October 15 is the deadline for universities to submit their enrollment plans to the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET).

Most schools have also set up new exam groups in an effort to find more suitable students.

However, the existence of too many exam groups has not been good for students, who feel uncomfortable about all the choices now available, analysts say.

For many years, schools have enrolled students in different majors based on five main exam groups - A, B, C, D and A1.

The students who register to follow natural science and technology studies have to take A and A1 exams to test their knowledge about natural sciences (math, physics and chemistry for the A group, and math, physics and foreign languages for A1 group).

The students who plan to study biology or enroll in medical schools have to take B group exams, which include three tests – math, chemistry and biology.

The C group is reserved for social science students, who have to have literature, history and geography tests.

Meanwhile, the D group, which includes exam subjects of math, literature and foreign languages, are for those who study foreign languages, journalism or law.   

However, in the latest news, schools are combining exam subjects in different groups.

Can Tho University, for example, has asked MOET’s permission for many different exam groups. Students have to have one or two compulsory subjects, math and literature, and one or two optional subjects.

The students who register to study math education, for example, would have math as a compulsory exam subject. They would also have another two exam subjects, either physics, chemistry, biology or foreign languages.

Meanwhile, those who want to study to become a literature teacher would have literature as the compulsory exam subject and two optional subjects, either history, geography or foreign languages.

The Vietnam-Hungary Industry Junior College has decided to give more opportunities to students to study at the school by setting up two new exam groups – A2 (math, physics and literature) and A3 (math, chemistry and foreign languages).

The entrance exam to the Hanoi-based Dong Do people-founded University for those who plan to study information technology, business administration and finance & banking would include three exam subjects – math, physics and English.

Le Trong Thang from Hanoi Mining and Geology University noted that the sudden changes would do more harm than good.

Most 12th graders decide which schools and which exam groups they will sit when they are in the 10th grade. As they have been preparing for the university entrance exams in the old way for the last three years, they will be shocked with the big changes, he said.

Tran Van Nghia from MOET also said that many parents and students had complained about the unexpected changes.