University admissions changes

Meanwhile, the Education Minister said after a meeting with the Council that he would talk to the Budget Bureau on how the ministry could increase salaries for government employees working for universities by 5 per cent, as they had not been included in a five-per-cent salary hike for state officials last year.
After the meeting, CUPT president Professor Somkit Lertpaithoon said member universities agreed to adjust the weighting in some educational fields, such as health science, physical and life sciences, agricultural science, education and physical and health education, fine arts and humanity and social sciences.
The adjustment to each group varied. For example, some health science fields, including veterinary medicine, allied health science, public health science, medical technology and sports science would look at the weight for the cumulative grade point average (GPAX: 20 per cent), Ordinary National Educational Test (Onet scores: 30 per cent), General Aptitude Test (GAT scores: 20 per cent) and Professional Aptitude Test in science (PAT2 scores: 30 per cent). Although pharmacology was in this group, it would look at having the same weight for GPAX and Onet, but GAT scores 10 per cent and PAT2 scores 40 per cent.
Somkit said adjustments would help universities select more eligible and suitable students. The changes would be minor so CUPT did not have to announce it three years in advance before they were implemented, but could do so in the 2013 academic year.
Yesterday was the first day of the two-day annual Onet test for Matthayom 6 (Grade 12) students. National Institute of Educational Testing Service (NIETS) officials did not find any students cheating in the test. But people who found students cheating could write to NIETS or [email protected] or post comments on the direct hotline to the director at www.niets.or.th.