Parents and students from preschool to secondary will go through three following basic steps to complete the enrollment process at Vietnam Australia International School:
Find out detailed instructions here: https://www.vas.edu.vn/en/tuyen-sinh
● Pathway 1: CEP - Cambridge English Programme is a combination of the National Education Program (MOET) & the Cambridge English Program (CEP). The study pathway is suitable for students who want to fully study the National Education Programme and focus on developing their ability to communicate in English in an international learning environment. At the end of each respective grade level, in addition to a certificate of completion from the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam, students will take exams to earn Cambridge International English Certificates and IELTS certificates. At the end of grade 12, students who complete the program will take the exam to get a high school diploma from the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam, and at the same time get an IELTS English certificate (expected to score IELTS 6.0+).
When a student's orientation changes and students meet the requirements of other academic subjects in English, they can transition to the CAP (Cambridge Academic Programme) or CAPI (Cambridge Academic Programme International) at VAS campuses.
● Pathway 2: CAP - Cambridge Academic Program is a combination of the National Education Programme (MOET) & the Cambridge Academic Programme. The study pathway is for students who wish to follow a parallel study between the National Education Programme and the Cambridge Academic Programme from Grade 1 to Grade 10. In addition to the certifications and qualifications from the Ministry of Education and Training for all levels, students will participate in exams for degrees and certificates of the Cambridge Academic Programme with global and permanent value, including Cambridge Primary Checkpoint (at the end of Grade 5), Cambridge Secondary Checkpoint (at the end of Grade 8), Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education - IGCSE (at the end of Grade 10).
●Pathway 3: CAPI - Cambridge Academic Programme International (Cambridge Fully Integrated International Pathway). This study pathway is designed for students who wish to study intensively the Cambridge Academic Programme and some subjects of the National Education Program according to MOET's regulations on the integrated teaching model. After the respective levels of study, students will take exams for degrees and certificates of the Cambridge General Education Program with universal and permanent value, including Cambridge Primary Checkpoint (at the end of grade 5), Cambridge Secondary Checkpoint (at the end of Grade 8), Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education - IGCSE (at the end of Grade 10), Cambridge AS Level (at the end of Grade 11) and Cambridge A level (at the end of Grade 12). At the same time, students can still take the exam for the National Education Programme's High School Diploma (optional) and IELTS 6.5+ at the end of grade 12.
VAS is the first Cambridge international school in Vietnam to offer all three educational pathways above to meet the different learning needs and orientations of students and parents, in line with the family's financial ability. All three learning pathways are designed according to Cambridge's standard academic standards with degrees and certificates corresponding to each level of study which are widely recognized in the world and are the passports to help students get accepted into leading universities in Vietnam and abroad.
The study of two parallel programmes has been carefully considered by the school to ensure that it is suitable for students. At Primary level, the knowledge of both the MOET Programme and the Cambridge Programme is basic, the subjects are not complicated and contains similar contents. Therefore, it is an opportunity for students to possess bilingual education without putting significant pressure on students.
When entering secondary, in the CAP Programme, MOET subjects are taught through integrated, interdisciplinary topics that help optimize the programme. In addition, teachers of both programs always have innovation and creativity in teaching approaches and methods, focusing on active teaching and learning, experiential teaching and learning, and directing students to apply their knowledge into solving specific problems rather than memorizing too much knowledge. As a result, students remember lessons quickly, deepen their knowledge, become proactive and active in learning, doing exercises right in class or during self-study hours. All of this contribute to minimize the academic pressure on students and ensures that they successfully complete both the MOET Programme and the Cambridge Programme at the same time.
From the school year 2020-2021, the school has developed and introduced the Cambridge Academic Programme International (Cambridge Fully Integrated International Pathway) at the secondary level at most of VAS campuses. Accordingly, all academic contents of the two programmes that are identical and similar in subjects such as Mathematics, Natural Science, Information Technology, etc. are being taught in English under the Cambridge Programme. Therefore, students do not have to repeat these contents in the MOET Programme. With this pathway, students only have to study a few subjects of the MOET Programme related to the language, history, geography, and culture of Vietnam, so the problem of learning pressure is thoroughly solved.
The parallel study of two programmes also offer students many benefits and future choices. The National Education Programme is optimized through active teaching methods that help students master the core knowledge, students can receive the degree from the Ministry of Education and Training, preserve Vietnamese language and values. The Cambridge Academic Programme International equips students with knowledge and skills in an international environment with globally recognized qualifications, helping students confidently integrate to the world.
Unlike other international bilingual programmes, at VAS, after completing each level, students can take exams organized by the Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE) and get a universal and permanent Cambridge certificate for their respective level.
- At the end of Grade 5: Cambridge Primary Checkpoint Certificate is an excellent foundation for Cambridge Secondary and is compatible with other educational programmes in advanced countries around the world.
- At the end of Grade 8: Cambridge Secondary Checkpoint Certificate is an excellent foundation for the Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (Cambridge IGCSE). Additional subjects provide knowledge about the geography, economy, culture, and society of countries around the world from local to global perspectives as a preparation for students to study abroad and confidently integrate into the world.
- At the end of Grade 10: Cambridge IGCSE (Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education). The Cambridge IGCSE certificate is globally valid and permanent, which is the foundation for students to be accepted at A Level. They can be accepted into some American universities or colleges, or into the Australian university preparatory system (shortening one academic year).
- At the end of Grade 11: Cambridge AS Level Certificate (Cambridge Advanced Baccalaureate - Year 1) and at the end of Grade 12: Cambridge A level Certificate (Cambridge Advanced Baccalaureate - Year 2). A Level is one of the most prestigious advanced baccalaureate degrees in the world, a ticket to help students get accepted into top universities in many countries such as UK, USA, Australia, Canada, Singapore, Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland... In which, more than 600 universities in the US accept this certificate, including Ivy League schools. Many universities around the world welcome A Level students, offer scholarships or first-year credit waivers, thus saving time and money at the university level.
- In recent years, the Cambridge Advanced Baccalaureate has been officially recognized by many leading universities in Vietnam as a condition for admission, including Hanoi University of Technology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, and Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics and Finance, Hanoi National University, National Economics University, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh, etc.
In addition to the qualifications of the Cambridge International Programme as above, students who complete Grade 12 and sit the high school graduation exam will also receive a Vietnamese high school diploma (optional for CAPI and compulsory for CEP) and a minimum English language certificate equivalent to IELTS 6.0+.
When families have a change in educational needs and orientations, VAS students can transfer to public, private, or international schools that teach the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) programme, bilingual programme, or a full international programme.
VAS currently offers the most Academic English among international bilingual schools with 22-25 periods/week (CEP/CAP programme: accounting for 50% - 56% of the program) or 28 - 36 lessons/week (CAPI programme: accounting for 62% - 80% of the entire programme), with 4-6 main subjects: English, Maths, Natural Science, ICT/ Computer Science, Economics/ Business, and Global Perspectives, and an additional second foreign language, which is either French or Japanese for the CAPI Programme.
VAS students do not face any difficulty when transferring to a public school. On the contrary, it is an advantage for them in terms of their English ability, as well as other life skills, independence, and self-confidence that have been trained at VAS.
At VAS, the National Education Programme (MOET) is taught according to the standards of the Ministry of Education and Training, the teaching and learning of the school are regularly checked and supervised by the City and District Department of Education. MOET high school diploma of VAS students has the same value as those of top public schools in the national education system.
Therefore, after graduating from high school, VAS students can completely apply to public universities in Vietnam. Up to now, many VAS students have achieved high scores in the High School Graduation exam and have been accepted to leading universities such as Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics, University of Technical Education
In addition, as mentioned above, in recent years many leading universities in Vietnam have officially recognized the Cambridge Advanced Baccalaureate as a condition for admission, including Hanoi University of Technology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, and Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Ho Chi Minh City University of Economics and Finance, Hanoi National University, National Economics University, University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh, etc. This even opens up more opportunities for VAS students as they can now use their Cambridge qualifications to apply to top universities in the country.
