In recent years, more and more universities have organized their own exams and used them for admission or combined with other factors. At Ho Chi Minh City National University alone, the recent Competency Assessment Test (CAP) attracted nearly 110 units to register to use the results for admission. On the other hand, international standardized tests such as the SAT (USA) have also received much attention, when more than 20 universities, including leading units, also used the results for admission in 2024.
A live SAT review session for students at a test prep center
WHY IS SAT POPULAR?
Dong Minh Khanh, a 12th grade student at Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High School (HCMC), said he started studying for the SAT at the beginning of 11th grade, took the test for the first time at the end of 2023 and plans to continue taking the test at the end of this year to achieve a better score. "I am studying for the SAT to study abroad in the US and Korea and to apply early to Foreign Trade University, Campus 2, in combination with IELTS," the male student shared.
According to Khanh, not only her but also many of her peers choose to take the SAT to increase their chances and "beautify" their study abroad applications, especially in terms of academics. "Those who intend to study in fields such as medicine, economics, engineering... mostly invest in the SAT, when IELTS is no longer an advantage but has become an almost mandatory factor in the race to get into top universities," Khanh confided.
Khanh added that the SAT test hardly uses the knowledge taught in the new general education program he is studying. For example, the math section has some questions that students can easily solve thanks to knowledge learned in class, but the percentage is low and they are not tested regularly. The rest are questions about calculation, explanation, prediction... and require students to have certain knowledge about probability statistics, microeconomics... to achieve more than 700/800 points, according to the male student.
Nguyen Quang Dat, a 12th grader at a high school in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, agrees with the above opinion. Dat is currently studying for both the SAT and the National High School Graduation Exam at a center, "because although the test content is available, studying in class alone is not enough to get a high score". "The advantage of the above exams is that we can take them many times a year, avoiding relying entirely on one exam like the high school graduation exam. It is like a "golden ticket" that helps us "open the door" to university", Dat commented.
Cases like Khanh and Dat are not rare and have been increasing in recent years, according to Mr. Le Quang Hung, a teacher at VietAccepted Test Preparation Center (HCMC). In terms of ratio, at Mr. Hung's center, the number of students studying for the SAT to apply for domestic universities is dominating over those applying for foreign universities, a completely opposite picture compared to many years ago.
Mr. Hung believes that there are three main reasons for the popularity of the SAT. The first is safety, as students can register for up to seven exams each year and universities often accept exam results from the last two years. The second is stability, in the context that the high school graduation exam will change according to the direction of the new program from this school year.
"The final reason is that more and more universities are using SAT for admissions, such as Hanoi University of Science and Technology, National Economics University, and Foreign Trade University. This trend will likely continue to expand in the future," Mr. Hung analyzed.
START LEARNING FROM GRADE 8
Ms. Hang Tran, manager of Phoenix Prep English Center, said another notable point is that SAT learners are getting younger. According to her, students usually practice for the test from the first semester of grade 10 or grade 11, because the SAT has some knowledge of high school math and requires a good English foundation. "However, we also receive many cases of students studying from grade 8 or 9 but still achieving high results," said the female manager.
According to Ms. Hang Tran, 30% of students at the center use SAT scores to apply early to Vietnamese universities and this number is increasing. Another notable point is that students often choose to study for SAT in parallel with IELTS because these two exams can complement each other. "If you have a high IELTS score, studying for SAT will be easier and SAT thinking will also help you take IELTS more effectively. In addition, many schools also require both SAT and IELTS when considering admissions," she explained.
An online SAT review session for students
The number of people studying vocational training has also increased sharply.
Another exam that has attracted much attention is the National High School Graduation Exam organized by Ho Chi Minh City National University. Master Bui Van Cong, an online teacher of National High School Graduation Exam in Ho Chi Minh City, said that the number of students registering for the course is still growing, with about 1,200 students as of now and will increase when the "peak" season comes. "The course starts in May, and among them, in addition to final year students, there are many 11th graders, even 10th graders who want to learn," said Mr. Cong.
"This year, the number of students has increased sharply not only because many universities use the National High School Graduation Exam scores for early admission, but also because the high school graduation exam has completely changed and universities have not announced the admission method for the results of this exam. This makes students decide to choose the safe plan," Mr. Cong analyzed.
"The Ministry of Education and Training divides general education textbooks into many different sets, while we have to try to consolidate the sets into one curriculum to meet the needs of students. I also have to re-record all online lectures according to the new program, and at the same time study illustrative questions from Hanoi National University to design learning materials while waiting for Ho Chi Minh City National University," said Master Cong.
The growth is similar at the Lasan - Helius Education (HCMC) exam preparation system managed by Mr. Dang Duy Hung. However, due to the lack of sample questions from Ho Chi Minh City National University, Mr. Hung also shared that he is "putting the cart before the horse". "We currently teach all 9 subjects according to the new curriculum, of which 3 are compulsory and the remaining subjects can be chosen by you depending on the combination", Mr. Hung said.
According to Mr. Hung, the National High School Exam is currently expanding into a separate exam preparation area, as many universities such as the police force, pedagogical schools... are also having their own National High School Exams.
"In particular, for the National University of Ho Chi Minh City's National High School Exam, I would like to advise students who want to take the exam for a major to focus on reviewing elective subjects related to that major. Do not have the mindset that even though you are applying for admission to medicine, you should choose history and geography to easily get high scores. Because currently, schools have not announced how they will enroll students based on the National High School Exam results and if you study too skewedly, you may be at a disadvantage later on," emphasized Mr. Dang Duy Hung.
Notes when studying for the SAT
Sharing his perspective on English proficiency before studying for the SAT, Master Tran Giang Thanh, Academic Director of the DOL English system, advised students to improve their academic English skills, especially vocabulary, because the vocabulary field in this test is "quite advanced" compared to what they learn at school. In addition, English reading comprehension skills also need to be focused on, because the test has many "trap" questions that if you only understand "roughly", you will easily make mistakes.
"Our students usually aim for an IELTS score of over 7.0 and an SAT score of over 1,400. This is quite a high level compared to before, partly because the input quality of students has improved significantly. In the past, most 11th and 12th graders only got 8.0 IELTS, but now 8th and 9th graders can also achieve this level. Or 6.5 IELTS was previously highly appreciated, but now the 7.0 mark is almost normalized," said Master Thanh.
Ms. Hang Tran emphasized: "It is impossible to compare SAT and IELTS test scores because each test will assess different abilities. Some centers also tend to advise students to practice IELTS to a high level before studying for SAT. This is not necessary, because although SAT is an English-language test, it mainly tests thinking ability. Therefore, you only need to practice related skills such as reading comprehension and critical thinking."
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/no-ro-hoc-them-cac-mon-rong-cua-vao-dh-top-dau-185240926183036339.htm
Comment (0)