The V-ACT Competency Assessment Test From Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City Explained
By Muntasir Minhaz • Published Aug 07, 2026 • Study in Southeast Asia
V-ACT is Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City's competency assessment test, commonly called ĐGNL (Đánh giá năng lực) and also abbreviated V-ACT in English-language materials. It is a paper-based, 120-question exam scored on a weighted 1200-point scale, and more than 90 universities in central and southern Vietnam accept the result.
🎓 5 sections: Vietnamese, English, Math, Logic and data analysis, Scientific reasoning
⏱️ 150 minutes, paper-based, multiple choice
💵 Test fee was 360,000 VND per sitting in the 2023 cycle
Held twice a year; your score stays valid for 1 year
ĐGNL, also known as V-ACT
Vietnam National University Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM) runs its own competency assessment test for university admission, commonly called ĐGNL (Đánh giá năng lực) and also abbreviated V-ACT in English-language materials. It works the same way as HSA from VNU Hanoi in the north: a single test that stands in for, or adds to, your THPT score when a university calculates your admission total.
Test format: 5 areas, one paper
V-ACT runs on paper, not computer, with multiple choice questions across 120 questions total.
Vietnamese: 30 questions
English: 30 questions
Math: 30 questions
Logic and data analysis: 12 questions
Scientific reasoning: 18 questions
The full paper takes 150 minutes.
Scoring: a weighted 1200-point scale
Unlike HSA, where each question is worth exactly 1 point, V-ACT weights questions by difficulty, so 2 questions in the same section can carry different point values. The maximum possible score is 1200 points. Your result stays valid for 1 year, so a score from an earlier sitting still counts toward a later admission round within that window.
How V-ACT compares with HSA
| V-ACT (VNU-HCM) | HSA (VNU Hanoi) | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Paper-based | Computer-based |
| Questions | 120 | 150 |
| Duration | 150 minutes | 195 minutes |
| Max score | 1200 points, weighted | 150 points, 1 point each |
| Sittings per year | 2 | Several, up to 10 |
Which universities accept V-ACT
Around 92 universities accepted ĐGNL/V-ACT scores in the 2023 admission cycle, including VNU-HCM's own member schools plus outside universities in Da Nang and other central and southern provinces, according to a summary of Vietnam's competency assessment tests . The list changes every cycle, so confirm your target program still accepts V-ACT before you commit to preparing for it.
Test fee and registration
In the 2023 cycle the test fee was 360,000 VND per sitting, according to the same source.
VNU-HCM runs 2 sittings a year, typically one before and one after the THPT exam period, giving you a second chance if your first score falls short.
Register through VNU-HCM's admission portal (vnuhcm.edu.vn) ahead of each sitting's deadline.
How to prepare
Because Math, Vietnamese and English make up 90 of the 120 questions, spend most of your prep time there rather than on the smaller Logic and Scientific reasoning sections. Past-paper practice from VNU-HCM's own portal matches the real format better than generic aptitude test books, since the weighted scoring rewards accuracy on harder questions specifically.