Worried about taking exams without studying?

In 2025, the first students of the 2018 General Education Program will begin graduating from high school and enrolling in university. The structure of the competency assessment exam of Ho Chi Minh City National University after 7 years of implementation is no longer suitable.

Therefore, adjusting the structure of the competency assessment test is really necessary.

T CHANGE THE EXAM STRUCTURE

On November 12, Ho Chi Minh City National University issued the structure of the competency assessment test to be applied from 2025. Accordingly, the test structure is adjusted to suit the 2018 General Education Program.

Candidates participating in the 2024 Ho Chi Minh City National University's competency assessment exam

Self-study is the most effective way to review for competency assessment exams.

Even when taking international exams such as SAT, IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC, etc., candidates must practice to achieve high scores, including self-study or study at a test preparation center. The ability assessment test is no exception. However, with the knowledge coverage and assessment objectives of the exam, self-study based on the exam structure and sample test is the most effective way to review for all candidates. Only by self-study can candidates evaluate their progress and self-assess their abilities through each stage.

Specifically, the structure of the language and mathematics sections is still maintained, but the number of questions in these two sections is increased to increase the reliability and differentiation of the test. The logic section - data analysis and problem solving is restructured into a scientific thinking section to assess the candidate's ability in logic and scientific reasoning when solving real-life situations in the fields of science, technology, economics, and society.

The competency assessment test from 2025 will still include 120 objective multiple-choice questions with 150 minutes to complete and will be conducted on paper. The maximum score of the test is 1,200 points, and the test results are determined using a modern multiple-choice method based on Item Response Theory (IRT).

The score of each question has different weights depending on the difficulty of the question. Thus, although there are changes in structure, the total number of questions, the time to complete the test and the way to calculate the score for each question have not changed compared to the previous exam structure.

THE EXAM STRUCTURE WILL ENSURE CANDIDATES' RIGHTS

First of all, it should be emphasized that the Ho Chi Minh City National University's competency assessment exam is not a mandatory exam for candidates, but participating in the exam is to help candidates have more opportunities to be admitted to universities.

After the 2025 exam structure was announced, many parents and students expressed concerns about some content that students did not learn in the 2018 General Education Program but was still included in the exam. However, reducing the number of questions for the problem-solving section from 50 questions (5 areas, 10 questions each) to 18 questions (6 areas, 3 questions each) shows that the professional department has considered to ensure the rights of all candidates.

The structure of the 2025 competency assessment exam announced by Ho Chi Minh City National University remains almost stable in terms of implementation method, total number of questions, test time and scoring method for each question.

Specifically, with the old exam structure, although all 5 areas are taught in the general education program, most candidates only master a maximum of 3 areas, meaning that there are at least 2 areas that are not their strengths, corresponding to about 20 questions. Meanwhile, in the newly announced exam structure, the part that is not taught in school accounts for less than 6 questions. In fact, according to statistics from 2018 to present, the fluctuation score of the top students in each exam period is about 1,100 points, meaning that even the top students of the exams cannot complete all 120 questions of the exam. This is also one of the goals that the exam's professional department aims for, which is to help candidates maximize their abilities when taking the exam.

It should also be noted that the competency assessment is an entrance exam, not a graduation exam, so candidates are not required to answer all the questions in the exam, but depending on their ability, candidates need to answer as many questions as possible. Therefore, this adjustment by Ho Chi Minh City National University is suitable for the context of admission combining many methods of schools.

Although there are some changes in content to suit the new general education program, the structure of the newly announced competency assessment test remains almost stable in terms of implementation method, total number of questions, test time and scoring method for each question. This also demonstrates the stability of the exam, as well as the seriousness and responsibility of the participants.

The adjustment of the structure of the competency assessment test aims to maintain a fair and comprehensive admission method, helping candidates maximize their personal potential, while improving the admission efficiency of training units in a diverse and constantly developing educational environment.

ADMISSION REVIEW OF UNIVERSITIES

Any change, no matter how good, cannot avoid public concerns. Of course, up to this point, almost all schools have basically built a scenario for the enrollment plan and are waiting for the announcement date. In particular, schools with special training characteristics will have additional criteria to combine for admission, such as setting a mandatory score threshold for certain subjects in the high school program corresponding to the characteristics of each university training major.

According to the leader of a member unit of Ho Chi Minh City National University, the implementation of the combined method will fully evaluate the capacity of candidates, creating fairness for candidates to participate in the selection process. At the same time, this contributes to diversifying the source of enrollment, creating motivation to study and participate in related cultural, sports and artistic activities.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/de-danh-gia-nang-luc-co-lo-ngai-mon-khong-hoc-ma-van-thi-185241124204819522.htm