A photo taken at the welcome ceremony for new students at Hanoi University of Science and Technology has recently gone viral on social media. It shows a list of students ranked 8th to 18th by entrance score. Notably, all of them achieved an IELTS score of 8.0 out of 9.0 and a perfect SAT score of 1600.
Even more impressive academic records can be expected among those ranked 7th or higher. And Hanoi University of Science and Technology is not an isolated case. Other prestigious universities, such as Foreign Trade University, National Economics University and Vietnam National University, also admit students with similarly strong academic profiles.
This raises a broader question: Are Vietnam’s top students now reaching international academic standards?
The Growing Prevalence of International Qualifications in Vietnamese University Admissions
IELTS and SAT were initially popular mainly among Vietnamese students planning to study abroad and seeking admission to overseas universities.
Their popularity in the country can be traced back to 2015, when students with qualifying IELTS scores can be exempted from the foreign-language component of Vietnam’s national high school graduation examination.
Universities then began incorporating IELTS into their admissions processes from the 2016 admission season. Initially, the qualification was primarily used to attract high-achieving applicants or grant direct admission to high-quality programmes taught in foreign languages.
IELTS-based admissions expanded rapidly between 2020 and 2024, as more universities were granted greater autonomy over their admissions processes. SAT scores also became increasingly common as an admissions criterion at leading institutions such as Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Foreign Trade University and National Economics University.
As the two qualifications have become more widely used, the scores required for competitive admission have also risen. While an IELTS score of 4.0 is sufficient to qualify for an exemption from the high school graduation examination, Foreign Trade University requires a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 for score conversion, equivalent to 8.5 out of 10. Applicants need an IELTS score of 8.0 to 9.0 out of 9.0 to receive the maximum converted score of 10.
For the SAT, Hanoi University of Science and Technology accepts scores under its Talent Admission scheme. Applicants need a minimum SAT score of 1,250 out of 1,600, which is then converted to the university’s 100-point admission scale. Applicants who also hold an IELTS certificate with a score of 5.0 or above can receive additional bonus points, with up to 80 points added to their SAT score.
However, highly competitive majors such as Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence often see successful applicants with much higher SAT scores, typically ranging from 1,400 to above 1,550. These scores are close to the ranges commonly seen among students admitted to Ivy League universities in the United States, where SAT scores often fall between 1,500 and 1,580.
The viral score table featuring perfect 1,600 SAT scores alongside IELTS 8.0 results therefore represents more than a collection of remarkable individual achievements. Scores once regarded as exceptional are increasingly becoming benchmarks for Vietnam's highest-achieving students.
International Standard And Inequality In Education
The prevalence of IELTS, SAT and other international qualifications in Vietnamese universities’ admission signals that universities in Vietnam are increasingly striving to meet international standards. With the internationally competitive student intake, Vietnam are well positioned to strengthen their places in global university rankings
However, as the trend continues, one question arises: Do those qualifications fit the Vietnamese education context?
In 2026, an IELTS certificate costs VND 4.6 million (US$176) while a SAT exam can cost VND 2.6 million (US$111). These costs have yet to include the preparation courses and studying material. Some families reported spending VND50million-100million (US$1922-3844) for preparation to reach the target scores.
These costs, combined with limited access to testing centres, can put international qualifications out of reach for students from disadvantaged backgrounds or those living in remote areas. As these qualifications play an increasingly important role in admission processes, the trend has raised a broader concern: Are the country’s best educational opportunities becoming increasingly accessible only to students who can afford them?
To address these concerns, Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training has proposed a significant change: limiting the use of foreign-language certificates for bonus points in university admissions from 2027. Under the new approach, IELTS would no longer provide additional points for programmes that do not use a foreign language as part of their admission criteria.
“Awarding additional English-language points for programmes that do not require foreign-language proficiency creates unfairness. This is an urgent issue related to equity that needs to be addressed immediately,” the Minister of Education and Training said.
The proposed change quickly sparked debate, particularly over whether students and schools would have sufficient time to adapt to the new admission rules. More broadly, it signals a shift towards tighter regulation of how international qualifications are used in university admissions, potentially reducing some of the advantages previously enjoyed by applicants holding foreign-language certificates.
The debate over the role of international qualifications in Vietnamese university admissions, however, is far from settled. But its role in advancing Vietnamese academic performance has been substantial. In 2025, the average SAT score among Vietnamese test-takers reached a record 1,355 out of 1,600. By comparison, the mean SAT score among the U.S. graduating class of 2025 was 1,029. College Board data also show that a score of 1,350 or above places a test-taker within roughly the top 10% of SAT scores.
Yet Vietnamese students are increasingly using these scores not to apply to universities overseas, but to compete for places at universities at home. According to College Board data, of the 10 institutions that received the most SAT score reports from Vietnamese students in 2025, only three were in the United States, the remaining seven were Vietnamese universities.
So, are Vietnamese students reaching international academic standards? The evidence increasingly suggests that they are.
