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Students in Vietnam are increasingly opting for online university entrance exam training courses than going to exam training centres, according to local education experts.

Exam training centres are finding it more difficult this year to attract students  

Exam training centres are finding it more difficult this year to attract students compared to previous years despite the Ministry of Education and Training’s newly-issued Circular 55 allowing them to open more exam training courses to serve pupils at vocational training institutes and students at colleges who want to take university entrance exams.

Nguyen Duc Quoc, director at an exam training centre in HCM City’s District 12, said under the Ministry of Education and Training’s the newly-issued Circular 55, from this year, pupils who are studying at vocational training schools and colleges will also have to take university entrance exam if they wish to be a university student. This change should allow exam training centres to lure candidates.

He said that around 1,300 candidates have registered at his centre, up 30% compared to the same time of this year.

However, not many centres have been so lucky. This is peak time for students to participate in exam training courses, but many centres are deserted.

A member of staff at an exam training centre on To Hien Thanh Street in HCM City’s District 10 said the number of students who have opted for Group C which includes literature, history and geography at the centre’s courses was too small for the centre to hold a course.

Many centres on Cay Tram, Nguyen Van Bao and Tran Thi Nghi streets in Go Vap District have resorted to advertising boards, but have still only attracted a limited number of candidates.

Do Thanh Centre in Dinh Bo Linh District, Binh Thanh District holds exam training courses for all groups of subjects except Group C, which has seen a modest number of candidates. The centre has even offered cheap boarding service for candidates.

Online exam review becomes more popular

A director of the exam revision service in HCM City said more pupils were choosing to study online to save costs and time.

The website onthi.net.vn has attracted more 600,000 page views, while hocmai.vn has more than one million members.

Tran Le Bao Tram from Marie Curie High School in HCM City said she only registered to study maths at a centre, while she learned physics, chemistry and biology online. She said she also benefited from online forums for help.

Many teachers have turned from teaching at centres to co-operating with websites.

Mrs. H, teacher of Nguyen Trai High School in District 4, said, “Some centres have invited me to cooperate, but they only needed my name, while if I was having to run a course in real life I’d actually do some work, so I refused. This year, I and some colleagues have begun providing online courses.

“E-learning also helps to boost self-study, which is good for students as they will become more acquainted with how to study at their universities,” she added.