The short answer: 4.0 is B1, 6.0 is B2, 8.5 is C1
VSTEP.3-5 gives one final score out of 10. Per the ULIS scores and levels page (re-read on 21 October 2026), 4.0 to 5.5 is Level 3 (B1), 6.0 to 8.0 is Level 4 (B2) and 8.5 to 10 is Level 5 (C1). Anything from 0 to 3.5 gets no level. The level comes from the average of your four skills, so one weak skill can hold the whole result below a cut-off. That is the thing most candidates get wrong: they prepare for "B2" as if it were a pass mark on each paper, when the number that decides it is a mean of Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking. This page explains the table, how the average is made, how ULIS describes the Speaking criteria, what the levels sound like on a real task type, and what is and is not official about converting VSTEP to IELTS or TOEIC.
- One test for three levels. You do not register for "B1" or "B2"; your score places you.
- Four skills: Listening (about 40 minutes, 35 questions), Reading (60 minutes, 40 questions), Writing (60 minutes, two tasks), Speaking (12 minutes, three parts).
- Cut-offs: 4.0 for B1, 6.0 for B2, 8.5 for C1, on the 0 to 10 scale.
- The Vietnamese ULIS table heads the score column "Điểm TB": the average score.
- ULIS does not print a rounding rule or a per-skill minimum on its public pages.
The official score table, read closely
ULIS (the University of Languages and International Studies, Vietnam National University, Hanoi) designed the VSTEP format and publishes the score table twice: in English on the scores and levels page, and as a Vietnamese table image on the bảng quy đổi điểm page. The bands are identical. The descriptions differ slightly, and the Vietnamese one is more useful for Speaking, so both are summarised here.
| Final score (Điểm TB) | Level (Bậc) | CEFR label used by ULIS | What ULIS says a candidate can do (our summary) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 to 3.5 | None (không xét) | None | No description. |
| 4.0 to 5.5 | 3 | B1 | Understand the main points of clear speech on familiar topics; handle most situations while travelling where the language is spoken; describe experiences, events, hopes and plans, and give short reasons and explanations. |
| 6.0 to 8.0 | 4 | B2 | Understand the main ideas of complex texts, concrete and abstract; talk fluently and naturally enough that regular conversation with native speakers is easy for both sides; explain a view on a current issue, giving the advantages and disadvantages of different options. |
| 8.5 to 10 | 5 | C1 | Understand long, demanding texts and implied meaning; speak fluently and spontaneously without obvious searching for words; use language flexibly for social, academic and professional purposes. |
Two details in that table change how you should prepare.
The B2 description is Speaking Part 2. The Vietnamese Level 4 line says a B2 user "có thể giải thích quan điểm của mình về một vấn đề có tính thời sự, nêu ra được những ưu điểm, nhược điểm của các phương án lựa chọn khác nhau": explain a view on a topical issue and set out the strengths and weaknesses of different options. That is almost word for word the task in Part 2, where you get a situation and three solutions, choose one and, per the ULIS format PDF, argue against the other two. If you need B2, Part 2 is where the examiner hears the B2 skill most directly. Our Part 2 guide drills exactly that move.
The bands use steps of 0.5. Every boundary in the table is a whole or half number (3.5, 4.0, 5.5, 6.0, 8.0, 8.5). So a final score is reported in half points, and there is no 5.9. A candidate at 5.5 is a full half point from B2, not "nearly there".
How four skills become one score
This is the part most pages state with more certainty than the official sources allow, so here is what is confirmed and what is not.
| Point | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The level is read from an average score ("Điểm TB") | Official | ULIS Vietnamese conversion table |
| Listening: about 40 minutes, 3 parts, 35 multiple-choice questions | Official | ULIS test format page |
| Reading: 60 minutes, 4 passages of 1,900 to 2,500 words in total, 40 multiple-choice questions | Official | ULIS test format page |
| Writing: Task 1 letter or email of at least 120 words is one third of the Writing score; Task 2 essay of at least 250 words is two thirds | Official | ULIS test format page |
| Speaking: 12 minutes, three parts, marked on five criteria | Official | ULIS format page and criteria summary |
| Each skill is scored 0 to 10 and the mean is rounded to the nearest 0.5 | Unconfirmed | Prep sites; not on a ULIS page we could read |
| A minimum score in each skill | None found | No ULIS page we read mentions one |
The working model most candidates use, and the one we use in the examples below, is: four skill scores out of 10, averaged, the average reported in half points. That model fits the official table. What it cannot tell you is which way an average of exactly x.25 or x.75 goes, and that is exactly where B1 and B2 are decided for many people. So the rule we give every learner is simple: plan for an average that clears the cut-off without rounding.
Worked examples (written by TalkDrill, not real candidates)
| Candidate | Listening | Reading | Writing | Speaking | Mean | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 5.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.5 | Level 3 (B1) |
| B | 6.5 | 6.0 | 5.5 | 6.0 | 6.0 | Level 4 (B2) |
| C | 6.0 | 6.5 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 5.75 | Depends on rounding: do not plan on it |
| D | 7.0 | 6.5 | 3.5 | 5.0 | 5.5 | Level 3 (B1), held down by Writing |
| E | 8.5 | 9.0 | 8.0 | 8.5 | 8.5 | Level 5 (C1) |
Candidate D is the common story: strong receptive skills, a short or off-task essay, and a Speaking test with long silences. Two skills at B2 do not make a B2. Candidate C shows why you should not aim for 6.0 exactly: a quarter point either side of the line is the one outcome you cannot predict from public information.
The quick sum: what do you need in Speaking?
Because the level is an average, you can work backwards. For a mean of 6.0, the four skills must add up to 24. If your mock scores are Listening 6.5, Reading 6.5 and Writing 5.5 (total 18.5), Speaking must reach at least 5.5 for the total to hit 24. If Writing is your weak skill, every half point you add there is worth exactly as much as a half point in Speaking. Spend the next week on whichever of the two moves faster for you. In our view that is often Speaking, because the fixes (longer turns, finished word endings, signposting) are habits rather than new knowledge.
How Speaking is judged: the five ULIS criteria
ULIS links a one-page summary of the Speaking criteria from its format and sample test page: "Khái quát tiêu chí chấm bài thi Nói VSTEP.3-5". It names five criteria. It does not publish weights or a band descriptor for each criterion, so nobody outside the marking team can tell you that "fluency is 20 per cent". The table gives ULIS's wording, a plain English version, and where Vietnamese speakers typically lose the mark (the last column is TalkDrill's judgement, not ULIS data).
| Criterion (ULIS) | What ULIS lists under it | Where marks usually go (our judgement) |
|---|---|---|
| Ngữ pháp (grammar) | Accuracy and range of grammatical structures | Only present simple; missing past tense endings; no conditionals or relative clauses in Part 2 and Part 3. |
| Từ vựng (vocabulary) | Accuracy and range of topic vocabulary; accuracy and range of idioms and fixed phrases | The same adjective repeated ("good", "interesting"); translated collocations ("learn knowledge"). |
| Phát âm (pronunciation) | Accuracy and clarity of sounds; word stress; sentence stress and intonation used appropriately and effectively | Dropped final consonants (/t/, /k/, /s/); flat stress on long words; sounds merged by region, such as /tr/ and /ch/ in the north or final /n/ and /ng/ in the south. |
| Độ lưu loát (fluency) | Smoothness of speech; ability to speak in long stretches | Two-sentence answers in Part 1; stopping a Part 3 talk early because the notes ran out. |
| Bố cục nội dung (content and organisation) | Relevance of the answer; ability to develop ideas; range, accuracy and fit of linking devices | Choosing a Part 2 solution without rejecting the other two; lists without reasons; "firstly, secondly" as the only linkers. |
Notice what is missing: there is no criterion for accent, and none for "native-like" speech. The pronunciation line asks for clear sounds and stress that helps meaning. A northern, central or southern Vietnamese accent is not a fault in itself; a dropped final /t/ that turns "eight" into "eh" is. Our pronunciation page for Vietnamese speakers splits these by region.
What 5.0, 6.5 and 8.5 sound like on one Part 2 task
Here is one Part 2 situation answered three ways. The task and all three answers are written by TalkDrill for teaching; they are not official samples and not real candidates. The level beside each is our judgement against the ULIS descriptors and criteria above, not a score from an examiner.
Around 5.0 (Level 3, B1)
"I think the book sale is the best. Because many students have old books. We can sell it in the school. It is cheap and easy. The music night is also good but it is difficult. The online page, I don't like it. So I choose book sale."
What it does: it answers the task and gives a reason. What holds it down: short sentences joined only by "because" and "so", a dropped plural ("sell it" for the books), and the other two options are dismissed in one phrase each. ULIS's B1 line, "give short reasons and explanations", is exactly what this is.
Around 6.5 (Level 4, B2)
"In my view, a second-hand book sale would work best for a class like ours. Most students have textbooks and novels they no longer need, so we wouldn't have to spend any money before we start. A music night sounds more exciting, but we would need a hall, a sound system and performers, and if it rained or few people came, we could lose money. An online page is easy to set up, although people often ignore links they receive, especially from students. So the book sale is the safest choice: low cost, everyone can take part, and the money goes straight to the charity."
What lifts it: each rejected option gets its own reason, the conditional ("if it rained") and the concession ("although") show range, and the close sums up the choice in three points. This is the "advantages and disadvantages of different options" skill from the B2 description, done out loud.
Around 8.5 (Level 5, C1)
"I'd go for the book sale, mainly because it turns something we already have into money without any upfront cost. The music night is the most appealing on paper, and it would certainly raise the charity's profile, but it carries real risk: venue hire, equipment, and the very real chance that turnout is lower than we hoped. The online page has the opposite problem. It costs nothing, but it relies entirely on people choosing to click, and a page shared by a group of students is easy to scroll past. Having said that, the two aren't mutually exclusive: we could run the book sale and put a link on the receipt for anyone who wants to give more."
What makes it C1: precise vocabulary ("upfront cost", "raise the profile", "turnout"), a balanced view of each option rather than a dismissal, and a final step that combines two ideas, which is spontaneous development rather than a template. Nothing in it is rare or showy; the difference is control.
Record yourself on the same task, then compare. If your answer sounds like the first one, the fastest gain is the 6.5 structure: choose, reject each other option with a reason, sum up. The practice bank has ten more Part 2 tasks with model answers.
Which score you need, and who decides
VSTEP tells you a level. The body that asked for your certificate decides which level is enough. The table separates what we could confirm in an official document from what you must check yourself.
| Purpose | Level required | Source and status |
|---|---|---|
| Admission to any master's programme | Level 3 (B1) or above in a foreign language | MOET Circular 23/2021/TT-BGDĐT, Article 5(1)(b) (official, read 21 October 2026) |
| Admission to a master's programme taught in English | Level 4 (B2) or above in that language | Circular 23/2021/TT-BGDĐT, Article 5(5) (official) |
| Graduating from a master's programme | Level 4 equivalent, per the programme's output standard | Circular 23/2021/TT-BGDĐT, Article 12 (official) |
| Bachelor's graduation standard (chuẩn đầu ra) | Set by each university for each programme | Read your university's regulation; we quote no national figure |
| Civil service and public employee posts | Set by the recruitment notice and the rank's standards | Not verified this week; read the notice for your post |
Two practical consequences. First, the master's regulation also accepts a foreign-language degree, or a university degree issued by the same institution within the last two years whose programme's output standard already met Level 3, so some applicants do not need a new certificate at all. Second, a certificate presented for a master's application must be "còn hiệu lực" (still valid) on the registration date. VSTEP certificates carry no printed expiry, so the school decides what valid means. Our results and certificates page covers validity in full.
VSTEP to IELTS or TOEIC: what is official
Searches for "quy đổi VSTEP sang IELTS" turn up many charts. None of the ones we checked cites an official source for a score-to-score conversion, and ULIS publishes none. The only official equivalence table we found is the appendix to MOET Circular 23/2021/TT-BGDĐT, the regulation for master's admission and training. It lists certificates that count as Level 3 or Level 4. The English rows are below, exactly as printed.
| Certificate | Equivalent to Level 3 (B1) | Equivalent to Level 4 (B2) |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS | 4.0 to 5.0 | 5.5 to 6.5 |
| TOEFL iBT | 30 to 45 | 46 to 93 |
| TOEFL ITP | 450 to 499 | Not listed |
| Cambridge English | B1 Preliminary, B1 Business Preliminary, Linguaskill: 140 to 159 | B2 First, B2 Business Vantage, Linguaskill: 160 to 179 |
| TOEIC (four skills) | Listening 275 to 399, Reading 275 to 384, Speaking 120 to 159, Writing 120 to 149 | Listening 400 to 489, Reading 385 to 454, Speaking 160 to 179, Writing 150 to 179 |
Read it for what it is. It maps certificates to levels for master's purposes; it does not say "VSTEP 6.0 = IELTS 5.5". It has no Level 5 (C1) column. The TOEIC row needs all four skills, so a Listening and Reading result alone does not match it as printed. And a university or employer may use its own table for other purposes. The full comparison, including cost, format and which certificate suits which use, is on our VSTEP vs IELTS vs TOEIC page.
From your score now to the score you need
The average rule makes preparation a budgeting problem: find the skill where half a point is cheapest. A route that works for most learners aiming at 6.0:
- Get four honest numbers. Do the official sample test linked from the ULIS format page under timed conditions and record your Speaking. Count what you can for Listening and Reading; for Writing and Speaking, compare your work against the criteria tables above and be strict.
- Do the sum. Add the four. If the total is under 24, write down which skill can gain a half point in four weeks. That is your main skill; the others get maintenance time.
- Speak every day, even if Speaking is not your main skill. Ten minutes is enough: one Part 1 topic, one Part 2 choice, one Part 3 talk. Use TalkDrill role-play practice and ask the AI to play the examiner with the follow-up questions from our practice bank.
- Fix pronunciation by ear, not by theory. Read a short passage aloud on read-aloud practice and listen for missing final consonants and flat word stress.
- Re-test in week four. If the mean has not moved, change the main skill rather than the method.
- Book the sitting that leaves margin. In the ULIS 2026 plan, registration closes nine or ten days before each test, and earlier if a session fills. The dates and deadlines are on our lịch thi and fees page, and a full six-week plan is in the B2 roadmap.
Everything on VSTEP, from format to booking, starts from the VSTEP hub.