The real value of foreign language certificates

Along with the spirit of the draft Regulations on High School Graduation Exams from 2025, exemption from foreign language exams will not be converted to calculate high school graduation scores, and the new draft circular of the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) on regulations on exams and granting foreign language certificates according to internal criteria (Vietnam's 6-level framework) is expected to bring foreign language certificates back to their true value.

The Ministry of Education and Training has announced the draft Regulations for the 2025 High School Graduation Exam with many new points. Accordingly, candidates exempted from the foreign language exam will not be allowed to convert their 10 points to add to their graduation score. This means that the score for high school graduation recognition for candidates exempted from the foreign language exam will only be 3 subjects.

Most recently, in early 2024, the Ministry of Education and Training also requested localities to strictly implement the Ministry's high school admission regulations, which means not adding points or directly admitting candidates who won provincial-level excellent student awards or have international foreign language certificates.

According to many teachers, the draft Regulations on High School Graduation Exams 2025 will have a two-way impact on students. Many students who have previously worked hard to obtain foreign language certificates such as IELTS, TOEFL or other equivalent certificates will feel regretful if their scores are not converted.

However, for students who are eligible for exemption from foreign language exams but still decide to take the exam to calculate their graduation score, they will not face too much pressure because they have a solid knowledge foundation. Taking the high school graduation exam in foreign language will help to properly assess the candidate's ability. This encourages them not only to study foreign languages ​​to get a certificate but also to really practice their skills.

Along with that, the Ministry of Education and Training's plan to regulate that foreign language exam exemptions may not be converted into high school graduation scores for 12th grade students will not greatly affect their English learning or university entrance exam combinations that include this subject because the current high school graduation exam regulations do not classify them as excellent, good, or average as before.

Teachers also pointed out that for a long time, many students have been subjective when they have foreign language certificates early in grade 10 or 11 and do not study English fully in class. Meanwhile, foreign language is a subject that requires daily practice and regular improvement. When the draft regulation of the Ministry of Education and Training is passed, international certificates will be brought back to their true value, serving the purpose of studying abroad or working, and absolutely not a shortcut to exempting foreign language exams.

In addition, the new draft circular of the Ministry of Education and Training on regulations for examination and issuance of foreign language certificates according to the 6-level foreign language proficiency framework for Vietnam, which is being consulted, has many notable new points. One of the new points of the draft circular is to strengthen the autonomy and accountability of the units organizing or cooperating in organizing examinations. The draft also strengthens solutions to ensure security, safety, reliability, fairness in organizing examinations and issuing foreign language certificates according to the 6-level foreign language proficiency framework, especially against substitute examinations and proxy examinations. In particular, additional provisions are added such as: Requiring units to provide photos of candidates during the examination on the certificate lookup and verification system.

With the new draft circular on domestic foreign language certificates, the Ministry of Education and Training allows test-organizing units to cooperate with other units to organize foreign language proficiency assessment tests according to the 6-level foreign language proficiency framework for Vietnam, if the cooperating unit meets the prescribed conditions.

Source: https://daidoanket.vn/gia-tri-thuc-cua-chung-chi-ngoai-ngu-10295162.html