Both used to exchange for graduation exam scores in English and for university admission, IELTS certificates have become valuable, causing students and parents to devote all their efforts to obtain them.
In grade 11, Nguyen Thi Thuy in Ha Dong district registered for an Ielts (international English test) course, studying 4 sessions per week. Thuy also took a supplementary English class, with the goal of achieving a score of 7.0.
"Two-thirds of my classmates have practiced IELTS, some have been studying since grade 8," Thuy said.
Pham Thu Ha, an 11th grader at a high school in Hoan Kiem district, has also been taking a basic IELTS course for nearly two months. The class meets twice a week for 2.5 hours, and there is homework every day. She spends her evenings redoing exercises from class, practicing on her own, and practicing speaking with friends.
Thuy and Ha are two of tens of thousands of students who are looking to reduce exam pressure and secure university places with international language certificates. This year, the number of students using IELTS certificates to exempt from the English graduation exam is up to more than 46,600.
The British Council and IDP, the two organizations that organize the IELTS exam in Vietnam, do not disclose the number of test takers and the number of certificates issued. However, looking at the scale of operations, it can be seen that the number of exams is increasing strongly.
Candidates take the high school graduation exam at Nguyen Trai High School, Ba Dinh, Hanoi, on the morning of June 28. Photo: Giang Huy
In 2014, the paper-based test frequency for both BC and IDP was 3 or 4 times per month in major cities. Last year, that number increased to 4-6 times. If taking the computer-based test, candidates can schedule most days of the week, with up to 3 test sessions per day.
IDP test centers in Hanoi are currently full or almost full. Candidates will have to wait until January 2024 to take the test. There are more places for the computer-based test but they are also almost full.
The need for IELTS certificates is so urgent that in November 2022, when the Ministry of Education and Training suspended exams nationwide, many students had to pack their bags and go to Thailand to complete the exam on time, even though it cost more than ten million VND.
University admission gives wings to IELTS
Ms. Doan Thi Nuong, Director of ECE Foreign Language Center, said that learning English is getting more and more attention, especially after the Ministry of Education and Training allowed students with IELTS certificates of 4.0 or higher to convert to high school graduation English exam scores.
In Hanoi alone, in the three years since 2019, the number of students meeting these requirements has increased from more than 3,000 to 10,800, or 360%. In Ho Chi Minh City, nearly 7,900 candidates are exempted from the foreign language graduation exam in 2022. up 133% year-on-year.
The number of students taking the IELTS test has increased steadily as more universities accept the test as a method of admission.
In 2017, the National Economics University (NEU) pioneered the use of international language certificates, including IELTS, in admissions. By 2023, there will be about 100 schools, including those in the fields of economics, engineering and medicine. Combined admissions using international language certificates usually account for 5-20% of the total enrollment quota. Some schools reserve a high quota for certificates, such as NEU, which has up to 45%.
This year, NEU received about 11,000 applications with English certificates, the most in the past 6 years. According to Associate Professor Dr. Bui Duc Trieu, Head of Training Management Department, the first time using IELTS for admission, the school only received about 50 applications. Just one year later, the number of candidates with certificates increased to 400, a 10-fold increase. The following year, the number was 2,000, a 40-fold increase.
A series of medical schools such as Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi Pharmacy, and Ho Chi Minh City Medicine and Pharmacy, which only recruit students based on the combination of B (Math, Chemistry, Biology) and A (Math, Physics, Chemistry), have also used IELTS in their admission plans in the past three years to prioritize candidates with certificates. Hanoi Medical University, in 2023, the benchmark score for the medical major for candidates with foreign language certificates is 26, and for the group without certificates is 27.73.
More and more students are interested in and using the IELTS admission method, said Dr. Tran Manh Ha, Head of Training Department of Banking Academy. For schools, this also has significance in admission.
"International certification exams not only assess foreign languages but also assess critical thinking, analytical and synthesis skills and presentation skills of candidates. The test results are considered along with a number of other criteria, completely suitable for many schools to recruit students," Mr. Ha commented.
Dr. Nguyen Tien Dung, Vice Principal of Hanoi University, said that admission for candidates with international language proficiency certificates also helps assess their future learning ability.
Mr. Dung and Mr. Ha both commented that in the coming time, admissions using international certificates, including IELTS, will still be applied by schools.
Even for medical schools, priority will be given to candidates with foreign language certificates in the coming years. Representatives of Hanoi Medical University have repeatedly affirmed that this method helps the school recruit students with good foreign language skills, contributing to improving the quality of training. Lacking foreign language skills, students find it difficult to research documents and participate in international medical forums, making it difficult to develop their careers.
Get into the IELTS groove
To increase their chances of getting into a top university, parents are eager to have their children practice IELTS early, despite the expense. When her daughter just entered 10th grade, Ms. Dang Khanh Ly in Ha Dong district quickly gathered groups and set up a class.
"We invited him to teach a group of 6-7 students, with the goal of exempting them from the foreign language graduation exam and having an advantage in university admissions," said Ms. Ly.
According to her, relying only on the combined score of three subjects to enter university will be risky and stressful, because the high school graduation exam is only taken once, while the IELTS exam is taken countless times.
"With more IELTS points, I feel more secure," she said.
The average tuition fee for IELTS training is commonly from 2 to 5 million per month. Intensive Speaking and Writing courses cost 9 million VND. Courses for all 4 skills are commonly from 13 to 15 million VND depending on the duration.
This cost accounts for from 1/4 to exceed the average income of 7.88 million VND/month of a worker, according to the survey results of life, work and salary of the Institute of Workers and Trade Unions.
Demand is high, supply is strong. Foreign language centers design many courses, from basic to advanced, from average entry level to good, studying directly or online. Learning facilities are expanding. For example, Summit - an English test preparation center and study abroad consulting - currently has 8 facilities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
"The number of students registering for IELTS has grown steadily in recent years, increasing by 30% each year. The number of people studying for certificates to apply for university admission has increased the fastest, accounting for 60%," said Ms. Tran Phuong Hoa, CEO of Summit.
Newly established centers also have a 20% growth rate in students. The IELTS center of a teacher who has repeatedly achieved 9.0 scores has nearly 40,000 students enrolled in both in-person and online courses each year in three provinces and cities.
"From 2017 to 2020, we grew by triple digits, and now we maintain a stable 15-20% per year," he said.
The strength of IELTS preparation courses is to teach students to use English in different contexts, instead of just focusing on grammar and reading like in high school. If practiced properly, students will build a solid foundation of knowledge, vocabulary, grammar and be able to use English at both academic and everyday levels.
Ms. Ly said that in addition to trying to get a certificate for university admission, she and her child also clearly saw the positive side through the IELTS training process, which is the motivation to achieve a specific goal, more confident in communication and work. Therefore, whether the Ministry of Education continues to use this certificate to convert English graduation exam scores or not, will not affect the path of her and her child.
"Practicing IELTS is like killing two birds with one stone," said Ly.
Two 11th graders, Thuy and Ha, are still determined to pursue the certificate. "I'm afraid that when I take the university entrance exam, things will change. I have to study IELTS just in case," Ha said.
Binh Minh - Duong Tam
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