The reduction in quotas for university admissions based on high school graduation exam results, combined with intense competition for top-tier schools, is being cited as a reason for the significant increase in cutoff scores across many fields of study.

As of August 19th, more than 150 universities have announced their 2024 admission scores. This year, the cutoff scores for many programs are exceptionally high. In some cases, even candidates with a 9.5 score per subject were unable to secure admission.

Speaking on the sidelines of the conference reviewing the 2023-2024 academic year and implementing the tasks for the 2024-2025 academic year, organized by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET), Deputy Minister Hoang Minh Son explained the reasons behind the sharp increase in cutoff scores based on high school graduation exam results at many institutions.

He pointed out that information about programs and universities is becoming increasingly transparent and clear. As a result, institutions with high-quality training and strong labor market demand are attracting more applicants.

"Some fields have limited quotas, but with a large number of candidates competing, the cutoff scores can be pushed very high. Additionally, this is also influenced by the need to ensure fairness across different admission methods. If the admission methods are fair and the exams are well-differentiated, then high cutoff scores are not unusual. However, if fairness is not ensured, and it is easier to gain admission through certain methods, this is something the Ministry needs to analyze thoroughly," Deputy Minister Son said.

Regarding the high cutoff scores for the C00 subject group (Literature, History, Geography), where candidates scoring 9.5/10 per subject still failed to gain admission in many fields, Deputy Minister Son noted that the MOET had anticipated this issue from the beginning, based on a comparison of the score distributions over the past two years, which showed an upward trend. The competition is particularly intense at reputable, high-quality institutions.

Notably, according to Deputy Minister Son, the increase in cutoff scores for teacher training programs is a positive sign, indicating a clear societal demand for teachers, especially in subjects like History and Geography.

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Thu Thuy, Director of the Higher Education Department, explained that in recent years, with the autonomy granted to universities, they have had the authority to choose their own admission methods and are responsible for ensuring fairness among different groups of candidates.

"However, in recent years, a significant number of quotas have been allocated for early admissions, which has affected the quotas available for the method based on high school graduation exam results. This is one of the reasons for the increase in cutoff scores in recent years," Dr. Thuy explained.

Given this trend, Dr. Thuy emphasized the need for adjustments so that universities can ensure fairness for candidates participating in different admission methods. This will also be an important aspect of the upcoming revisions to the university admissions regulations.

Thuy Nga