Across Vietnam, the annual wait for university admission results is always a tense affair, but this year, the pressure has reached new heights. Millions of students and their families found themselves grappling with exhaustion and anxiety after the Ministry of Education and Training (Bộ GD&ĐT) announced a last-minute delay in the release of university admission scores. Originally scheduled for August 20, 2025, the announcement was pushed back to August 22, 2025, sending shockwaves through households and school communities nationwide.
The Ministry’s decision, communicated in an official document released on August 20, 2025, extended the critical filtering process for university and college admissions. Instead of the anticipated six rounds of data checks, the 2025 process would now include four additional rounds, ending at 12:30 PM on August 22. The Ministry insisted that no university should announce its admission scores before this final round, emphasizing the need for accuracy and fairness in what has become an increasingly complex admissions landscape.
For many, the delay felt like the last straw. Parents and students had been counting down the hours, only to learn that the wait would continue. Social media and online forums lit up with stories of sleepless nights and frayed nerves. One parent shared, “Too exhausting! The children, parents, even grandparents are waiting every hour. My daughter woke up early, counting down the hours until the results. Then by noon, there was a notice of delay. Does the Ministry understand what we’re going through?” This sentiment echoed across the country, as families tried to balance hope with mounting frustration.
Nguyen Tran Nhat, whose child applied to Foreign Trade University, described the uncertainty in practical terms: “If the Ministry is this confused, how can parents not be? I had already arranged housing for my child, but now I have to call the landlord to postpone the deposit. Delaying the announcement means my child doesn’t know if she passed or failed today. Why not start the filtering process earlier, instead of leaving us all anxious?”
For the cohort of students born in 2007, the road to university was already fraught with challenges. This group is the first to experience Vietnam’s new general education curriculum, which introduced unfamiliar subjects and new exam formats. Their high school years were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing them into prolonged periods of online learning. By the time the 2025 national high school graduation and university entrance exams rolled around, students and families were already “spinning like tops,” as one parent put it.
The exams themselves were no walk in the park. The mathematics and English papers were widely regarded as highly selective, filled with tricky questions that stumped even the best-prepared candidates. The process for converting scores to admission thresholds added another layer of confusion, leaving students, parents, and even university staff scratching their heads. “All these factors created an invisible pressure, making everyone more anxious and nervous,” reported Sức khỏe & Đời sống.
Tran Tung Lam, a graduate of Viet Tri High School in Phu Tho, who applied to Hanoi University of Mining and Geology, shared, “I couldn’t sleep last night, or this afternoon. Now we have to wait two more days. I’m really anxious. I just hope that after four more filtering rounds, everything will be accurate.” For many, the anxiety was paralyzing. “These days, I can’t concentrate on anything else,” said Ngoc Tram, a graduate of Thang Long High School in Hanoi. “I spend all my time reading news and checking forums. The suspense is just like waiting for my high school graduation results.”
The Ministry’s rationale for the delay was straightforward. According to Deputy Minister Hoang Minh Son, “In 2025, the number of candidates applying for university and college admissions is higher, and this is the first year colleges are participating. We want universities to review thoroughly so that when results are announced, they’re accurate. The deadline for announcing admission scores hasn’t changed—results will still be out by 5 PM on August 22.” The Ministry emphasized that the extended filtering period was a technical adjustment, not a substantive change to the overall schedule, and was intended to ensure no student was overlooked or wrongly admitted.
This year’s admissions process is notable for several reasons. It marks the first time colleges have joined the unified admissions system, eliminating early admissions and requiring all selection methods to be used in a single round. The Ministry instructed universities to “thoroughly review all data and selection methods to avoid omissions or incorrect admissions,” as reported by VietNamNet. The aim is to prevent large numbers of so-called ‘false positive’ admissions—students who are mistakenly told they have been accepted—while managing the available slots responsibly.
Universities across the country scrambled to adjust their own schedules in response to the Ministry’s directive. Representatives from Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry and Economics and Law University confirmed they would delay their announcements until August 22. The same was true at Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, where Dr. Bui Hoai Thang, Head of Training, stated, “Admission scores will be announced on August 22 instead of this evening.” Hanoi University of Science and Technology, which coordinates admissions in the northern region, said results would be published at 4 PM on August 22. Even the Vietnam Women’s Academy confirmed its earliest possible announcement would be 5 PM that day.
The scale of the admissions process is staggering. According to Ministry figures, more than 849,000 candidates registered for university and college admissions this year, submitting over 7.6 million application preferences—a remarkable average of nearly nine preferences per student. Yet, in a telling statistic, around 310,000 students, or 26.7% of the 1.16 million who sat for the 2025 high school graduation exam, did not register for university or college admissions at all. This suggests a substantial portion of students are either pursuing alternative paths or simply not ready for higher education at this time.
For families, the uncertainty was more than just an inconvenience—it disrupted daily life. “Family meals don’t taste the same these days,” lamented Trinh Thi Mai Khanh, whose child applied to Hanoi National University of Education. “Everyone is too anxious, waiting for the scores.” For students with their hearts set on competitive programs, like Hanoi Medical University, the wait was almost unbearable. “This delay makes us even more anxious. I’m counting the hours, hoping to become a medical student, but now I have to wait two more days. I’m really worried,” one candidate told Sức khỏe & Đời sống.
As the nation holds its breath, the Ministry’s insistence on rigorous data checks and fairness is a reminder of the high stakes involved. With so many young lives and family dreams on the line, a two-day delay feels like an eternity—yet, for now, it is the price of accuracy in an admissions system that grows more complex each year. When the scores finally arrive, students and parents alike will be hoping the wait was worth it.
