General Aptitude Test Scores Hit An All-Time Low: Thailand

[webfact]

GAT scores hit an all-time low

CHULEEPORN ARAMNET

THE NATION

BANGKOK: -- The National Institute of Educational Testing Service (NIETS) yesterday pointed out that scores in GAT 1 had hit a record low as it announced countrywide scores in the General Aptitude Test (GAT) and Professional and Academic Aptitude Test (PAT).

The lowest score for GAT 1, which requires analytical skills, stood at 2 out of 150 points, while 100,512 students earned less than 30 points.

NIETS director Sampan Panpruek said this information would be forwarded to the Office of the Basic Education Commission so it can improve its teaching methods to help boost students' analytical skills.

Students who are interested in finding out where they went wrong have until Sunday to submit a request to NIETS and the correct answers will be available to them on November 17-18, he said, adding that results of the October 6-9 test were available at www.niets.or.th.

Sampan said NIETS had compared the latest tests to the ones held in December and found that the questions were tougher this time. While the highest average score for both GAT tests stood at 114.30 points, the highest average score in PAT stood at 127.31 points for PAT5 (teacher profession aptitude) and at 109.88 points for PAT6 (arts aptitude), he said.

The overall scores for both GAT 1 and 2 - taken by 323,912 students - stood at an average of 114.30 points (the lowest being 2 and the highest 297.50), though the scores of 70,548 students ranged between 30.01 and 60.00.

GAT 1 (150 points), which was taken by 323,030 students, had an average score of 65.23 points (with 2 the lowest and 150 the highest); while GAT 2 (150 points) with 323,829 students averaged at 49.07 points (with 2.5 the lowest and 150 the highest). Up to 221,245 students scored between 30.01 and 60.00 in GAT 2.

PAT was divided into seven tests, with each set at 300 points. The average score for PAT1 (maths) was 40.61 (5 lowest, 300 highest); PAT2 (science) was 86.20 (9 lowest, 234 highest); PAT3 (engineering) was 91.11 (16 lowest, 276 highest) and PAT4 (architecture) was 58.07 (3 lowest, 232 highest). The lowest score for PAT5 was 2 and the highest 242; while the lowest for PAT6 (arts) stood at 10 and highest at 212.50. Students taking PAT 7 were tested in their aptitude in six foreign languages.

-- The Nation 2012-11-08

[culicine]

What do these tests assess when my best student is accepted into medicine but marginally failed both of his PAT exams? These exams obviously don't assess what they learned in school! Is there even a curriculum! No, wait, pay lots of money to a TUTORIAL school, then you 'might' have a chance....

[Thaddeus]

I wonder what the scores would be if they made the teachers take the tests.

[otherstuff1957]

I don't know about the Thai parts of these tests, but the English parts tend to be poorly written and subjective, if not outright incorrect.

[sirchai]

I wonder what the scores would be if they made the teachers take the tests.

[cooked]

any chance of seeing this test?

Hang on. I just found one on internet. This is the kind of stuff that assumes that there is only one answer. The odd letter out may be the only one that doesn't have straight lines as printed or is not a part of the Armenian alphabet. I can well imagine that Thais would have problems with this kind of test. If they fail the test because they didn't study the mentality of the kind of people that invents this c**p, then that's fair enough. Depending on how p**sed off I feel, I get an IQ result from 140 to 90, I don't think that an intelligent person would even take this stuff seriously.

Edited November 8, 2012 by cooked

[masuk]

any chance of seeing this test?

Hang on. I just found one on internet. This is the kind of stuff that assumes that there is only one answer. The odd letter out may be the only one that doesn't have straight lines as printed or is not a part of the Armenian alphabet. I can well imagine that Thais would have problems with this kind of test. If they fail the test because they didn't study the mentality of the kind of people that invents this c**p, then that's fair enough. Depending on how p**sed off I feel, I get an IQ result from 140 to 90, I don't think that an intelligent person would even take this stuff seriously.

what is the site? I'd like to see it too.

I just wonder what the folk here are reading all the time, with their noses stuck in their ipads or phones as they cross the streets. must be mighty interesting stuff. Even use them when they're hurtling down the highway, no helmet, busy texting.

[nurgut73]

Problem: scores too low in tests

Solution: hand out more tablet computers

Effect: brilliant scores.... at least in Angry Birds and Diamond Dash!

[cooked]

any chance of seeing this test?

Hang on. I just found one on internet. This is the kind of stuff that assumes that there is only one answer. The odd letter out may be the only one that doesn't have straight lines as printed or is not a part of the Armenian alphabet. I can well imagine that Thais would have problems with this kind of test. If they fail the test because they didn't study the mentality of the kind of people that invents this c**p, then that's fair enough. Depending on how p**sed off I feel, I get an IQ result from 140 to 90, I don't think that an intelligent person would even take this stuff seriously.

what is the site? I'd like to see it too.

I just wonder what the folk here are reading all the time, with their noses stuck in their ipads or phones as they cross the streets. must be mighty interesting stuff. Even use them when they're hurtling down the highway, no helmet, busy texting.

I googled general aptitude test.

[Thaddeus]

http://www.gotoquiz.com/can_you_beat_this_gat_general_aptitude_test_q

[TPI]

The real reason they failed so badly was because I stopped teaching!

[Chupup]

i looked at the test , pooly worded and confusing at times, though i do think that a 70% correct paper should at least be acheived although a 100% achievment would be suspect.

[Phatcharanan]

i looked at the test , pooly worded and confusing at times, though i do think that a 70% correct paper should at least be acheived although a 100% achievment would be suspect.

Poster 'TPI' must have written them.

[Tanaka]

I don't know about the Thai parts of these tests, but the English parts tend to be poorly written and subjective, if not outright incorrect.

From what I have seen, that describes most tests in Thai schools.

[borisloosebrain]

Whoever forces students to deal with such total crap needs a lobotomy. I just waded knee deep through the pile of rubbish that they call the GAT. What a sham !

[khaowong1]

Why are we not surprised at this...

[tinfoilhat]

7. Peter must use the highway only to reach the office. He has a meeting at 9 am. If he miss the meeting, he wouldn't get the important report. The highway closed all day due to the accident. We can precis that...

Peter won't be able to reach the office.

Peter wouldn't be able to adjourn the meeting.

Peter won't get the important report.

There's no correct answer.

it would seem to me that all of these are viable except the last.

Edited November 8, 2012 by tinfoilhat

[dieter1]

(as expected) I score very well with 90 %.

still do not understand the answer from question 7 ...

I did choose answer "there is not correct answer", because only one answer should be ok: Peter could go the day before ;-)

[sirchai]

10. Evan is 12 years old. She asks for a dog from her parents for 3 years. Her parents tell her that they believe that the dog wouldn't be happy to live in the apartment, but they allow her to pet a bird. She doesn't decide what type of bird she wants to pet. --- Which one is true?

Evan's parents prefer bird to dog. Evan doesn't like bird.

Evan and her parents live in the apartment. Evan and her parents want to move out.

I'd say this is complete bird shit. Time to move on not out..---

Edited November 9, 2012 by sirchai

[culicine]

Problem: scores too low in tests

Solution: hand out more tablet computers

efore these

Effect: brilliant scores.... at least in Angry Birds and Diamond Dash!

The scores are too low so they will make the exams harder to 'encourage' them to study harder. Like I said before these exams are for making money and shouldn't be used to assess students for university entrance (even though many universities do).

[Keesters]

I just wonder what the folk here are reading all the time, with their noses stuck in their ipads or phones as they cross the streets

Angry Bird !!!

[Keesters]

(as expected) I score very well with 90 %.

still do not understand the answer from question 7 ...

I did choose answer "there is not correct answer", because only one answer should be ok: Peter could go the day before ;-)

To do that Peter would have to have knowledge that the accident that closes the highway was going to happen. Does Peter have a crystal ball !!

[akampa]

please could someone explain what practical use this is? OMG

[spiritrace]

^{Acampa, I know the use of these stupid tests........I took the test and passed. It is Lawyer speak in preparation for politics. Have you noticed when lawyers or politicians don't want to tell the truth, they speak in this manner?}

^{Yes, you are right. I don't have much respect for either.}

[Thaddeus]

7. Peter must use the highway only to reach the office. He has a meeting at 9 am. If he miss the meeting, he wouldn't get the important report. The highway closed all day due to the accident. We can precis that...

Peter won't be able to reach the office.

Peter wouldn't be able to adjourn the meeting.

Peter won't get the important report.

There's no correct answer.

it would seem to me that all of these are viable except the last.

In GAT mode, based on the limited information supplied in the statement, only the first answer is correct, he will just simply not be able to get to the office.

It doesn't say that the meeting is at the office, just that it is happening at 9am.

[thunder30101]

How any student can fail dance, sport and religion I just dont understand. And by the way teacher of the year, any thai student can get into to medical school here it just takes money not brains.

[aussie11950]

I am confused why they give the extremes of the exam results, but not the average, which would give much more information of the results. The highest and lowest scores are insignificant indications of the results.

Anyway, poor indication of the Education system, not the teachers.

[culicine]

How any student can fail dance, sport and religion I just dont understand. And by the way teacher of the year, any thai student can get into to medical school here it just takes money not brains.

I'm sorry but his getting into medical school required an examination and interview. I take no credit for his entry to the program - that was up to his own hard work and a lot of money spent on extra tuition !!!

[chiangmaikelly]

Why are we not surprised at this...

We?

[Jangot]

7. Peter must use the highway only to reach the office. He has a meeting at 9 am. If he miss the meeting, he wouldn't get the important report. The highway closed all day due to the accident. We can precis that...

Peter won't be able to reach the office.

Peter wouldn't be able to adjourn the meeting.

Peter won't get the important report.

There's no correct answer.

it would seem to me that all of these are viable except the last.

In GAT mode, based on the limited information supplied in the statement, only the first answer is correct, he will just simply not be able to get to the office.

It doesn't say that the meeting is at the office, just that it is happening at 9am.

Then "GAT mode" is also wrong.

The first answer is also not correct. There is no time frame given for reaching the office, therefore Peter could viably reach the office the next day.