Vietnamese students now take the same national high school graduation exams. Universities have their own admission standards and are allowed to award additional points to applicants for academic awards, language certificates such as IELTS or SAT, or extracurricular achievements.

Current rules allow students to receive up to three bonus points (out of 10) for national student awards. Universities can also grant up to 1.5 points for international language certificates.

Under the draft regulations announced on Thursday and set to take effect in 2027, these additional points will be restricted.

Students will only receive priority points based on their residential area or eligibility under preferential policies. Those residing in remote localities will receive between 0.25 and 0.75 points added to their total graduation exam scores. Preferential policy eligibility includes individuals facing significant hardships, children of martyrs, veterans, and citizens of ethnic minorities.

The move marks a major shift alongside broader plans to tighten admission methods across academic programs.

High school students in Vietnam take four subjects for their graduation exam: math, literature, and two electives. Universities use a combined score of three subjects for admissions, totaling a maximum of 30 points.

Because of current bonus policies, hundreds of applicants recorded admission scores of 30 or more this year, even though only five students nationwide actually scored a perfect 30 on their exams.

Students enter the exam room during their high school graduation examination in HCMC, June 2026. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

Nguyen Tien Thao, director of the Department of Higher Education, said the current bonus point system creates inequality.

Thao said a student's access to international language tests and other academic activities often depends heavily on their geographic location and economic background.

He added that universities currently apply different conversion rates and bonus levels for the same certificates.

He also stated there is no evidence indicating these bonus points accurately reflect academic ability.

"A more appropriate approach is to assess the right ability in the right place," he said.

Students holding foreign language certificates can still convert their scores for language subjects in admission combinations.

They can also continue to use these certificates to meet entry requirements for programs taught entirely in foreign languages.

In these instances, the certificates will serve strictly as evidence of proficiency rather than providing extra points outside the main scoring system.

The ministry is seeking public feedback on the draft circular until Sept. 23.