For years, transcript-based admissions were widely used by universities, including top-tier institutions like Foreign Trade University, HCMC University of Technology, HCMC University of Economics, HCMC University of Law, HCMC University of Technical Education, Hanoi University of Education and HCMC University of Education, as well as lower-tier universities. 

For private universities, transcript-based admissions were a lifeline in a highly competitive recruitment landscape.

Previously, universities typically considered students’ grades for five semesters (grades 10, 11, and the first semester of grade 12), for grades 11 and 12, or three semesters (grade 11 and the first semester of grade 12). Most universities allocated over 20 percent of their quotas to transcript-based admissions, with some reaching 40-50 percent, or even 70 percent.

From 2025, under the Ministry of Education and Training’s university admissions regulations, schools that consider transcripts must calculate the entire 12th grade score by exam groups (each group comprises three learning subjects)—that is, using the scores of all three years of grades 10, 11 and 12, or only using grade 12 scores, or combining grade 11 and grade 12 scores. Many schools use transcripts in combination with other criteria. 

It is estimated that there are nearly 150 universities nationwide that consider admission based on transcripts.

However, many public universities have abandoned or reduced quotas for transcript-based admissions. HCMC University of Education was the first to announce the discontinuation of independent transcript-based admissions, followed by the National Economics University, Hanoi University of Technology, HCMC University of Industry, Nha Trang University, Hanoi University of Education, and Hanoi University of Industrial Technology. 

Twenty military academies have also dropped this method.

Universities like Saigon University, HCMC University of Medicine and Pharmacy, and Hanoi University of Medicine consistently do not apply transcript-based admissions, arguing it’s not an accurate recruitment channel. 

“A student from a mountainous area with a 9.0 transcript average and another from a city with a 7.0, should the university admit the one with 9.0?” a principal said.

He argued that the issue lies in varying grading standards across regions and schools. As a resukt, this fails to reflect students’ true abilities. 

High school academic results depend on local and school-level evaluations, even individual teachers, leading to inconsistencies. To ensure fairness and protect candidates’ rights, these universities rely on exam results rather than transcripts. 

Other methods, such as national high school exam scores, combined exam scores with certificates, or competency assessments, have proven stable.

Why are transcripts being abandoned?

Associate Prof Do Van Dung, former President of HCMC University of Education, noted that the gap between transcript grades and national exam scores is too big which has reduced the quality of transcript-based admissions in recent years, prompting many universities to turn away from this method.

Additionally, universities have observed that students admitted via transcripts often struggle to keep up with those admitted through exams. This disparity complicates teaching. 

Designing challenging exams suited for high-achieving students can be unsuitable for some transcript-admitted students. After one or two years, many drop out, affecting university revenue. Therefore, for institutions prioritizing training quality, transcript-based admissions are no longer suitable.

Dung cited the 2025 data from the Ministry of Education and Training as saying that the average transcript grade over three high school years was 7.12, while the exam average was 7.0, with a mere 0.12-point difference. 

“However, for subjects like Industrial Technology (2.26-point gap) and Mathematics (2.25-point gap), the disparity was larger, partly confirming inconsistent evaluations,” Dung said.

A high school teacher said that teachers tend to grade students more leniently, especially in grade 12, to reduce pressure on students, inflating transcript scores.

Nguyen Trung Nhan, Head of the Training Department at HCMC University of Industry, noted that for a long time, many universities relied heavily on transcript-based admissions, often with admission scores equivalent to national exam scores. 

This led to uneven candidate quality and poor academic performance among admitted students, prompting universities to reduce quotas for this method.

Pham Thai Son, Director of Admissions at HCMC University of Industry, said universities tend to give up the transcript-based admission method to improve the quality of input students.

In many cases, teachers ‘cooperate’ with students to push students’ scores up artificially to fabricate good transcripts. Only exams and aptitude tests can truly assess students’ abilities.

Thanh Hung