Aptitude test contributes to improving the quality of university entrance

As the first unit to organize the exam this year, Hanoi National University (VNU) has received great trust from candidates and universities and colleges. We had an interview with Prof. Dr. Nguyen Tien Thao, Director of VNU Examination Center to better understand this exam.

- Professor, how has the approach to admissions at VNU changed this year?

In 2022, VNU's enrollment plans are basically stable as in 2021. The only difference is that the quota allocated for each method may change compared to 2021. Training majors/groups with high standard scores will have more quotas for the admission method using the results of the High School Graduation Exam (HSA). The 2022 enrollment method will also be more flexible and proactive for schools/faculties in terms of time. Units will have appropriate enrollment plans to ensure the rights of students from enrollment sources and select quality candidates.

-Why are these exam results increasingly used by many schools, Professor?

Up to now, if including faculties/universities of VNU, Thai Nguyen University, there will be more than 60 training units using HSA exam results for admission. There may be many reasons such as: The autonomy of higher education institutions in admission is increasing; admission time and methods are flexible, suitable for the current context; the quality of HSA exam is affirmed; more opportunities for candidates to apply for groups of majors/schools with high admission scores; schools can select quality candidates; the admission method based on the results of the HSA exam is suitable for international admission practices...

- There are opinions that most high school students in disadvantaged areas cannot go to big cities to take the National High School Examination. That has affected the rights of candidates. So what support plans does the center have for candidates in disadvantaged areas and candidates who are soldiers?

The National High School Entrance Exam serves many purposes, including university admission. It is important to note that most universities use at least three admission methods. Therefore, candidates have many paths to enter university.

For the HSA exam, VNU has a policy of supporting fees for candidates from poor households, policy families, ethnic minority candidates, mountainous areas... to participate in the exam. VNU Examination Center also organizes exams in many provinces and cities across the country to bring the exam closer to candidates, creating favorable geographical conditions for candidates. Moreover, the HSA exam is only conducted in 1 session, candidates are allowed to choose the exam session (exam time) so they are more proactive in planning their travel. For military candidates, there is no difficulty if you are allowed to access the internet to register for the exam session online. Registration time also takes only 5-10 minutes maximum. The rights of military candidates and independent candidates are equal.

-VNU has just organized the first round of the National High School Exam. Could you please tell us what common mistakes candidates often make and what candidates in the next rounds should pay attention to?

We held the HSA-201 exam on February 26 and 27. With the HSA exam having been published as a reference and being tried online at http://khaothi.vnu.edu.vn/, candidates did not encounter any difficulties. Some candidates were a bit confused when doing the fill-in-the-blank questions because they had little practice with this type of question. Candidates need to interact with the computer continuously to ensure that the connection is always maintained well. After 10 minutes of no action, the invigilator will remind candidates to interact with the computer. Therefore, with difficult questions, you should skip them and come back later if you have time to answer as many questions as possible.

- To do well on the National High School Exam, what effective review strategies do candidates need, Professor?

The first thing is that you must be familiar with the test structure and question format. Therefore, you should do sample tests before registering for the test and 1-2 days before the test. Doing sample tests will give you information about the test competency group that will "test" you. From there, candidates will know where they are lacking so that they can have a plan to review and supplement. Second, you should have a serious study plan, avoid getting caught up in exam preparation groups that will waste time and not yield very good results.

For those who have a good foundation in natural sciences (or social sciences), you should not be subjective and do not skip reviewing social sciences (or natural sciences). HSA exam questions require candidates to have a firm grasp of the basic knowledge of the general education program to apply from low to high, not trick questions, difficult questions, puzzles... Before the exam day, do a sample test to know how to allocate time reasonably, get familiar with the structure of the exam sections to control the test progress well. Thus, candidates will achieve the highest score according to their ability. Another point is that candidates should learn the exam registration instructions and information about the exam on the official homepage to help you understand and feel more secure about the exam. Some candidates who spread out on social forums and receive unofficial information will be more confused before the exam.

- Professor, what will be the adjustment roadmap for the ratio of questions integrating interdisciplinary knowledge in line with the goals of general education reform?

One of the unique and special features of the HSA exams is that there are few questions, a short time, but they assess the main groups of competencies of the test takers. Therefore, interdisciplinary integrated questions are one of the mandatory requirements of the HSA exam. Currently, candidates are studying the 2006 general education program in parallel and starting to approach the 2018 comprehensive program, so the HSA exam is designed according to a roadmap of gradual changes and additions in the 2023-2024 school year. Therefore, in 2024 we will add some interdisciplinary integrated questions.

- Thank you very much, Professor!