Admissions system for universities to get revamp

The Council of University Presidents of Thailand has set up three committees to improve the Thai University Central Admission System for the next academic year, according to its president, Suchatvee Suwansawat, reports The Nation.

The new committees will study the pros and cons, impacts and issues and within three months propose guidelines for implementation with regard to the Thai University Central Admission System (TCAS) in the next academic year. “We want young people to be confident that the CUPT [Council of University Presidents of Thailand] will not abandon them. We have discussed the problems over the TCAS and set policy for universities. The CUPT will find a way to minimise students’ expenses in applying for university and will organise public forums to hear input from all the stakeholders,” said Suwansawat.

Used for the first time this year, the TCAS features five stages, each with different criteria. No issues arose in the first two phases. The first one selected applicants based solely on their portfolios and the latter assigned places based on quota to specific groups of students. The third stage, which gave every candidate the right to choose up to four higher education options, was widely criticised. The scores of each candidate in exams held jointly by the TCAS-participating universities determined whether they deserved admission.
Full report on The Nation site