If you submit an updated TOEFL/IELTS score before the admission deadline (and before the start of your program), the Admission Office/Registrar Office might be able to re-consider your application, depending on your new score.

Students who do not have, or are not able to take, a recognized English language test may take the VinUniversity English Placement Test which covers all four skills: Reading, Listening, Speaking, and Writing.

Pathway English Program is designed to assist you with improving your English proficiency for you to satisfy the condition of your admission and transition into your degree program upon completion of Pathway English. The program benefits you by not only improving your English language proficiency but also by learning and applying academic and 21st-century skills that will prepare you to adjust to the norms and expectations of a modern university environment. There are two levels of Pathway English: Intermediate and Advanced. Please note that you cannot take both Pathway English courses at the same time. You will be placed at the most appropriate level based on your latest recognized English test (like IELTS, TOEFL, etc.) or the VinUniversity English Placement Test.

Pathway English Intermediate is a pre-sessional English language course for students with an entry English proficiency level of CEFR B1+ (equivalent to IELTS 5.5), as determined by a recognized English proficiency test. A list of recognized English proficiency tests can be found here. At the end of the course, students will exit with an English proficiency equivalent to CEFR B2 (equivalent to IELTS 6.0) and progress to the final Pathway English Advanced course.

Pathway English Advanced is an English language course for students who have completed Pathway English Intermediate or for those who have an English entry proficiency level of CEFR B2 (equivalent to IELTS 6.0). Students who pass Pathway English Advanced in the Summer semester will join direct entry students in the Fall semester. Students who study Pathway Intermediate in the Summer semester will study Pathway Advanced in the Fall and Spring semesters, alongside some introductory courses. At the end of the course, students will exit with an English proficiency equivalent to CEFR B2+ (equivalent to IELTS 6.5) and meet the English language requirements for full admission to VinUniversity.

There are 180 hours of instruction for each course. Pathway English Advanced, when run in-semester, will be conducted over 90 hours in the Fall semester and 90 hours in the Spring semester.

Pathway English Intermediate and Advanced are both offered every Summer semester. Pathway Advanced is offered in the Summer semester and spread over the Fall & Spring semesters with 90 hours taught in each semester.

The delivery consists of live/online class sessions, digital content, group projects, workshops, and guest speakers. Classes are student-centered, active, and practical. There are a range of formative (ongoing) and summative (end of course) assessments to give you practice and feedback in each skill, as well as apply academic skills and 21st-century skills like teamwork, digital skills, etc.

Each class has a maximum of 20 students. This will ensure you get a good amount of individual feedback from your instructor and that the learning environment is effective for you to use and improve your English language and academic skills.

All English language lecturers have specialist qualifications in English language teaching methodology and many years of academic English teaching experience. Lecturers are trained in active learning techniques and digital teaching and learning to ensure that you have rich and engaging experience.

Learning will take place in both the physical classroom and in the digital space. Pathway English students will use a wide range of digital tools including ELSA (to improve pronunciation), Cerego (to revise vocabulary and help with long-term memory retention), Voicethread (to practice speaking and discussions), Canvas (learning management system), Sway (website design), XReading (e-book reading platform), and others. These tools help you use English outside of the classroom and engage with the language to keep improving.

The course is divided into two modules: Reading & Writing and Listening & Speaking. Your specific study schedule is published in the course syllabus which you can see in Canvas after you have been registered for the course. In the Summer semester, classes are held Monday to Friday in the morning with some workshops, group project activities, and guest speakers on some afternoons during the week. There are no scheduled classes on weekends (Saturday and Sunday) but there may be assignments and independent learning to do over the weekend.

You should bring the following to class each day:

1) Required textbook(s)

2) Two-pocket folders (or separate folders on a computer)

3) Two notebooks (one for listening & speaking and one for reading & writing class)

4) College-ruled, A4 sized paper for writing assignments.

5) Online activities will require a computer, webcam, internet access, and a headset with a microphone.

If you miss more than 25% of the live sessions in the course, you will fail and not be allowed to take the final exam. If you have a valid excuse for an absence, you need to share it with the instructor as soon as it is feasible to do so. These permitted absences will be counted as credit for attendance.

You need to achieve at least 50% overall, based on a combination of formative (ongoing) and summative (end of course) assignments and exams. Also, you need to achieve at least 50% on the end-of-course exam to pass the course.

If you pass the formative assignments but fail the end-of-course exam, you can re-sit a different version of the exam ONCE. Please note that if you fail due to low scores on assignments or due to cheating, plagiarism, or non-submission of assignments, then there is no chance to re-sit the exam.

If you miss an exam or fail to submit an assignment due to a valid and accepted reason, the instructor may allow you to submit the assignment late or take a different exam at a later date. You must provide evidence as early as possible before the exam or assignment deadline so that they may receive permission to make up what is missed. If you fail to submit evidence and get prior permission, you risk getting a 0 on the exam or assignment.

If you fail Pathway English Intermediate, you cannot repeat the course in-semester as the Intermediate class is only in Summer semesters. Special request for continuing the academic program will be considered but can not be guaranteed.

If you fail Pathway English Advanced in the Summer semester, you can repeat it in the Fall and Spring semesters.

Yes, you will receive a certificate of completion from VinUniversity in addition to your detailed score report which shows your scores from all of the assessments in the course.

Students who are enrolled in Pathway English Advanced during the Fall and Spring semesters can enroll in other core courses and some general education courses with their fellow students, according to the University Academic Regulation. However, since the workload for the Pathway programs is quite intense, you may be asked to take fewer of the core courses so that you are not overwhelmed.

You will be admitted to VinUniversity to participate in the regular university programming.

We have designed the Pathway English program to be delivered either face-to-face or online, with the same quality. We use a lot of digital activities to help you practice and improve your skills, so we can conduct Pathway English online if needed. You will join some live classes on Zoom and do digital activities with peers and independently. Live Zoom classes will be held in the morning, Monday to Friday, and some activities and workshops will be held in some afternoons. Mid-term and end-of-course exams can be taken online with an online proctoring service to ensure test security and quality assurance.

No. If you pass Pathway English Advanced, you meet the English proficiency requirements of VinUniversity and do not need to take an additional English language test.

You will get ongoing feedback from your instructor, from your assignments, from the mid-term exam, etc. which will let you know how you are doing in the course.