English Language Requirements For Undergraduate Admissions

1. PURPOSE

This guideline is to establish the English requirements for admission to the full-time undergraduate programs at VinUniversity.

2. AREA OF APPLICATION

This applies across the University and to applicants entering undergraduate programs. These requirements are for entry to the University only.

3. CONTENT

3.1. General principles

1. As the medium of instruction at VinUniversity is English, it is important that all admitted students have a suitable proficiency in English to learn and communicate most effectively. VinUniversity will assist candidates who are recommended for admission but do not meet the minimum requirements for admission (refer to conditional admission) to improve their English skills, but students are ultimately responsible for meeting the entry requirements.
2. This guideline should be read in conjunction with relevant VinUniversity policies and requirements.
3. Applicants, whether domestic or international, must provide evidence that their English language proficiency meets the minimum requirements for admission to any VinUniversity undergraduate program, no later than August 30 of the admission year in order to be fully enrolled in their admitted program without any conditions.
4. Applicants who do not meet the English requirement by this deadline may still be considered for conditional admission, subject to the conditions, limitations, and compliance requirements outlined in Section 5.
5. Applicants must submit accepted evidence of meeting the English language requirements to VinUni Admissions Portal. The University reserves the right to require that an applicant undertakes an English test in addition to any other evidence of English proficiency provided.
6. The University, through the Admissions Office in coordination with the Registrar’s Office, reserves the right to verify the authenticity of any submitted certificates. Any instances of alteration or forgery will be strictly dealt with and could result in the revocation of any offer of admission or enrollment.

3.2. Recognized English language proficiency mechanisms

The following mechanisms can be used as evidence of English language proficiency:

3.2.1. English language proficiency tests

The following English language proficiency tests and scores are recognized by VinUniversity as meeting the standard minimum English language requirements, provided that the test results were obtained within two (02) years prior to May 15 of the relevant admission year. May 15 serves as the official validity cut-off date for all admission rounds in that academic year.

For example: For Academic Year 2026–2027, May 15, 2026 is the official validity cut-off date for all admission rounds. Test results obtained before May 15, 2024 will not be accepted, regardless of the test provider’s stated validity period.

Note:

1. Other English language proficiency tests not listed above may be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Office of the Registrar after consulting with the College of Arts and Sciences. In general, online tests or at-home tests are not considered valid (i.e. IELTS Indicator, IELTS Online, TOEFL iBT Home Edition, The Duolingo English Test, etc.) for evidencing English proficiency to meet the entry requirements at VinUniversity.
2. Results from multiple tests cannot be combined to meet the minimum requirements unless otherwise
3. Where multiple test results are submitted, the most recent valid test result will normally be used as evidence of English language proficiency, unless otherwise specified.
4. If subsequent evidence is provided which demonstrates that the applicant’s English language proficiency is insufficient, the University, through the Admissions Office, reserves the right to change an offer of admission to conditional on meeting English language
5. The TOEFL institutional code for VinUniversity is 0506. Applicants may use this code to   report their TOEFL results to the university.

3.2.2. Citizenship/resident status

Citizens or permanent residents of a majority English speaking country who have undertaken secondary and/or tertiary study in English, at a recognized institution, in the national education system, will be considered to have met the VinUniversity English proficiency requirements and will not need to take an English proficiency test. Countries recognized as majority English speaking are based on the guidance of the government of the United Kingdom and can be found  here.

3.2.3. Prior study

Applicants will be considered to have satisfied VinUniversity’s English proficiency requirements, and will therefore not be required to submit standardized English test results, if they meet the following conditions:

1. Successful completion of at least two (02) years of full-time secondary (Years 11–12 or equivalent) or tertiary education within the last four (04) years, with English as the sole or primary medium of instruction.
2. The education must have been undertaken in either:
   (a) a majority English-speaking country (as listed in 3.2.3), or
   (b) a recognized international high school in the applicant’s home country that is accredited by at least one of the following bodies:
   • IB (International Baccalaureate) accreditation
   • Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE)
   • Pearson Edexcel
   • CIS, WASC, NEASC, ACS, or MOET-recognized international school accreditation
   • Schools delivering A-Level, IB Diploma, AP, or other internationally benchmarked curricula

3. Successful completion is defined as: Passing all attempted subjects, with at least 50% being “Pass” or better in each assessable period.

4. VinUniversity reserves the right to:

• • Request additional documents to verify English-medium instruction,
  • Assess curriculum rigor,
  • Reject schools that do not meet international quality standards,
  • Require applicants to submit a recognized English test result in section 3.2.1.

5. Recognized international qualifications currently accepted by VinUniversity include:

• • International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP)
  • GCE A-Level
  • Singapore-Cambridge A-Level
  • Advanced Placement (AP)
  • Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR)
  • NCUK International Foundation Year (IFY) — evaluated based on NCUK grading and equivalent UCAS tariff standards.

4. ENGLISH PROFICIENCY VARIATIONS AND CONDITIONAL ADMISSION

4.1. All applicants must meet the English language requirements of the University as outlined in this Policy. Requests for exceptions or variations for particular candidates or programs must be submitted to the Admissions Committee (or relevant Committee) for validation and approved by the Provost. Exceptions shall only be granted under exceptional and well-documented circumstances.

4.2 Beginning in the 2026–2027 academic year, VinUniversity will discontinue the Pathway English Advanced courses. Students who achieve an overall IELTS score of 6.0 (with no sub-score below 6.0) or equivalent, or an overall 6.5+ with only one (01) individual band score below 6.0 (or equivalent), will be granted conditional admission.

4.3 Conditional admission shall not apply to the Medical Doctor (MD) program. Applicants to the MD program must fully meet the English language entry requirements by 30 August in order to be admitted and commence official enrollment in the program.

4.4 Conditionally admitted students will have restricted course registration and must meet the English entry requirement no later than the final day of the first semester of their first academic year. Course registration framework:

4.5 If a student is unable to meet the English entry requirement by the end of Semester 1, the University, through the Office of Registrar, may grant a one-time extension to the end of Semester 2 on a case-by-case basis.

• During this period, the student shall be subject to restricted course registration and is required to independently plan and take responsibility for improving their English proficiency, following the guidance provided by the Office of Registrar and the home College.
• At the end of Semester 2, the student’s continuation of enrollment shall be determined through an academic review, conducted by Student Awarding and Disciplinary Committee, taking into account the student’s overall academic performance, progress toward meeting the English language requirement, and compliance with the approved improvement plan, in accordance with University regulations.
• In all cases, as a condition for graduation, students must demonstrate English language proficiency at or above the level required by the University for degree conferral.

5. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES MATRIX