Universities across Vietnam are reporting a steady rise in the share of graduates who receive good or excellent honors. Understanding why this is happening helps students judge the real value of their degrees.

Cu Xuan Tien, head of the Admissions and Student Affairs Department at the University of Economics and Law, says coursework grades often dominate final marks. When these grades do not clearly distinguish student ability, they can inflate overall results.

Tien also notes that policies allowing course retakes, using the higher mark for GPA calculations, and choosing easier electives can raise a student’s graduation classification. These practices can improve a student’s GPA without necessarily reflecting stronger academic achievement.

Generative artificial intelligence tools let students complete essays and other assignments, which makes it difficult for lecturers to verify each student’s independent competence, according to the article. This challenge is especially acute in courses assessed mainly through essays, group reports and take‑home tasks.

Nguyen Trung Nhan, head of the Academic Affairs Department at the Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City, explains that the shift to credit‑based education and a four‑point GPA scale has lowered the thresholds for honors. A GPA of 3.2 or above now counts as good, and 3.6 or above as excellent, compared with the former 10‑point scale where the limits were above 8 and 9.

Both Tien and other university officials have warned that many institutions do not systematically analyse grade distributions, use cross‑marking, or adjust assessment methods promptly. Without such quality control, unchecked grade inflation can continue, meaning the increase in top‑honor graduates may reflect assessment changes as much as student ability.