The short answer
Pick the certificate that the body reading it names. For a bachelor's graduation standard (chuẩn đầu ra), your university's regulation decides, and VSTEP is usually the most direct route when the rule is written in levels of Vietnam's six-level framework. For a master's in Vietnam, MOET Circular 23/2021/TT-BGDĐT asks for Level 3 (B1) at entry and Level 4 (B2) to graduate, and its appendix counts IELTS 4.0 to 5.0 as Level 3 and 5.5 to 6.5 as Level 4. For study abroad, take the test the foreign university lists, often IELTS. For a civil service post, the recruitment notice decides. The mistake most people make is buying a conversion chart instead of reading the rule: there is no official VSTEP-to-IELTS score table, and the only official equivalence table we found is MOET's, written for master's study.
- ULIS pages for VSTEP format, scores, dates and fees (test format, scores and levels).
- The text of MOET Circular 23/2021/TT-BGDĐT on the government data site, including its equivalence appendix.
- ielts.org pages on the Speaking format and on scoring, and the ETS examinee handbooks for TOEIC.
- No IELTS or TOEIC price for Vietnam: we could not read a provider's fee page this week, so we quote none.
VSTEP, IELTS and TOEIC side by side
| VSTEP.3-5 | IELTS | TOEIC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who sets it | ULIS, VNU Hanoi, which built the format and was assigned by MOET to run these exams | The IELTS partners (ielts.org) | ETS; IIG Vietnam describes itself as the national representative in Vietnam |
| Built for | Use across Vietnam's national education system; ULIS says it is "aiming" for international recognition | International use: study, work and migration abroad | English for everyday life and the workplace (ETS) |
| Skills | All four in one sitting | All four | Two separate tests: Listening and Reading; Speaking and Writing |
| Speaking | 12 minutes, 3 parts; at ULIS on computer and recorded | Face-to-face interview with an examiner, recorded; 3 parts, 11 to 14 minutes | 11 questions, about 20 minutes, on computer, recorded |
| Score | 0 to 10; 4.0 = B1, 6.0 = B2, 8.5 = C1 | Bands 0 to 9; overall = mean of four, rounded to the nearest half band | Listening and Reading 5 to 495 each (total is their sum); Speaking and Writing 0 to 200 each, no combined score |
| Results | 3 to 5 days at ULIS; certificate 14 working days | See your test centre | See IIG Vietnam |
| Validity | No expiry printed; the receiving body decides | ielts.org says results are considered valid for two years after the test; receiving organisations may accept older ones | ETS does not reissue score reports after two years |
| Fee in Vietnam | 1,800,000 VND at ULIS (2026); other centres set their own | Not quoted: check British Council or IDP Vietnam | Not quoted: check IIG Vietnam |
Two rows decide most choices. Built for tells you where each certificate is recognised by design: VSTEP for Vietnam's education system, IELTS for going abroad. Skills catches people with TOEIC: the TOEIC score most people know is the Listening and Reading test, and Speaking and Writing are a different test with different scores. If a rule you must meet lists TOEIC with four skill scores, a Listening and Reading result alone will not do.
Graduation standard (chuẩn đầu ra): what your university accepts
There is no single national list of certificates for bachelor's graduation that we could verify. Each university publishes its own output standard for foreign languages, and that document is the only thing that counts. Before you register for any test, find these five things in it:
| Check in your university's rule | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| The level, in the rule's own words: "Bậc 3", "B1", a score | A rule in framework levels points to VSTEP or an equivalent; a rule in IELTS bands points to IELTS. |
| The list of accepted certificates and their equivalences | The university's table, not a prep site's, decides whether your IELTS or TOEIC counts. |
| Accepted issuing centres | Your rule may name the centres whose certificates it accepts; a certificate from another centre may not count. |
| How recent the certificate must be | A VSTEP certificate has no printed expiry, so any time limit comes from this rule. |
| The submission deadline | At ULIS, a certificate is ready about 14 working days after the test, plus collection on Tuesdays and Thursdays. |
If the rule is written in levels of the six-level framework and accepts VSTEP, the domestic test is usually the shortest route: one sitting covers B1 to C1, the ULIS fee is published, and results come within a week. The dates and the ULIS fee are on our lịch thi and fees page.
Master's study: what MOET Circular 23/2021 says
The master's admission and training regulation, MOET Circular 23/2021/TT-BGDĐT of 30 August 2021, is the clearest official rule on English certificates in Vietnam. Its key points on foreign languages:
| Stage | Requirement | Accepted proof |
|---|---|---|
| Admission (every programme) | Foreign language at Level 3 (B1) or above | A foreign-language degree; a degree taught mainly in a foreign language; a degree from the same institution within two years whose output standard met Level 3; or a certificate equivalent to Level 3 in the appendix (or other equivalents MOET announces), valid on the registration date |
| Admission (programme taught in a foreign language) | Level 4 (B2) or above in the language of instruction | A degree in or taught mainly in that language, or a certificate equivalent to Level 4 in the appendix, valid on the registration date |
| Graduation | The programme's output standard, shown at Level 4 | A certificate equivalent to Level 4 in the appendix or announced by MOET, or a qualifying degree |
The appendix rows for English, exactly as printed:
| Certificate | Equivalent to Level 3 | Equivalent to Level 4 |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
What this means in practice. A VSTEP certificate at Level 3 meets the entry rule directly, because it is a certificate in the framework's own levels. An IELTS 5.5 to 6.5 counts as Level 4, which covers both entry and graduation. Doctoral study is governed by a separate regulation, which we did not read this week, so check your school's doctoral admission notice. And because the circular asks for certificates "còn hiệu lực" on the registration date, the school decides what valid means; our results and certificates page covers validity.
Civil service and public employee posts
For civil service and public employee posts, the English requirement, if there is one, comes from the recruitment notice and the standards for the rank or job title. We did not verify a current national rule this week, so this page does not state one, and you should distrust any page that states one without naming the document.
What to do instead:
- Find the recruitment notice (thông báo tuyển dụng) for the post and the agency's standards for the rank.
- Copy the exact wording on foreign languages: a framework level, a named certificate, an equivalent, or nothing at all.
- Check whether the notice names which centres' certificates it accepts and how recent they must be.
- If the notice is silent or unclear, ask the agency in writing before you pay for a test.
One point that helps: per the ULIS 14 November notice, the VSTEP certificate is issued on the template set by MOET's current rules, so a certificate in the framework's levels is the native format of Vietnam's public education system. Whether a particular post accepts it is still the notice's call.
Score conversion: what is official and what is not
"Quy đổi VSTEP sang IELTS" brings up many charts. Here is how to tell them apart.
| Source | What it does | Official? |
|---|---|---|
| ULIS scores and levels page | Maps VSTEP final scores to Levels 3 to 5 and labels them B1, B2, C1 | Yes, for VSTEP |
| MOET Circular 23/2021/TT-BGDĐT appendix | Maps IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge and four-skill TOEIC to Level 3 and Level 4, for master's study | Yes, for that purpose |
| IELTS's own CEFR chart | Shows how IELTS relates to CEFR levels; the ielts.org text says it should not be read as "strong claims about exact equivalence" | Official for IELTS, not a VSTEP conversion |
| Prep-site charts ("VSTEP 6.0 = IELTS ...") | Score-to-score tables | No; none we checked cites an official source |
Worked examples (TalkDrill, not real candidates)
- Lan has IELTS 6.0 and wants a master's taught in Vietnamese. Under the appendix, 6.0 sits in the Level 4 band (5.5 to 6.5), which is above the Level 3 entry rule and meets the Level 4 graduation rule, if the certificate is still accepted as valid when she needs it.
- Minh has TOEIC Listening and Reading 750 and no Speaking or Writing score. The appendix row is for four-skill TOEIC with a minimum in each skill, so his result does not match it as printed. He needs either the TOEIC Speaking and Writing test as well, or another certificate on the list.
- Hoa has VSTEP 5.5 (Level 3) and needs Level 4 to graduate from her master's. She needs another half point on the VSTEP average, or an IELTS score in the appendix's Level 4 band (5.5 to 6.5). Which is quicker depends on her skills, not on a chart.
Speaking in three formats: what changes for Vietnamese speakers
The three tests ask for different speaking behaviour, and practising for the wrong one wastes weeks.
| Test | Format (official) | What to practise (our advice) |
|---|---|---|
| VSTEP | 12 minutes, 3 parts: social interaction (3 to 6 questions on 2 topics), solution discussion (choose the best of 3 solutions), topic development (a talk, then follow-up questions). At ULIS, at a computer. | Talking to a screen without feedback; full answers in Part 1; rejecting the other two options with reasons in Part 2; filling the Part 3 talk. |
| IELTS | Face-to-face interview with an examiner, recorded; 3 parts, 11 to 14 minutes. | Natural interaction with a person; the long turn in Part 2; abstract discussion in Part 3. |
| TOEIC Speaking | 11 questions in about 20 minutes on computer: read aloud, describe a picture, respond to questions, respond using given information, express an opinion. | Short timed responses; reading aloud with clear stress; workplace vocabulary. |
Whatever the test, the same few Vietnamese-speaker habits cost marks: dropped final consonants, flat word stress on long words, and very short turns. VSTEP's own criteria name pronunciation (sounds, word stress, sentence stress and intonation) and fluency (speaking in long stretches); TOEIC's handbook lists pronunciation and intonation and stress for its read-aloud tasks. Our page on Vietnamese pronunciation errors splits these by northern, central and southern speech. If you choose IELTS instead, the IELTS Speaking hub and the IELTS Speaking practice mode are built for the face-to-face format.
Which one to take: a decision table
This table is TalkDrill's judgement, using the official rules above. Your own rule always wins.
| Your situation | Our suggestion |
|---|---|
| Need B1 or B2 to graduate; your university's rule is in framework levels and accepts VSTEP | VSTEP at a centre your university accepts. One sitting, published fee at ULIS, results within a week. |
| Master's in Vietnam now, and a chance of studying abroad later | IELTS, aiming at 5.5 or more: the master's appendix lists 5.5 to 6.5 as Level 4 (it has no higher column), and IELTS is widely listed by foreign universities. Check how long both will accept it. |
| Master's in Vietnam only, entry at Level 3 | VSTEP at Level 3 meets the rule directly; plan for Level 4 before graduation. |
| An employer or programme asks for TOEIC | TOEIC, and check whether it means two skills or four. |
| Civil service post | Whatever the recruitment notice names. If it names a framework level, VSTEP is the native format. |
| Study abroad only | The test on the foreign university's list, often IELTS. |
Once you have chosen VSTEP, start with the score scale page to see how four skills make your level, then follow the six-week B2 roadmap and do one Speaking set a day from the practice bank, with the AI playing the examiner on TalkDrill role-play practice. For level names across tests, our CEFR glossary explains B1, B2 and C1. Everything on VSTEP is on the VSTEP hub.