The HCM City University of Social Sciences and Humanities has reported that COO examinees applying for Journalism major must get at least a 28.88 score to be admitted. The benchmark scores are 28.33 for Tourism Service and Travel Administration major, 28.2 for Cultural Studies, 28.15 for art studies, and 28.1 for history.

The HCM City University of Education has benchmark scores of 28.6 for Literature Education, 28.6 for History Education, 28.37 for Geography Education, and 27.1 for Psychology.

Sai Gon University has a minimum score of 28.11 for Literature Education, 28.25 for History Education, 27.91 for Geography Education, and 27.35 for History-Geography Education (teachers for secondary schools).

Meanwhile, students applying for the Law Faculty of the HCM City Law University must have a minimum 27.27 score.

The benchmark scores for the COO exam group set by the Hanoi University of Education are the highest, with 29.3 score required for Literature and History Education, and 29.05 score for Geography Education.

Other top-tier universities have also set high minimum score of 29. The Hanoi University of Social Sciences and Humanities, for example, has set a 29.1 score for Public Relations major, 29.05 for South Korean Studies, and 29.03 for Journalism.

Students must score 29.2 to enroll in the Chinese Studies major and 29.05 to enroll in International Media at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam. The number is lower for other majors – 28.73 for Japanese studies, 28.55 for US Studies and International Law, and 28.83 for South Korean Studies. 

The HCM City University of Culture, Hanoi University of Culture, and Academy of Journalism and Propaganda all have set relatively high benchmarks.

Pham Thai Son, MA, Enrollment Director at the HCM City University of Industry and Trade, said there are several reasons for the higher scores. First, this year’s exam questions are easier than last year’s, especially for Literature and History.

As many as 704,024 students registered to attend COO-group exams this year, more than the 22,301 students in 2023. The average score gained by COO-group examinees was 20.95, 1.98 higher than scores in 2023. 

As many as 42,154 examinees had a 27 score or higher, 18,500 examinees 28 or higher, and 5,172 examinees 29 or higher.

Second, there are fewer universities enrolling students attending the COO-group exams for their majors. 

“If supply is too high and demand falls, high benchmarks are understandable,” he said.

He noted that more and more schools tend to enroll students who register to attend the groups of exams, in which English is one of three compulsory exam subjects.       

Third, the number of students choosing COO-group exams this year is extremely high. According to the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), 63 percent of 1 million examinees registered to attend COO-group exams in 2024.

Huynh Trung Phong from the HCM City University of Education said the required high benchmarks are not a surprise. A high number of students have successfully enrolled in the school in its early enrollment campaign. 

Meanwhile, many other students have occupied their seats as so-called priority students (the priority criteria are stipulated by MOET). As a result, the quota for students applying with their high school final exam scores is small, which means stiffer competition among students.

Do Van Dung, former Rector of the HCM City University of Technology and Education, said schools have enrolled nearly enough students based on other methods, so the number of students enrolled by high school finals results is limited.

Dung also noted that schools tend to give high marks to students in their localities (under current regulations, teachers in localities mark exam papers of students in the same localities). Many examinees got a 9 score for literature, which has not occurred in the past.

Education experts have voiced concern about the high benchmarks, saying that it is unfair for students who fail to enter university even though they got high scores (29 or higher) on their high school finals.

Le Huyen