Higher Education
University entrance is based on the scores achieved in the entrance examination. High school graduates need high scores to be admitted to universities. Securing a place in a public university is considered a major step towards a successful career, especially for those from rural areas or disadvantaged families. The pressure on the candidates therefore remains very high, despite the measures taken to reduce the importance of these exams. In 2004, it was estimated that nearly one million students took the exam, but on average, only 20% passed.
Normally, candidates take three exams for the fixed group of subjects they choose. There are 4 fixed groups of subjects:
- Group A : Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry
- Group A1: Mathematics, Physics, English
- Group B : Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry
- Group C : Literature, History, Geography
- Group D : Literature, Foreign Language, Mathematics
Besides these, there are also groups H, M, N, R, T and V.
In 2007, Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training started to use multiple choice exam format for several subjects during the university entrance examination. These subjects include: Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Foreign Language. Each multiple choice exam lasts 90 minutes. The foreign language exam consists of 80 multiple choice questions; meanwhile, the Physics, Chemistry, Biology exam has 50 questions. Math, Literature, History and Geography exams still use composition format.
Read more about this topic: Education In Vietnam
Famous quotes by higher education:
“I never feel so conscious of my race as I do when I stand before a class of twenty-five young men and women eager to learn about what it is to be black in America.”
—Claire Oberon Garcia, African American college professor. As quoted in the Chronicle of Higher Education, p. B3 (July 27, 1994)