Many universities across the country have announced their 2026 admission plans, in which bonus points or score conversion from international language certificates continue to be widely applied.
According to universities’ admission proposals, the minimum IELTS score eligible for conversion usually starts from 5.0.
Thuong Mai University this year converts IELTS 5.0 to 8.5 points, while the perfect score of 10 is awarded for IELTS 6.5 and above. Under the bonus-point scheme, candidates with IELTS 7.0 receive an additional 2 points, while IELTS 5.0–6.5 earns bonus points ranging from 0.5 to 1.5.
At Ho Chi Minh City Open University, IELTS 5.0 is converted to the equivalent of 7 points for English in the admission subject combination; 5.5 equals 8 points; 6.0 equals 9 points; and 6.5 or higher receives the full 10 points.
Similarly, the National Economics University applies a conversion scale starting from IELTS 5.5 (equivalent to 8 points), while IELTS 7.5 and above is counted as 10 points.
In contrast, some institutions set stricter standards. The University of Science and Technology of Hanoi (USTH) and Nguyen Tat Thanh University only award the full 10 points to candidates with IELTS 8.0 or higher. At USTH, IELTS 5.0 is converted to 7 points, while IELTS 6.5 equals 8.5 points.
The year 2026 also marks a notable change as several universities decide to stop direct score conversion and instead switch to bonus-point schemes.
The University of Transport and Communications plans to remove IELTS conversion to the 10-point scale and will instead grant priority points to candidates with IELTS 5.0 or higher. The Banking Academy also plans to apply a maximum bonus of 3 points rather than converting exam scores.
Thuong Mai University has also released a bonus-point scale for international certificates in its combined admission method, with bonuses ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 points depending on the certificate and score achieved.
The University of Finance – Marketing awards a minimum of 0.5 bonus points for IELTS 5.0 and a maximum of only 1 point for IELTS 7.0 and above.
The Ministry of Education and Training is expected to adjust the 2026 admission regulations to reduce bonus points from language certificates to avoid “grade inflation” and ensure fairness for students in remote and disadvantaged areas. Accordingly, the maximum bonus points may be limited to only 1–2 points.
Source: Dan Tri
Hanoi Adelaide School
Pioneering Competency-Based Education in Vietnam
