Ministry of Education and Training blows whistle, many localities simultaneously revise 10th grade entrance exam plan

In early 2024, Quang Tri, Tuyen Quang, Vinh Long, Binh Duong, Lao Cai, and Quang Binh announced the 10th grade enrollment plan for the 2024-2025 school year, which stipulates direct admission or 1-2 priority points for public 10th grade students with IELTS 4.0 or higher or equivalent.

However, on February 23, the Ministry of Education and Training pointed out that localities directly recruiting and adding points to candidates who won provincial-level excellent student awards and had foreign language certificates was not in accordance with regulations for admission to grade 10.

The Ministry requested the People's Committees of provinces and cities to properly implement the regulations on junior high school and high school enrollment. "Provinces that have approved plans and methods for 10th grade high school enrollment that are not in accordance with regulations on direct enrollment and preferential policies must adjust and publicly announce them," the Ministry stated.

Recently, the People's Committee of Quang Binh province issued a decision to adjust the enrollment plan for grade 10 in the 2024-2025 school year.

Accordingly, candidates taking the entrance exam to grade 10 at Vo Nguyen Giap High School for the Gifted will no longer be exempted from the English exam, or be given the maximum score (10 points) for admission when they have one of the English certificates equivalent to level 3 or higher of the six-level foreign language proficiency framework used for Vietnam.

The Ministry of Education and Training blew the whistle, many localities simultaneously revised the 10th grade entrance exam plan. (Illustration photo)

Lao Cai province also decided to adjust the secondary school graduation plan and high school enrollment plan for the 2024-2025 school year in the area. Specifically, the province will not directly enroll students who won first, second, and third prizes in the provincial secondary school excellent student selection exam.

At the same time, the province does not use foreign language certificates to exempt exams and convert exam scores for specialized subjects; exempt exams and calculate maximum scores for non-specialized foreign language subjects.

Previously, Lao Cai province stipulated that non-specialized candidates would be exempted from the English test and have the maximum score if they had one of the following certificates: IELTS 4.0, TOEFL 45 points. As for students applying to specialized schools, they would be exempted from the English test and have the maximum score if they had IELTS (from 5.5 or higher), TOEFL (from 65 points or higher).

Binh Duong Provincial People's Committee decided to adjust the plan and method of admission to grade 10 of public and private high schools in the province for the 2024-2025 school year.

Accordingly, the direct admission to high schools in the province will be eliminated for 9th grade students who won first, second, and third prizes in the provincial-level secondary school excellent student selection exam in the 2023-2024 school year.

The province also removed the policy of adding bonus points if students have a level 3 English proficiency certificate and exempted them from taking the English exam if they have a level 4 English proficiency certificate or equivalent or higher.

A representative of the Department of Education and Training of Tuyen Quang said that they have proposed to the Provincial People's Committee to adjust the enrollment plan for junior high school, high school and continuing education for the 2024-2025 school year.

Accordingly, direct admission to high schools in the province will be carried out in accordance with regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training, without using the results of the provincial 9th grade excellent student selection exam and foreign language certificates.

Along with that, completely abolish the incentive point system in admission to high schools in the province, do not use the results of the provincial 9th grade excellent student selection exam and foreign language certificates.

A representative of the Department of Education and Training of Quang Tri province said that, at the request of the Provincial People's Committee, the Department has just reviewed and submitted a plan to adjust the contents related to the 10th grade entrance exam for the 2024-2025 school year.

" In the last two school years, in the 10th grade admission plan, the province has had regulations on converting to 10 points in English for candidates with IELTS certificates of 4.0 or higher. Depending on the actual foreign language learning of students in each locality, there are different opinions on this issue," said a representative of the Department of Education and Training of Quang Tri province, adding that it is expected to remove the regulation on direct admission and exemption from the English exam for grade 10 in the 2024-2025 school year for candidates with IELTS certificates according to the regulations of the Ministry of Education and Training.

Previously, Quang Tri stipulated that candidates with an IELTS certificate of 4.0 or higher or equivalent were exempted from the English test, which was converted to 9 points for this subject. The converted points for a 4.5 and 5.0 IELTS certificate were 9.5 and 10 points. Two years ago, the province applied this admission method, but with a higher bonus point: If a candidate achieved 4.0 IELTS, he or she would be awarded 10 points.

According to the regulations on secondary and high school admissions of the Ministry of Education and Training, candidates can only be admitted directly to public grade 10 if they belong to one of four groups: studying at a boarding school for ethnic minorities; being from a very small ethnic group; being disabled; or winning national or international awards in culture, arts, sports, science and technology.

If the candidate is a child of a martyr, a war invalid, a sick soldier, a person infected with toxic chemicals, a labor hero, a member of the armed forces, living and studying in an area with difficult socio-economic conditions, the candidate will receive bonus points, the score level is determined by the locality.

Candidates with provincial or city-level excellent student awards or international language certificates do not receive any preferential treatment. However, in the past 5 years, many localities have added 1-2 preferential points, exempted from exams, and directly admitted candidates with IELTS 4.0 or higher or with provincial-level excellent student awards.

Minh Khoi

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