Many candidates are worried that last year's university entrance results will be canceled or not considered this year when 56,200 IELTS certificates were found to be in violation of regulations. Schools said they are waiting for comments from the Ministry.
Minh Quang, a second-year student at the Diplomatic Academy, was shocked on the evening of May 8 to learn that his 7.5 IELTS certificate issued by IDP Vietnam was "illegal". The male student took the certificate exam in March 2022 and used it for university admission in July.
"I'm panicking because if I go back now, my certificate will be invalid, will I be expelled from school?", Quang said. "I'm also worried because I'm not sure if I retake the test I'll get 7.5 IELTS."
Nguyen Kieu Oanh, a second-year student at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, used her IELTS certificate taken in 2022 to be exempted from some English courses at school.
"If the school requires me to retake the exam or submit a replacement certificate, I won't be able to do it because I still have to learn very heavy specialized knowledge," Oanh said.
Quang and Oanh's IELTS certificates are among 56,200 certificates issued by IDP from January 1 to November 16, 2022, which were concluded by the Ministry of Education and Training to be in violation of regulations. On student forums, this topic is shared continuously, attracting thousands of interactions.
Many people like Quang and Oanh are worried about their results being canceled, some are afraid that their certificates will not be valid when applying for university admission this year. Meanwhile, the IELTS exam fee is nearly 5 million VND per time.
IDP staff support students in IELTS mock test, April 2023. Photo: IELTS by IDP
Currently, nearly 100 universities nationwide use IELTS in combination with academic records or exam scores for admission consideration.
Associate Professor Dr. Vu Duy Hai, Head of Admissions and Career Guidance Department, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, said that it is very difficult to revoke or cancel the results of candidates who were admitted in previous years with IELTS certificates that did not comply with IDP regulations. The reason is that the admission process has been completed and the students have settled down in their studies.
For this year's admissions, many certificates issued by IDP in 2022 are still valid. Therefore, in the admissions process, universities may have to consider.
"Schools must wait for further guidance from the Ministry of Education and Training," said Mr. Hai.
According to Associate Professor Dr. Ha Le Kim Anh, Vice Principal of the University of Foreign Languages, Vietnam National University, Hanoi, the school is also contacting the Ministry to find a solution for IELTS certificates issued by IDP from January 1 to November 16, 2022.
"If the Ministry requires schools not to consider admission, then schools must comply," said Ms. Kim Anh. "But in reality, doing so will be very disadvantageous for candidates."
She analyzed that although IDP was not licensed by the Ministry at that time, this IELTS certificate still reflected the candidate's English proficiency. "It was due to the change in the Ministry's policy, not due to IDP's capacity and legal status, because they had previously organized the test," she added.
The Head of Training Department of another university was upset. He acknowledged that schools use IELTS in admissions to assess foreign language proficiency as well as skills demonstrated through test results.
"In principle, the test still ensures quality and is widely recognized worldwide. The test results are no different in value from exams held before or after," he said. Therefore, the fact that more than 56,200 IELTS certificates were issued in violation of regulations is only related to administrative procedures between the test organizer and the management agency, and does not affect the quality.
"Universities only test candidates' abilities and are not responsible for checking the Ministry's licensing," he said. In addition, the use of IELTS certificates for university admission or output standards in previous years has been completed.
The Ministry of Education and Training said on the morning of May 9 that it was holding a meeting to resolve the issue. IDP affirmed that 56,200 IELTS certificates issued in 2022 are "recognized internationally", but has not yet proposed a solution for candidates using IELTS to apply for domestic university admissions.
Oanh and Quang hope that relevant parties will have a satisfactory solution to ensure the rights of the candidates and not cause them to suffer any disadvantages.
Hung Huong - Tam Phuong
Source: https://vnexpress.net/soc-vi-chung-chi-ielts-bi-ket-luan-trai-phep-4743932.html
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