How to Get Into University in Vietnam: Requirements, Exams and Deadlines

The national high school graduation exam

The Kỳ thi Tốt nghiệp Trung học Phổ thông, Vietnam's national high school graduation exam, is the main gateway most domestic students pass through before university. In 2025, the exam ran over June 25 to 27, with students completing registration procedures in late April at their assigned testing centers, according to VNUK . The exact dates shift slightly year to year, so confirm the current year's schedule through the Ministry of Education and Training rather than assuming the same calendar dates repeat.

The exam covers compulsory subjects plus an elective group aligned with your intended field, and your combined score becomes the basis for one of the main university admission routes. Results typically come out within a few weeks of the exam, giving a short window before university admission rounds open.

The 3 main admission routes

Vietnamese universities generally run more than one admission method side by side for the same intake, and applicants can qualify through whichever route suits their profile best.

• Exam-score admission (xét tuyển theo điểm thi): ranks applicants by their national exam score against each program's cutoff, set after results are released.

• Transcript-based admission (xét tuyển học bạ): uses your high school academic record across specific subjects and years, letting strong, consistent students apply before or alongside the national exam.

• Competency assessment test (đánh giá năng lực): a separate exam run by VNU Hanoi, VNU HCMC and a growing number of other universities, testing reasoning, language and problem-solving skills independent of the national exam curriculum.

Some universities also run direct admission for students with strong national or international competition results, or admit a share of applicants through international qualifications such as SAT, A-Level or IB scores.

A shift toward combined formulas

From 2026, the 8 member universities of VNU HCMC move to a comprehensive admission formula that blends the national exam score, the competency assessment test score, the transcript record, and bonus points for eligible applicants, rather than treating each route as fully separate. Bonus points during 2026 to 2028 apply only to applicants who studied at least 2 years at a priority-listed school and held a good academic record throughout high school, according to reporting on the policy change. Check whether your target university runs a similar combined formula, since weighting between the exam, the competency test and the transcript changes what you should prioritize in your final year.

How the competency assessment test works

The competency assessment test run by VNU Hanoi and VNU HCMC checks reasoning, language use, natural science and social science problem-solving in a single sitting, structured differently from the subject-based national exam. Universities that accept the score, including several outside the VNU system, set their own cutoff for each program, and a strong competency test score can qualify you for admission even if your national exam score sits below a program's exam-based cutoff. Registration for the test usually opens separately from national exam registration and often earlier in the year, so check each hosting university's testing schedule directly if you plan to sit it.

International qualification routes

A growing number of Vietnamese universities, particularly those running high-quality, international or foreign-invested programs, also accept international qualifications such as SAT, A-Level, IB or International Foundation results as a stand-alone admission route. This route mainly suits students who studied part of secondary school on an international curriculum or attended an international school in Vietnam. Minimum scores and accepted qualifications differ by university and by program, so check the specific admission page for your target school rather than assuming every international-track program accepts the same set of qualifications.

What selective programs add

Competitive majors such as medicine, pharmacy, architecture, and some international joint programs add requirements beyond the standard route. These commonly include an interview, a portfolio submission for design or arts-related fields, or an extra subject-specific test. Some medicine and pharmacy programs also set a higher minimum exam score than other majors at the same university, since national quotas for these fields are limited.

Deadlines and how to plan your applications

• Registration for the national exam and transcript-based admission generally opens in spring, months before results and final placement.

• Competency assessment tests run on separate dates set by the hosting university, often earlier in the year than the national exam.

• After national exam results are released, most universities open a short window for applicants to register or adjust their university and program choices centrally.

• Confirm each step's exact dates on your target university's admission page and the Ministry of Education and Training's official announcements every year, since the calendar and the mix of admission methods both shift year to year.

After you submit your central registration

Once national exam results are out, most universities open a window where applicants rank their preferred programs in order and the system matches applicants to places based on score and available seats. If you miss the cutoff for your top choice, your application rolls down to your next-ranked program where you meet the cutoff, rather than being rejected outright. Universities with unfilled places sometimes open a supplementary admission round weeks later, giving a second chance to applicants who missed the first round.

Keep your registration account details and application number secure through this period, since most of the ranking, adjustment and confirmation steps run online through the national or university admission portal rather than in person.