Some universities have released data on the academic performance of students admitted via high school transcript evaluation,

HCM City University of Education analyzed the cumulative GPA of 10,000 students admitted through various methods in 2021, 2022, and 2023.

In 2021 and 2022, the university used three admission methods: direct admission, high school transcript evaluation, and national high school exam scores. In 2023, they added one more method that considered both high school transcripts and a university-specific competency test.

For the 2020 cohort, the average GPA was 3.31/4.0 for direct admission, 3.19/4.0 for transcript evaluation, and 2.94/4.0 for national exam scores.

For the 2021 cohort, the figures were 3.34, 3.22, and 3.06, respectively.

For the 2023 cohort, GPAs were 3.22 for direct admission, 2.96 for transcript evaluation, 2.85 for national exam scores, and 3.22 for the combined transcript and competency test method.

As such, students admitted via transcript evaluation outperformed those admitted through national exam scores but lagged behind directly admitted students (including those under Ministry of Education criteria and university-specific priority admission).

As for the method that considers both transcript and competency test, the average GPA was 3.22/4.0 after one year, comparable to direct admission.

At HCMC University of Industry, Nguyen Trung Nhan, Head of the Training Department, noted surprising results for the 2021 and 2022 cohorts. Students admitted via national exam scores and transcript evaluation showed similar academic performance.

Results from admissions based on competency assessments and direct admission priorities show a right-skewed score distribution, indicating that students admitted through these two methods tend to have higher capabilities. According to Nhan, this serves as a basis for the university to increase the admission quotas for these two methods."

At HCMC University of Industry and Trade, data from 2019-2023 showed graduation rankings for students admitted via national exam scores as follows: Outstanding 0.21 percent, Excellent 6.56 percent, Good 69.24 percent, and Average 23.98 percent.

For students admitted via transcript evaluation, the figures were: Outstanding 0.24 percent, Excellent 5.44 percent, Good 65.12 percent, and Average 29.2 percent.

HCMC University of Industry and Trade reported that the graduation rates of students admitted via high school graduation exam scores and those admitted through high school transcripts are relatively similar. 

In particular, in 2022 and 2023, the graduation rate of the transcript-based admission group nearly matched that of the exam-based group. 

This outcome was achieved with annual admission thresholds of 22–27 points for transcript-based admissions (grades 10, 11, and 12), and 18–25 points for those admitted through the national high school graduation exam, along with strong support and close academic supervision from the university.

“We allocate only 20-25 percent of total quotas to transcript evaluation, setting very high requirements. Over three years of data analysis, we found that these students perform comparably to those admitted via exam scores,” Nhan said.

This is why the school continues to apply this method, but keeps the quotas low.

"I believe that if universities control admission quotas and the gap in entry scores, transcript-based admissions can be quite effective. However, if too many seats are allocated to this method, it could become very risky,"

149 high schools prioritized for transcript evaluation

Currently, 149 high schools nationwide are prioritized to enroll via transcripts, including 83 specialized or gifted schools and 66 meeting criteria set by the National University of HCMC several years ago. 

These 66 schools are selected based on high student application and admission rates, significant enrollment at the university, and strong academic performance by alumni.

Initially, students from these schools were prioritized for admission to HCM City National University member schools, such as HCM City University of Technology, University of Natural Sciences, University of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Economics and Law, University of Information Technology, International University, University of Health Sciences, and An Giang University.

Now, other universities, including HCM City University of Law and HCM City University of Industry, also prioritize these 149 schools. HCM City University of Education prioritizes transcript evaluation for students from the 83 specialized or gifted schools.

“Due to inconsistent student assessments across schools and regions, transcript scores vary significantly. Specialized and gifted schools with strong training quality are reliable sources for transcript-based admissions,” a university representative said.

Thanh Hung