University Admissions: Should High School Transcripts Be Considered?

At the 2024 Higher Education Conference, the Minister of Education and Training expressed his views on the negative impact of early university admissions on general education in the final stages. In particular, some delegates at the conference proposed reducing or even eliminating the method of considering high school transcripts from 2025. Is this necessary?

From pilot to mass

Immediately after the above conference, public opinion was quite confused because information about the 2025 high school graduation exam was not yet complete, and it was also unknown how universities would change their admission methods to accommodate more than 1 million candidates taking the graduation exam for the first time under the 2018 General Education program.

According to the regular university admission regulations, candidates must have graduated from high school to be eligible to apply for university admission. However, 12 years ago (before 2012), all universities were only allowed to consider candidates who took the "three common" university entrance exam (same session, same questions, same results, implemented since 2002).

Since 2013, the Ministry of Education and Training has allowed 10 universities in the cultural and artistic sector to conduct a pilot admission test based on the average score of 3 years of high school. By 2014, 62 more universities were allowed to implement their own admission projects, essentially giving autonomy to admission so that schools can decide on the admission method based on the results of the high school graduation exam, the academic performance of 3 years of high school, or the results of the "3 common" entrance exam.

Successful candidates complete admission procedures on August 20 at Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade. Photo: THANH HUNG

Since 2015, when the two high school graduation exams and the “3 common” university entrance exams were merged into the National High School Exam with two goals of graduation and university admission, only Hanoi National University has considered admissions entirely based on the results of the competency assessment exam (a separate exam) organized by this university. Most of the remaining universities still consider admissions based on high school graduation exam scores, but the number of universities considering admissions based on high school transcripts has also reached about 150 schools.

When the National High School Exam changed its name to the High School Graduation Exam from 2020, the number of universities that consider admission based on high school transcripts increased to nearly 200 (colleges that used to consider admission based only on high school transcripts were separated and no longer considered in the same system as universities since 2018).

Thus, the high school transcript selection method has been around for nearly 11 years, and is considered the second largest method after the high school graduation exam score method. Its rationale is to recognize the learning process throughout 3 years of high school (grades 10, 11 and 12) along with the condition of graduating from high school.

Respect for autonomy

In 2024, according to the enrollment plan announced by universities, there will be 210 universities using the high school transcript admission method for some or all of the school's training majors. Thus, the high school transcript admission method is the admission method of the majority of universities (currently there are about 250 universities nationwide).

Only universities with a large number of candidates applying for admission and a high level of competition do not consider admission based on high school transcripts. Statistics from the last 2 years compiled by the Ministry of Education and Training show that admission based on high school transcripts accounts for about 1/3 of the total number of admitted candidates (36.24% in 2022; 30.24% in 2023), second only to the method based on high school graduation exam scores (52.38% in 2022; 49.45% in 2023).

Admissions officers of Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology guide candidates through admission procedures on August 20.

Scientifically, this admission method has been proven through survey results, comparing the academic results between students admitted by considering high school transcripts and students admitted by considering high school graduation exam scores. Many universities have analyzed the academic results of students admitted by each admission method, including the high school transcript method.

Analytical studies at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technical Education, Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Trade, Nha Trang University, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education... show that the academic results of students admitted by considering high school transcripts are similar to those of students admitted by considering high school graduation exam scores, if the admission score for considering high school transcripts is at an appropriate high level and the admission criteria must be based on the 3-year study process at high school level, not just based on 1 or 2 semesters in grade 12.

Statistics from the Ministry of Education and Training show that there are currently about 20 university admission methods. This is completely consistent with and in accordance with the spirit of autonomous admission of the 2018 Law on Higher Education: "Schools are autonomous in admission, which is entrance exams, admission selection, and a combination of entrance exams and admission selection."

According to education experts, the admission goal of universities is to meet the enrollment quota and recruit the most qualified candidates, suitable for the training objectives of each major or each school. With that goal, the admission method based on high school transcripts will be suitable for each university and should not be raised to the extreme point of reducing enrollment quotas or even eliminating the admission method based on high school transcripts.

The Ministry of Education and Training should soon shape university admissions in 2025 and at the same time do a good job of post-inspecting opening majors, ensuring quality conditions, and especially being tough on admissions exceeding quotas.

Dr. NGUYEN DUC NGHIA, Former Vice President of Ho Chi Minh City National University

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/tuyen-sinh-dai-hoc-co-nen-xet-tuyen-hoc-ba-trung-hoc-pho-thong-post755308.html