O-Net questions within curriculum, says official, after disappointing results
A top official of the National Institute of Education Testing Service (NIETS) maintains that the questions asked in the Ordinary National Education Test (O-Net) for Mathayom 6 (Grade 12) students were not beyond the curriculum, after the agency on Saturday announced that test-takers’ average scores were under 50 per cent in all subjects.
“The O-Net questions were within the content taught at schools and they were not more difficult than the ones asked in last year’s test,” NIETS director Sampan Panpruk said on Sunday. He said schools should analyse the information the NIETS had sent them about the test results and compare with other schools in the region so they could improve themselves.
The average scores among some 372,000 Mathayom 6 students were 49.25 in Thai language, 28.31 in English, 24.53 in mathematics, 29.37 in science and 34.70 in social studies, religion and culture, Sampan said.
The average score for English saw a slight improvement over last year, the scores for social studies and maths remained the same but there was a fall in Thai and science.
The test results, previously scheduled to be announced on April 3, was brought forward to March 31 so that Mathayom 6 students could use them for the Thai University Central Admission System for academic year 2018.
Sampan also said that the NIETS board on March 22 had decided not to announce the English test results of students who had leaked English test questions via the Line group chat, as they had violated the rule.