TCAS: Major Change of Thai Entrance System

By - Daranporn Tuntiwarasakul

Nakhon Pathom, Thailand

Date: 2/4/2018

Changing entrance system from admission system to TCAS has a huge effect to

more than 200,000 students who apply for university in Thailand this year due to the

change on exam schedule and the change of requirement and criteria for each university.

On June 1, 2017, Association of The Council of University Presidents of Thailand had

announced the regulation of new entrance system called TCAS or Thai University Central

Admission System. TCAS will be used in the academic year 2017.

Before changing to be TCAS, Thai entrance system was called Entrance system. This

previous entrance system has many tests and the exams. Each faculty of each university created

their own exam and students can register for every faculty that they want.

Students have more chance to take the test and can apply directly to the university. There

are many rounds of exams. The first round is at the end of first semester and the second round

after the second semester.

The problem with this system is that there are too many exams.

Another problem is rich students have more chance to get into university because they

can apply to many universities while poor students can only apply to one or two universities This

system creates inequality between students.

 Students with multiple offers from university, hurt other in the wait-list. Students in wait-

list missed their opportunity to study in the faculty that they are interested in. Some universities

also get less number of students and less money than they expected.

TCAS, however, is quite different from the previous system. TCAS divided into 5

rounds. First round requires portfolio and English proficiency scores such as TOEFL, IELTS, or

SAT. The requirement is different depending on the university.

The Second round is quota round. For quota round, some special requirement is student

need to stay and study in the area of university such as students in Northern part of Thailand has

a quota for Chiang Mai University.

The third round is the common admission. Students will take the common exam and send

the score to Association of the Council of University Presidents of Thailand and choose 4

faculties that they want to get in (not in order of interest).

The fourth round is admission round. In this round, students will send the scores to

Association of the Council of University Presidents of Thailand and students need to choose 4

faculties in order of their interesting.

The fifth round is a direct admission. Universities can create their own exam or require

any score that they want. This round will be finished at the end of July.

At the end of each round, there is a system called “clearing house.” It is the system for

students to confirm the offer from the university. Students who have multiple offers need to

decide during this time which faculty and university they are going to study.
 If students already confirm in Clearing House system, they cannot apply to other

universities in other rounds. If students got accepted from university, but they did not confirm in

clearing house system, it means they are refused the offer from the university.

The reasons of changing to be TCAS are first reducing the cost of the examination,

second taking the central exams after graduation, and last reducing students who get multiple

offers from university and take advantage on other students in wait-list.

Last academic year, exams occurred in October and December but this academic year, all

the exams happened in late February until mid-March.

There are 4 exams that used in the application for Thai university which are GAT

(general aptitude test)/ PAT (professional aptitude test), O-NET (ordinary national education

test), 9 subjects test, and Medical aptitude test. Some students do not take all four tests but some

students do.

After interviewing 4 students, they say that the previous system is better than TCAS.

Students get less chance than last year because the exam happened once a year. Moreover, the

test dates are very tight.

“Four tests in one month are too much,” said by one of the students.

Instead of reducing the cost of the exam, TCAS increases the cost because many

universities required international test score such as TOEFL, IELTS, SAT, and BMAT for the

portfolio round.

For example, application for medical program in portfolio round usually required SAT

subject score (Biology, Chemistry, Math 2 and Physics), English proficiency score, and BMAT
score. SAT exam costs about 4,800 baht for 3 subjects and English proficiency test cost about

6,000 baht depends on a currency exchange of the day purchased. BMAT costs 7,100 baht for

standard entries and 8,700 for late entries.

The total cost for the exam is about 18,000 baht. This cost is just for one English

proficiency test and one SAT, yet some students take the test more than one time. Also, some

universities required four SAT subjects score which means that students need to take the test

more than one time.

According to National Statistical Office, an income of Thai family in 2015 is 21,157 baht

per month. The exam cost more than a half of the income each month.

The costs for Thai national exams are 140 baht per subject of GAT/PAT, free for O-NET,

100 baht per subject of 9 subjects test and 800 baht for Medical aptitude test (“Cost of Exam”,

2017). Students who apply for medical school will pay 700 baht for 7 subjects test and 800 baht

for Medical aptitude test. The total cost 1500 baht. Students who apply for non-medical faculty

will register for GAT/PAT and maximum 5 subjects.

TCAS was created to give more time to read and prepare for test. However, one student

from Thai public school said it did not help him so much because the exams happen right after

the graduation, so he still needs to prepare since he is studying in school.

In contrast, students from MUIDS said that the good thing about TCAS is exams

happened after graduating because students do not have to attend tutorial schools to complete all

lessons before taking the exams as last year.

 One of the seniors who is now studying in the Medical school of Chulalongkorn

University says that TCAS is better than the system used in her year because students know their

scores before applying for university.

“Problem with TCAS is that there is only one chance to take exams. But this problem

cannot be solved because if there is more than one round of exam, the goal to reduce the cost will

not be accomplished,” said by the senior.

“This year there is no wait-list for any university and it is not so surprised for students,”

said by the senior and many students.

“TCAS is successfully completing the goals,” said by one parent of Thai public school

student. TCAS can help reduce the cost of the exam. The exam took place in March which is a

good change because students will only have to read the book for one month.

“Some improvement that TCAS should do is reducing the number of exams,” she said.

Students need to take Math, English, Thai and Social test twice in O-NET and 9 common

subjects.

Some subjects that appeared on the exam did not teach in school such as GAT which is

the test that measures English skill and analyzing skill. Rural students who did not have the same

potential to access high-quality school and tutorial school will get a low score. This test

discriminates rural students from urban students and it is the problem that should be fixed.

Some suggestion for the solution of entrance system reduces the exam to be one test for

each subject and use portfolio for every round. This way will reduce memorize test, and decrease

the gap between urban and rural students.

 According to the high school counselor at MUIDS, TCAS’s benefit is motivating

students to do their portfolio since the first round. TCAS is better than the normal entrance

system because it has a very structural timeline and students only take exams in one month so

students do not get too much stress.

Some improvement that universities should do is providing the requirement and criteria

for each round earlier than this year so students have time to prepare and know which round they

are eligible for.

He said, “TCAS can help to reduce the cost of exams.” Exam occurred only one time so

students pay fewer fees than last year.

According to high school teacher at MUIDS, TCAS can reduce the number of students

who gets multiple offers and cannot decide which university they will attend using Clearing

House system. It is a good system because students with medium ability will get more chance to

be chosen.

Some concern that she has is stress and pressure that student will get from TCAS. She

said, “It is very difficult for students at age 18 years old to choose what direction they want to

continue in the future.” Each student needs to choose their pathway such as science or social

science or art because the requirement of each faculty is different.

Students will easily get stress because they need to choose their pathway that will affect

their lives. It also can lead to depression in teenagers.

She also said “Universities may not get students that they wanted. Because of Clearing

House system, some students accept the offer since first round even though the offer did not
match with their interest. Some students choose to study in the faculty that their friends choose it.

They did not choose to study in the faculty that they interest in.” This problem can cause a bigger

problem such as drop out from study or apply to another faculty next year.

TCAS is the beginning of the bigger change to Thai entrance system.