The Ministry of Education and Training in Vietnam has officially started the virtual filtering process for university admissions for 2026, beginning on August 4. This process will consist of six nationwide rounds aimed at determining the admission scores for prospective students.

The first round of filtering commenced on August 5, with universities conducting a final review of their data and configurations. In addition to the national filtering process, universities are forming two groups for regional filtering: one led by Hanoi University of Science and Technology for the North, and the other coordinated by the Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City for the South. The filtering will occur twice daily until all rounds are completed, with the final results expected to be returned to educational institutions by 1:30 PM on August 9.

By 5 PM on the same day, universities will input their admission scores into the system. According to regulations from the Ministry of Education and Training, the results of the first admission round must be announced by 5 PM on August 13 at the latest. After the results are released, candidates will need to follow their respective universities' guidance to complete enrollment procedures.

This year, approximately 1.24 million students registered for the high school graduation exam, with over 874,000 students submitting their admission preferences, totaling nearly 7.18 million preferences. This indicates that more than 70% of the candidates registered for the high school graduation exam have also applied for university admission, averaging about 8.2 preferences per student. Compared to 2025, the number of students applying for admission has increased by over 25,200, although the total number of preferences has decreased by around 500,000 due to new regulations limiting the total number of preferences.

In analyzing this year's admission trends, Cù Xuân Tiến, Head of Admissions and Student Affairs at the University of Economics and Law, Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City, noted that the admission scores at universities in the South, especially within the National University system, will undergo significant adjustments. This shift is primarily due to changes in scoring systems and admission methods. The National University has eliminated separate admissions based on individual subject groups and no longer uses separate scoring systems for the high school graduation exam or the competency assessment.

Instead, universities are adopting a comprehensive method that integrates multiple scoring components into a single common admission score on a scale of 100. For instance, the University of Economics and Law calculates its admission score based on the following components: the competency assessment exam (55%), high school graduation exam score (35%), and high school transcript (10%), along with additional points for international English certifications and specialized school attendance.

Due to this complete overhaul of the scoring system, direct comparisons of admission scores from this year to last year are challenging. Tiến predicts that, on average, competitive fields will require students to achieve scores from good to excellent levels. The trend of adopting comprehensive admission methods has spread to many other major universities, making the admission landscape in the southern region more unpredictable.

Another noteworthy aspect of the 2026 admissions is the changing mindset of candidates regarding their preferences. Due to the new regulations limiting the number of preferences, students are no longer applying broadly to top-tier universities. Instead, most are clearly stratifying their preferences, leading to a slight decrease in applications to some top universities while maintaining stable interest in lower-tier or applied training institutions.

Additionally, there has been a tightening of preference orders in the teaching sector, compelling candidates to make definitive choices from the outset rather than spreading their preferences as before. This change has allowed teacher training institutions to better differentiate their recruitment sources.

Furthermore, STEM and technology fields have garnered significant interest this year due to scholarship policies. Preliminary data from the filtering process at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry indicates that, despite a slight decrease in the number of preferences due to more careful consideration by candidates, the quality of applicants remains positive. Fields related to technology and engineering, such as Electrical Engineering, Automation, and Computer Science, continue to attract substantial interest, while Economic and Service fields like E-commerce, Marketing, Business Administration, Accounting, and Tourism remain popular.

Overall, for universities and programs that maintain traditional admission methods based solely on high school graduation exam results or competency assessments, experts believe that admission scores this year will not fluctuate dramatically or increase significantly compared to last year, as the overall exam score distribution remains stable.