Experts from the VNU Examination Center answer questions related to the 2022 competency assessment exam

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tien Thao, Director of Testing Center, Deputy Head of Training Department, VNU

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tien Thao:In 2022, the Hanoi National University Examination Center (VNU) will announce the exam schedule and location for the whole year so that candidates can arrange their time according to their personal plans. Registration for the Competency Assessment (HSA) exam will be done online like in 2021 at http://khaothi.vnu.edu.vn/. Along with that, the online registration portal has been upgraded in terms of transmission line and capacity to serve candidates in registering and paying fees. Registration periods will be opened gradually so that candidates can register according to the schedule for finishing the high school program. The Examination Center does not limit the number of times a candidate takes the exam, but the two consecutive exam periods of the candidate must be at least 28 days apart. Candidates do not necessarily have to register at once for many periods (already opened) because they will have to pay many fees while the exam periods may be adjusted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Testing Center does not encourage candidates to register for multiple exam sessions in a year because the test scores between exam sessions of candidates are almost unchanged. On the contrary, the mentality of registering for the first session to "try the test" or "take the test for fun" will create a bad preparation mentality for the candidates themselves.

You mentioned the registration and exam fees for the National High School Graduation Exam. It is known that VNU has announced to support the fees for candidates in 2022. Could you please tell us specifically how?

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tien Thao:The 2021 exams are financially supported to "kick-start" the National High School Graduation Exam and serve mainly the admission to VNU. In addition, the technical infrastructure (computers, computer rooms, servers, IT infrastructure), and exam supervisors are operated at the VNU Examination Center, so the fee level of 200,000 VND/candidate/exam conducted in 2015-2016 is still used. In 2022, VNU assigned the Examination Center to develop a fee level determined on the principle of correctly and fully calculating the costs of organizing exams on a large scale and having to contract infrastructure and human resources (exam supervisors, inspectors, supervisors, security, medical staff, etc.) at many universities across the country; adding about 25% of new questions to the exam bank in 2022-2023. Therefore, the registration fee for the 2022 National High School Examination is based on the principle of calculating the full cost, ranging from 586,000 to 625,000 VND/candidate/exam (not including the cost of Covid-19 prevention). With social responsibility, VNU has a policy of exempting fees for candidates in difficult circumstances, poor and near-poor households, and supporting 50% of the fee for all candidates participating in the exam due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on socio-economic life. Therefore, the fee for 2022 that candidates will pay is 300,000 VND/candidate/exam and the remainder will be supported by VNU.

Besides information about fees, what do candidates need to prepare before registering for the exam?

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tien Thao:The registration form is very simple. Candidates prepare the following information before registering: academic scores of 5 semesters (grades 10, 11 and semester 1 of grade 12), citizen identification card, portrait photo before registering. When candidates complete the registration procedures and choose the appropriate exam session, they will have to pay the online fee within 96 hours of completing the registration. Note that according to the regulations of the National High School Examination at VNU, the registration and exam fees will not be refunded. Therefore, candidates must consider carefully before paying the fee. After 96 hours, candidates who do not complete the fee will return to the original state and register for the exam again. Experience in 2021, many candidates chose multiple exam sessions to "reserve their seats", causing social waste. We also conducted statistics and found that for some candidates who retook the exam for the 2nd or 3rd time, their score on the National High School Graduation Exam did not change significantly compared to the first time because the National High School Graduation Exam is not a simple knowledge test but an assessment of the learner's ability after graduating from high school according to defined groups of abilities.

Many candidates wonder why VNU organizes multiple exams at different locations. So can the exam results in different provinces and cities be used for admission to VNU and other universities in the North or South?

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tien Thao:We need to emphasize that the VNU HSA is a standardized exam. Regardless of where it is held, it must comply with strict standardized procedures. The structure of the exam, the difficulty level of each exam is balanced between candidates, between exam sessions, between exam periods and between exam locations. Regardless of where candidates take the exam organized by VNU, it has the same value. Second, the exam and university admission are completely separate. Candidates must consider whether the university you plan to attend accepts admission based on HSA results or not. If that school uses HSA results as an admission method, you can rest assured to register for the exam and take the exam at any location that best suits you to achieve the highest possible results.

Up to now, many universities have announced that they will use the results of the National University of Hanoi's General Certificate of Secondary Education exam for university admission, making candidates worry about whether those who study in an unbalanced way will be able to get good results in the exam or not?

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tien Thao:In reality, most of the current 12th grade candidates have somewhat "oriented" towards natural sciences or social sciences. To some extent, all candidates have some difficulty with the Science section (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, History, Geography). However, if you have decided to take the National High School Exam, then take the Reference Exam to see what you need to practice on your own. The National High School Exam questions aim to assess ability, from basic to understanding, low to high application, not a knowledge test. Therefore, you will have the same starting point and the candidate's ability and thinking ability will determine the exam score. We would also like to inform you that right after VNU announced the use of National High School Exam results for university admission, a number of exam preparation centers and classes have opened and advertised to attract candidates to study. I have repeated many times that studying at centers does not bring any results for candidates. Through the feedback of candidates on forums and social networks, it is shown that the candidates themselves have advice not to study at centers. Those who achieved the highest scores on the 2021 National High School Exam were all self-taught candidates. They also shared many articles on social networks and academic forums about the National High School Exam about their experiences of self-studying and preparing mentally before the exam day.

You mentioned the coordination with universities in organizing the National High School Exam. So up to now, which universities have cooperated with VNU to use the National High School Exam results for university admissions for the 2022-2023 school year?

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tien Thao:Up to now, there are nearly 50 member universities, colleges, and faculties affiliated with Hanoi National University, Hue University, Thai Nguyen University, etc.; Foreign Trade University, National Economics University, Commerce University, Transport Technology University, Medical and Pharmaceutical Engineering University, Natural Resources and Environment University, Hung Yen Technical Education University, Industrial Economics and Technology University, Vinh University, Tan Trao University, Phenikaa University, Hong Duc University, Court Academy, Vinh Technical Education University, Labor and Social Affairs University, Hanoi Pedagogy University 2, Capital University, Hung Vuong University, Hai Duong Medical Technology University, Banking Academy, Bac Giang Agriculture and Forestry University, Nam Dinh Technical Education University, Viet Tri University of Industry, Electricity University, Hanoi University of Industry, Water Resources University, Thang Long University, Northwest University, Maritime University, Forestry University, Policy Academy... have officially contacted VNU to register to use the results of the National High School Graduation Exam for university admission in 2022. Detailed information on the admission form and quota of each major is announced in the Admissions Plan of higher education institutions.

Can you inform us about the upcoming exam locations and Covid-19 prevention measures for each exam period?

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tien Thao:As I have presented before, the Covid-19 epidemic will be controlled with the level of vaccination and the implementation of drastic epidemic prevention measures by the Party, the Government at all levels, and society gradually adapting flexibly to the Covid-19 epidemic. On the part of the VNU Examination Center, we have built different implementation scenarios. Depending on the level of epidemic area classification, we will set appropriate exam locations and times; add epidemiological requirements, require candidates and staff to participate in the Covid-19 test if necessary; organize multiple exam locations and multiple exam sessions. Up to now, the Examination Center has contacted 17 universities to set up exam locations to serve the 2022 exam sessions.

Many candidates are learning about the National High School Graduation Exam for the first time and are wondering about the admission policies of the schools as well as whether the graduation exam results can be used for admission at the same time. What advice do you have for candidates?

Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tien Thao:In the context of autonomous admission, universities will use different methods to improve input quality. Therefore, each school will have different forms of admission and will be announced in detail in the 2022 Admissions Plan. Candidates must refer to the Admissions Plan of the schools they plan to enroll in before registering for the National High School Graduation Exam or the 2022 Graduation Exam. Normally, candidates can apply for admission to a certain major (school) using both the National High School Graduation Exam and Graduation Exam (if the school uses these two methods), even other methods (transcripts, English certificates, etc.). However, if you apply for multiple methods, you will eventually only be admitted by one method. If you have been admitted and confirmed to a school using the National High School Graduation Exam results, your other methods will be eliminated. Therefore, using the National High School Graduation Exam results is only beneficial for candidates and schools during the admissions season. If you register for the National High School Exam, you should study hard to achieve high results in all the exams you take and when you are admitted by some method to your favorite school, rest assured to confirm your admission to stabilize you and the school. Thus, you have created more opportunities for other candidates to be admitted to their favorite major.