An Exploratory Comparison of the THPT English Exam and an IELTS Benchmark: A Question of Equivalence

Abstract

This qualitative document analysis with descriptive quantitative mapping examines potential psychometric and pedagogical misalignments in Vietnam’s policy allowing the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) to substitute the official national high school graduation English exam for university admissions. By comparing the lexical, structural, and cognitive demands of the official 2025 Vietnamese National High School Graduation Examination (THPT), and an illustrative international benchmark (Cambridge IELTS 20), the study highlights areas where current score-conversion practices may under-represent the communicative construct intended by the national curriculum. The findings provide preliminary evidence that the THPT exam functions largely as a discrete-point achievement test, whereas IELTS requires integrative skills and a broader academic vocabulary. Drawing on construct validity, principles of assessment design, and the Assessment Use Argument, the paper posits that direct substitution policies overlook the distinct foundational objectives of each test and require stronger empirical concordance support.