Dreaming of studying abroad, people flock to SAT test preparation courses.

Parents and students attend the US study abroad exhibition held on October 3rd in Ho Chi Minh City – Photo: MY DUNG

The SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) is a popular standardized test, commonly used for university admissions in the US, Europe, and other regions. The test consists of two sections: reading, writing, and math, with a total score of 1,600. Currently, some universities in Vietnam also use scores from this test for admissions.

Start preparing for the SAT in 10th grade.

Minh, a student at the Ho Chi Minh City High School for the Gifted, said that as many as two-thirds of the students in his class are taking SAT preparation courses. The rest are those who can study online or study on their own.

“Most of my classmates plan to study abroad, so in addition to obtaining English language certificates, they are all preparing for the SAT. Naturally, those who prepare for the SAT are the ones with high expectations of getting accepted into prestigious American universities and finding scholarship opportunities,” Minh said.

Similarly, many students at Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted and Tran Dai Nghia High School for the Gifted also started preparing for the SAT early to realize their dream of studying abroad.

"A survey of my class showed that only a few students had no intention of studying abroad; those who planned to study abroad either intended to or had already prepared for the SAT," said Phuong, a student at Le Hong Phong High School for the Gifted.

SAT test preparation is not limited to students in specialized schools; it's also common among students in regular high schools and many students in the provinces. Mr. Vinh, a parent in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, said that although his child is only in 10th grade, many parents in the class have already enrolled their children in SAT test preparation courses.

"Each course lasts for several months. If you want to know where your child is going, you should enroll them early. My child set a rather high SAT score as a goal, so I enrolled them in test preparation courses starting in 10th grade," Vinh shared.

While some parents prepare their children for the SAT to secure scholarships to prestigious universities abroad, many others prepare their children for the SAT to guarantee a place at a university in Vietnam.

Ms. Hue, a parent in Hue , said that her child has taken the SAT three times so far and improved by 300 points compared to the first attempt.

"Although my daughter and I had to rush back and forth preparing for the exams, her SAT score has increased by 300 points since her first attempt in Hanoi , after three attempts. With this SAT score, even if she doesn't have the opportunity to study abroad, she can still apply to some domestic universities that use the SAT for admissions."

Score increase roadmap

Ms. Huong, a parent in Da Nang , said that a year ago she enrolled her child in SAT preparation classes. “The SAT preparation center estimated my child's score at around 1,100 points. I set a goal for her to achieve over 1,400 points. Currently, my child is only in 11th grade, so she has another 1.5 years to improve her SAT score. The center advised us to have her take the test in multiple sessions to increase her score, so we will follow this plan,” Ms. Huong said.

Where there is demand, there is supply.

With such demand from students and parents, SAT preparation courses have flourished, offering a wide range of prices and learning formats.

Center E., headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City with numerous branches nationwide, offers a variety of SAT preparation courses for students of all levels. They offer one-on-one or group classes at different price points.

The current price for one-on-one tutoring with a Vietnamese teacher is over 2 million VND per session. For exam preparation groups of fewer than 10 students, the price is about 50% lower, equivalent to approximately 1 million VND per student per session.

“We have to check each student’s initial assessment and SAT score target. Some ninth and tenth-grade students have already sought SAT preparation because they need to follow a structured approach to improve their target scores. There are intensive courses with fewer classes, but of course, starting early and not rushing is an advantage,” said a consultant at E. Center.

Meanwhile, at Center S (which also has many branches nationwide), students receive both in-person instruction and supplementary learning with artificial intelligence (AI). “Learning SAT with AI is currently unique to our center. This is a groundbreaking SAT preparation technology that we have been implementing for about two weeks now.”

"All students who register for the SAT with us receive SAT training using AI. This technology is from the US," a consultant from Center S introduced. The tuition fee for each lesson is approximately 1 million VND.

At Center D, SAT preparation classes are conducted online only. "Our teachers are from the US, so they can't teach in person, but we guarantee results for our students. Their test scores are guaranteed," a staff member assured, adding that the tuition for a 20-session course at the center is 13 million VND.

Observations at many English language centers in Ho Chi Minh City that offer SAT preparation courses show a high number of students registering for a wide variety of programs. "The number of students registering for SAT preparation is actually increasing, and we've opened many new time slots to meet the demand," a SAT staff member at Center D stated.

More and more Vietnamese people are taking the SAT.

According to data from IIG Vietnam, the authorized test-taker in Vietnam, the number of SAT test-takers in Vietnam has been on the rise in recent years. In 2019, the number of test-takers was over 1,700, increasing by approximately 6-17% annually until 2022. In 2023, there were a total of over 3,500 test-takers, nearly 1,500 more than the previous year.

The College Board – the organization that owns the SAT exam – says that approximately 2 million students worldwide take the SAT annually. Last year's average score was 1,050 out of 1,600.