National aptitude test brought forward to avoid election conflict

By The Nation

 

File photo // The Nation Photo

 

The national aptitude test is being brought forward one week to February 16 to 19 next year, to avoid a clash with the February 24 election date.

 

All high schools across the country have been instructed to complete the final exam by February 15 to ensure students can take the aptitude test according to the new timetable, said education minister Teerakiat Jareonsettasin.

 

The decision was made on Thursday at a meeting between the education ministry and Secretariat of the Conference of University Presidents and National Institute of Educational Testing Service.

 

Responding to concerns that students would be stressed because they have to take the aptitude test right after their school exams, the minister said that the General and Professional and Academic Aptitude Tests or GAT and PAT were for testing the students’ aptitude and could be taken anytime, he added.

 

The test had to be brought forward rather than after the election to avoid any effect on the university admission schedule, Teerakiat explained. This way the timetable would not be affected, he said.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30357769

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-11-2

So one less week of preparation for students...

53 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

National aptitude test

These are the tests where the students don't have to think for themselves and are given options to answer like tick box 1, 2 or 3.  I have seen these tests where they are not required to write anything.

All they have to do is guess the right box and tick it. Fingers crossed that they guess more right than wrong and they are home easy.

1 hour ago, Cadbury said:

These are the tests where the students don't have to think for themselves and are given options to answer like tick box 1, 2 or 3.  I have seen these tests where they are not required to write anything.

All they have to do is guess the right box and tick it. Fingers crossed that they guess more right than wrong and they are home easy.

Many years ago I picked my son up from school, he had just completed a GAT test. I asked him how it went, "OK dad" was his response. I asked him what was the test like, he had the question paper with him.

At that time I could not read Thai, however, I looked at the paper, and said "OK, here we go, A,D,C,A, etc.

I got 65% correct.

I tried, to explain negative marking to him, but dad, everyone passes, if not the teacher will not look good, was his response.

I hasten to add this was 9 years ago, I am sure things have improved now. Nah, only joking.

Wait a second, why are they moving these nationwide exams for an election tat has not been "officially" declared?

 

Apart from some verbal pronouncements by different officials (that are worth the paper they are written on), there has been no law/section 44 decree to officially announce the election date. The electoral commission is still working out how to do the senate voting districts with appropriate gerrymander in place.

 

One reason, I suspect, is that once the "official" announcement is made the registered political parties can start to campaign for said election and the government goes into caretaker mode with limited ability to pork barrel the electorate.

1 hour ago, Chang_paarp said:

Wait a second, why are they moving these nationwide exams for an election tat has not been "officially" declared?

 

Apart from some verbal pronouncements by different officials (that are worth the paper they are written on), there has been no law/section 44 decree to officially announce the election date. The electoral commission is still working out how to do the senate voting districts with appropriate gerrymander in place.

 

One reason, I suspect, is that once the "official" announcement is made the registered political parties can start to campaign for said election and the government goes into caretaker mode with limited ability to pork barrel the electorate.

You are quite right. Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu stated on 20/8 that the election would beheld sometime between February 24 and Mary 5. The problem being with this man however it is difficult to believe anything he says.

13 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

So one less week of preparation for students...

You either have the ability or you don't.  Being able to prepare within given time constraints is a skill within itself.  The strongest survive and obtain the best scores.  It's a competitive world.  

1 hour ago, CALSinCM said:

You either have the ability or you don't.  Being able to prepare within given time constraints is a skill within itself.  The strongest survive and obtain the best scores.  It's a competitive world.  

As a teacher of primary age children, I can say with absolute certainty, that you are 100% wrong there. 

 

All children can succeed and improve.  

Aptitude and Thailand. Always good for a chuckle.