Department of Quality Management, Ministry of Education and Training, signed an official dispatch allowing candidates registering for the 2023 high school graduation exam to use international foreign language proficiency certificates issued after September 10, 2022 to consider exemption from the foreign language exam according to the exam regulations.

Thus, all candidates with international language certificates valid until June 27, 2023 will have their 10 English subjects' scores converted when considering high school graduation.

The announcement was made in the context of many candidates being upset about the regulation on June 9 of the Ministry of Education and Training requiring localities not to accept or exempt students with international language certificates issued between September 10 and November 11, 2022.

Ministry of Education and Training urgently announces after sudden controversy over IELTS score conversion regulations - 1 — The sudden adjustment right before the 2023 high school graduation exam preparation time has caused confusion for candidates and parents. (Illustration photo)

The controversy over international language certificates stems from regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training. The Ministry requires that after September 10, 2022, joint organization of foreign language proficiency exams must be licensed by the Ministry.

However, by mid-November, the IELTS test and certification organizations had completed this requirement, affecting many candidates taking the test during that period. Therefore, the Ministry of Education and Training has not accepted certificates from September 10 to November 11, 2022.

In May 2023, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy rejected IELTS certificates of 44 candidates for postgraduate admission for the same reason. The matter was only resolved after the Department of Quality Management confirmed that the above foreign language certificates are still valid in admission and training.