University of Cambodia

Research Paper

“The Perspectives of Students on the reform of Grade 12 National

Exam in Cambodia”

By
Ouch Kithya

Summer Term
October 9th, 2015

Course Professor:
Travis Mitchell
 Contents
Abstract ................................................................................................................................................... 1
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................. 2
Literature Review.................................................................................................................................... 4
Methodology ........................................................................................................................................... 7
Analyzing of Data ................................................................................................................................... 9
Pre-exam ............................................................................................................................................. 9
During Exam ..................................................................................................................................... 10
Regulations ................................................................................................................................... 10
Level of Difficulty ........................................................................................................................ 11
Overall Performances.................................................................................................................... 12
Post Exam ......................................................................................................................................... 13
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................ 14
References ............................................................................................................................................. 15
Appendices............................................................................................................................................ 17
Appendix 1 ........................................................................................................................................ 17
 Abstract

A sudden reform in the grade 12 national examinations in 2014 shocked the Cambodia with

high failing rate. This was the effort of Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports introduced strict

measures to prevent cheating in the 2014 national exam by associating with Anti-corruption units.

Cheating and Corruption were found in many forms during the exam process as those were deep-

rooted. Those irregularities can be the bribery from students to teachers or invigilator, so the

students cheat with any means, which affects the competency standard of the high school

graduates. 2015 marked the second year of reform on the exam. This research explored the

perspectives of the students who took the grade 12 examination in 2015 on what they think about

the national exam in its second year of reform. The writing discovered the opinions of them

through the procedural analysis: pre-exam, during exam, and post exam.

1
 Introduction
A sudden reform in the grade 12 national examinations in 2014 dropped down the passing

rate from 86 percent in 2013 to 25.7 in 2014 (Everett & Kaing, 2014). This was the effort of Ministry

of Education, Youth, and Sports introduced strict measures to prevent cheating in the 2014 national

exam by associating with Anti-corruption units. Cheating and Corruption were found in many forms

during the exam process as those were deep-rooted. Those irregularities can be the bribery from

students to teachers or invigilator, so the students cheat with any means, which affects the competency

standard of the high school graduates. According to Khieng et al. (2015), the reform in education is

essential for Cambodia to fight poverty, and for building the needed human resources for the

economic, social, and democratic growth. Therefore, the new elected education minister, Hang Chuon

Naron, emphasized on the grade 12 exam as the one of important reforms including 8 priorities such

as

“(1) The reform of personnel, meaning the qualifications of teachers and

their salaries. (2) Public financial reform at the ministry. (3) The issue of education
quality. (4) A think tank to assist the ministry in policy recommendation and
feedback. (5) Higher education reform. (6) Examination reform. (7) Giving young
people skills. (8) Reform of physical education and sport. (Barron, 8 September
2014)”
The reform was criticized from the public that the implementation was immediately getting stricter for

the students to catch up, that this reform produced considerably high failing rate, that it should have

been started with the educational staff rather than students, and many others. However, through the

survey by Asia Foundation, majority of respondents supported the ideas of starting the educational

reform (Everett & Kaing, 2014). The reform was implemented for the second year in 2015, and the

passing rate was 55.8 per cent – or 46,560 students – passed the high school exit exam (Vida, 14

September, 2015). Therefore, we can see the improvement of passing rate in 2015. This research seek

to explore the perspective of students on the 2015 grade 12 examinations reform.

The research focuses on the perspectives from the students who took the grade 12

examination in 2015. We aim to understand their ideas on the examination 2015, the second year of

exam. In other words, our subjects are grade 12 students in the academic year of 2014-2015. We

2
reviewed their perceptive on the events before exam (pre-exam), exam (during the exam), and after

exam (post-exam). The research serves purpose of opening new window to understand the grade 12

national exam reform, which few researches have been conducted on it. Moreover, the students are

the ones who play the main part in the examination, and it is essential to learn about what they think

about it. What they think about it can be the great inputs for the development of education and the

country as the whole.

The research question is “what were the perspectives of students on reform of the grade 12

national exams in 2015?”

3
 Literature Review
The section discusses about the previous literatures that are related to the topic. Three main

aspects are deliberated with the main focuses as: Cambodian high school national examinations, and

the impacts of the exam reform, and other discussions on the exit exam. Since the topic is the recent

issue in Cambodia, not many researches have been conducted about it. However, Everett & Kaing

(2014) conducted a snap poll followed the introducing of 2014 national grade 12 examinations. 500

respondents from 5 of 25 provinces of Cambodia were interviewed with in-depth on common

statements about the reform. They found out that majority supported the acts of the Ministry of

Education Youth and Sport (MoEYS) and responded positively that it was the time to start the reform

in education.

Another aspect is supported by researches from worldwide, especially the US. The 12 grade

exam or exit exam’s impacts have been the center of discussion. Dee & Jacob (2006) studied on the

impact of exit exams on educational attainment and labor market experiences, which analyised on the

data from the 2000 Census and the National Center for Education Statistics' Common Core of Data

(CCD). The results were varied such as: exit exams decreased the likelihood of completing high

school, particularly for black students, the exit exam increased the dropout rate in urban and high-

poverty school districts in Minnesota, and not only exit exams can improve student and school

performance, but also appear to have worsened the inequality in educational attainment. Similarly,

Amrein & Berliner (2002) worked on the analysis of high-stacking testing, and they found out that

high school graduation exam heightens the dropout rate, lowers high school graduation rates, and

increases the enrollment rate in General Education Diploma program. Moreover, evidences suggested

that the test produced negative outcomes which outweighed the benefits. Also, Jacob (2001) examined

on the impact of high school graduation exam on student achievement and dropout rates. He found out

that graduation tests had to tangible effect on the likelihood of dropout rate for average students, but

were proven to increase among the lowest ability students. Ou (2010) identified the effect of failing

the high school exit exam (HSEE) from the dataset for states in the United States of America on the

student’s early dropout rate. He discovered that students who didn’t usually fail the exam stand more

4
chance to exit than those who barely passed despite being offered retest opportunities. This finding

was influenced by inequalities in the educational system as well.

Not only the dropout rate was discussed, there are other concerns too. García (2003) studies

on the validity of issues related to the high school exit exam of English Language learner (ELL) in 25

US states. The authors highlighted that requiring students to pass an examination in English for high

school graduation led to two major consequences. To the individual, failing the test could be the

challenge to rewarding employment. To the larger society, an incidental English-only policy would be

implemented. Holme et al. (2010) investigated the effect of high school exit examinations on the

student achievements by reviewing 46 unique studies, and the finding showed that exit exams resulted

in few of the expected benefits and were associated with costs for the most disadvantaged students.

There were discussions about the positive side of reform as well. Polson (2014) stated how

Texas’s exit exam affect post-secondary outcome for students who got the passing score around the

threshold. He found out that passing the exam does not impact the engagement in post-secondary

education or later employment. Bishop & Mane (2004) studied on the educational reform which

increased academic standards on average achievement levels and on equality of opportunity through 5

policies: “(1) universal Curriculum-Based External Exit Exam Systems, (2) voluntary curriculum-

based external exit exam systems with partial coverage such as New York State Regents exams in

1992, (3) state minimum competency graduation tests, (4) state defined minimums for the total

number of courses students must take and pass to get a high school diploma and (5) state defined

minimums for the number of academic courses necessary to get a diploma” (p. 1). Universal

CBEEES and higher academic course graduation requirements were found to improve everyone

achievement and also narrow down the achievement gaps, while other policies had small impacts.

Ayalon & Shavit (2004) evaluated the outcomes of gender, ethnic, and socioeconomic inequalities in

the pursuing the two forms of diploma: plain and university-qualify. The results indicated the reform

gradually eliminate socioeconomic inequalities to obtain the plain diploma but fostered the

inequalities in obtaining the university-qualify diploma. Bishop (1998) studies the effect of

curriculum-based external exit exam (CBEEESs) systems on student achievement, and the finding

5
CBEEESs which the main reference is the explicit content standard would improve the teaching and

learning of core subjects. Also, the author concluded that the results were heterogeneity depending on

the countries. Jürges et al. (2012) with the the German PISA 2003 sample of the effects of central exit

examinations on student performance and student attitudes discovered that the exit exams increases

the potential of students in curriculum-based knowledge but not on mathematical literacy, and also

students were motivated and perform better in school. Certo et al. (2008) interviewed 33 high school

students from 7 comprehensive schools in metropolitan Virginia on their perspectives on the impact

of standards-based reform on their learning. The research found out that more engagement could be

found about authentic learning experiences and activities; however, negative consequences of

Standard of Learning quality was influenced by the less interactive instruction.

There were other researches which were not big enough to form as a group of aspect have

been conducted on the education reform. Zau & Betts (2008) reviewed the California High School

Exit Exam (CAHSEE) in their research, and through the research they found out that components led

to the failure in exit exam involved the reliability in early warning of parents, teachers, and school

administrators, and strong policy intervention on education system from policymakers and legislators.

Additionally, Hursh & Martina (2003) analyzed the policy which introduced education reform within

the context of social structure and its implication for social inequality. They found out that

government reform the education policy to keep up with global economic competition.

6
 Methodology
In this section, we will discuss the methodology of this research. In other word, this section

provides the information on how the research is conducted. Since the core objective of this research is

to explore the perspectives of students on the national exit exam reform in 2015, qualitative research

is decided to be the method of answering the question. Qualitative research helps the researcher to

understand “attitudes, behavior and experiences” of the subjects through the in-depth contact

(Dawson, 2002, p. 14).

With little prior knowledge on the subject, the best tool to obtain much information from the

respondents in the limited time is to conduct interviews. Interviews serve the best in nature to answer

the qualitative question. The research purpose is not to seek for the generalization on the findings, but

to provide in-depth information on the research topic. In-depth interviewing is conducted “not to get

answers to questions, not test hypotheses, and not to evaluate,” but to “understand the lived

experience of other people and the meaning they make of that experience” (Seidman, 2013, p. 9).

According to Dawson (2002), interviews have 3 levels of structure: unstructured, semi-

structured, and structured interviews. Unstructured interviews attempts to cultivate the information

from the life history of the interviewees through the narratives of them with very few questions asked

by the researchers. Structured interviews are the interviewed conducted with rigidity and highly

structured questions. Semi-structured interviews stand between those two as the flexibility is the main

component. Questions are prepared for the interviews, and the researchers would ask more than those

to gain and dig up for additional interesting information. Therefore, the semi-structured interviews are

conducted to facilitate the data collecting from recent grade 12 exam takers whose educational level is

not likely to allow them to answers the questions well without the assistance of researchers.

With the nature of research, along with the limitation of time, 10 respondents were contacted

for the permission to conduct the interviews. Those 6 respondents were students who experiences the

national examinations in 2015, the second year of reform, as we described in the previous section.

Judgmental and snowball sampling were chosen as the tool to select the samples. Judgmental

7
sampling was used as the researchers tried to extend the variety of samples. Moreover, the researchers

had expected to explore the interesting findings through this sampling method. The numbers of

respondents the researchers could reach was inadequate for the research; thus, the snowball sampling

was introduced to find more interviewees through the networks or social circles of the contacted

interviewees. The respondents included those who passed and failed the exit exam.

The interviews were conducted in Khmer as the researchers believed that the language played

the important role in expressing ideas and deliver the information. The researchers noted the

information in Khmer, and voice recording was also practiced with the affirmation of the

interviewees. Translation from native language to English is problematic in nature (Temple & Young,

2004). We worked hard to verify the meaning in the translation to avoid the misinterpretation. The

interview questions were piloted among the researchers and friends to evade the fallacies and

misunderstanding before trialing in the field.

To preserve the ethics of research, the researchers introduced and explain about the purposes

and how the information would be used with the consent from the interviewees. The anonymity was

embraced as the names and personal information were protected with confidentiality, and the

researchers would seek for the permission if further usages were required. Strong integrity,

objectivity, honesty, respect for intellectual property and carefulness in the analyzing of data are

embraced in the research writing.

8
 Analyzing of Data
Analyzing of data was conducted through the procedural ways about the examinations, and

those were divided into: pre-exam, exam (or during the exam), and the post-exam ideas on the subject.

The pre-exam section focuses on the preparation of students for the exam. The exam section

emphasize on 3 main things: regulations, corruption, and overall performance of students during the

exam. The last part, the researchers discuss about the post-exam events including the ideas on the

second examinations, and comparison with the first year of reform; moreover, the last part highlights

the concluding perspective of students on the grade 12 national exam as the whole.

Pre-exam

Learning from the 10 interviewees, we found out that all of them had prepared themselves

with many studying plans for the examinations. All of the respondents took the extra classes on top of

the classes they had in the school. Practicing on the exercises was one of the core preparation

activities. Group study or studying with friends was told to help them much in their preparation. One

of them mentioned that they made smaller teams out of a team of 10 to study for the details in the

subjects, then they helped each other by sharing. They took a mock exam on their own to prepare

themselves for the real test. These showed that they prepared a lot for the exam. The motives to

prepare this much was that picture of failing and strict monitoring from 2014 examinations. Those

experiences pushed them to study and prepare harder. The strict monitoring would not allow them to

cheat, and all they could do in the test would lie on their competency they had built with the

preparation. Moreover, since it was the second year of reform, the respondents had learnt ahead about

strict regulation in the exam process; therefore, they had to prepare as much as they could. This

finding is similar to the finding of Jürges et al. (2012) that the exit exam motivate students to study

harder.

According to our respondents, we discovers the factors for them to study this hard as well.

We could see the common patterns within them. Majority of them said that the family was the biggest

motivation for them to study hard. One of them said that the parents had supported them from the

9
early education till now, and failing the exam would violate the expectation of the parents. Failing the

exam would bring the sadness to the parents as they said. This could be understood through the

culture of Khmer people that parents always wanted their children to be the useful citizens for the

society as it could bring the fame and prestige to the family. Economically speaking, it would be the

failure in investment for education from the parents to their children if failing the exam was the

results. They spent so much financially and mentally for the children to study, but when it came to the

end, what they got was the unpleasant results. Not only the family was the motivation to study hard,

but the personal goals as well. A respondent who failed 2014 exam told us that the experience of

failing encouraged him to make a pass in the 2015 exam. Others said that they tried so hard because

they wanted to pursue higher education and to get good jobs in the future. This would us link us back

to the researches about the exit exam’s impacts on the future employment. In the research of García

(2003) that failing the test could be the challenge to rewarding employment to those individuals.

Therefore, they worked hard to achieve the better future of them.

During Exam

Regulations

The respondents told us that regulations in the exam room they were in were well-practiced,

which followed to the determination of MoEYS in bringing the no irregularity in the exam rooms. The

invigilators and ACU committed to their jobs by monitoring strictly on the students’ examination

process. The bribery from students to the invigilators in the rooms was not spotted by our

respondents. One of the interviewees said it was tough since she couldn’t get access to any cheating

materials. However, it was a right thing for the exam to run with corruption-free manners. However, a

few respondents noticed the minor irregularities in the examination rooms they were in as some

students could peak the answers from other students. This happened in a small case as the invigilators

in the room was trapped by the begging for pity from students. However, we did not have the hard

evidences to prove this. Overall, the corruption, irregularities, and bribery were under the strict watch,

which would not allow those things to happen extensively as before the introducing of exam. The

10
respondents accepted the ideas that “the people who study hard can pass easily,” which means the

strict examinations could produce the better human resources.

Nevertheless, the respondents pointed out the foul actions in regulations as the strictness

heightened up the tensions in the exam, which did not allow them to concentrate well. There was

invigilators and other people taking the pictures of them for the journalism purpose, and these actions

made one of our respondent felt unease. Another critique was about the statement said by MoEYS on

the marking criteria as that if they found the students’ answers were the same as the preparation

documents published by the ministry, they would mark that as zero or fail. This was claimed by one

of our respondents. He said the students had learnt from those documents, and it would be rational

that the students would use those as the answers in the exam. However, we could not find the official

source to support this claim. Lastly, raised by one of the respondents, the irregularities happened as

the one of students demanded to get the money for the services in double checking other people’s

exam papers, and our respondents, he rejected to this demand.

In conclusion, the regulations in the exam room, according to our respondents, was good,

which allows the students to shine with their study and preparation. The rotted tradition of bribery in

the exam room was not found with the introducing of new reform. Nonetheless, there were still minor

irregularities happening, according to our respondents.

Level of Difficulty

According to our respondents, the exam’s level of difficulty was average. The difficulty level

was fairly the same to the previous exam, as raised by one of our respondents. The ideas of difficult

got influenced from the preparation they put in. As some of them studied really hard for that, they

tended to see it as average. The difficulty were varied according to the personal competency of the

respondents on how much they had prepared.

Most of the respondents said that Mathematics was the hardest subject in the exam for some

reasons. One of them was surprised by the problems appearing on the test. A few said that Math was

hard because of the many formulas it had, which was hard for them to remember those formulas.

11
Additionally, math tests contained many items which had a lot of small problems within them, which

would take a lot of effort and time to solve those. According to Saad (2005), in the Gallup Youth

Survey conducted with internet methodology found out that 37 percent of US team claimed math as

the hardest subject. Therefore, it was not much surprising that math was the hardest subject in the

exam. One of the respondents also said Biology was the hardest subject, and this could be understood

that she could not do well in the test. The reason could be she did not prepare well for the biology test.

Another respondent said history as the hardest subject, and he said it was because of his unfamiliarity

with the social events. One of the questions in the history exam was “Please explain the culture of

dialogue” as education minister Hang Chuon Naron said that social events would become history, and

students should be familiar with those (Retka & Chhengpor, 2015, 27 August).

4 of the respondents said that Physic was the easiest subject, and they explained their claim by

telling us that the problems in Physic test were easy, and what they got to do was just calculating the

numbers with simple formulas. The interesting things were that one of them said that Biology was the

easiest, and another said History was. Biology test was easiest for that respondent because it was her

favorite subject, and what she studied showed up in the test. History was the easiest because it

contained open-ended questions which could be answered with critical thinking as claimed by one of

our respondents.

Overall Performances

In this section, we asked the interviewees whether this reform in exam affected their

performances or not. Most of them replied that there was no impact of this change on their results.

They explained that it was because it had been around a year already, which gave them the early

warning about their behaviors toward the exam. They learned that lack of preparation and reliance on

cheating would not allow them to pass the exam, and only the true preparation could equip them with

knowledge to do well in the exam. However, a few respondents said it could affect them mentally as

the some foul actions of MoEYS pressured them hard; for example, the news report, video recording,

or picture taking from people ruined the concentration of them on the exam. Overall, they adapted to

this reform well.

12
Post Exam

In 2014, the passing rate was really low, and ministry called out for the second exam.

However, in 2015, there was no the second exam for those who failed to re-exam. Therefore, we

asked our respondents for the ideas about that. 6 of them said that there should be no the second exam.

They justified their answers by raising that students who took exam in 2015 had known already about

the reform, and they should have worked hard for that. For those who failed, they should try harder

next year. One of them said that the time allowance for the preparation for the second exam would not

make much different since that would be really short if there had been the second exam. The rest

supported the re-exam as the failed students could have the second chance, and one of them claimed

that there were some great students who failed because of error in marking, and those students

deserved another chance. However, what seemed to be odd here as one of respondents who failed the

exam did not the idea of re-exam, and he said he could not be ready for another exam yet.

Comparing to last year exam, the respondents saw the exams were similar. What really

differed the first and second year of reform was that 2014 exam served as waking up call for the

students to study harder, and 2015 exam became the real exam to test the ability of students.

Regarding the future growth of reform, the respondents expressed their ideas that they would want the

ministry to maintain this strict monitoring for the later examinations. The respondents supported the

reform as the whole as it was the right call for the educational reform in Cambodia. This finding

supported the finding of Snap poll conducted by Everett & Kaing (2014) that it was the right time to

start reforming. The respondents viewed the reform as the great chance for those who had true ability

to shine and grow as the capable human resources for the development of Cambodia.

13
 Conclusion
Through the data analysis, the grade 12 exam reform shaped a new perspective on how the

respondents look on the exam. The exit exam is no longer the exam that can be got through with

cheating and corruption, but hard effort and commitment. The reform played a part to push the

interviewees to pay much attention on studying and taking actions to learn as much as they can with

their possible times. Also, the respondents pointed out the foul actions in the exam process which

could help the student to do better in the next exam. The pressure from photo taking was raised as the

concern. We also understood about the hardest and easiest subjects from the students’ perceptive

which could be helpful for the design of the later examinations.

The findings from this research could open up the window to more researches on the

educational reform. For further researches, the researchers should consider about the impacts on this

reform on the other aspects, such as labor and employment market, inequalities in the education, and

others. Since this research covered only 10 respondents, the findings could not be much coverage.

Therefore, we strongly suggest the fellow researchers to cover more samples, and explore it from

various perspective with different methodologies.

14
 References

Amrein, A. L., & Berliner, D. C. (2002). An analysis of some unintended and negative consequences
of high-stakes testing: Education Policy Research Unit, Education Policy Studies Laboratory,
College of Education, Division of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Arizona State
University.
Ayalon, H., & Shavit, Y. (2004). Educational reforms and inequalities in Israel: The MMI hypothesis
revisited. Sociology of Education, 77(2), 103-120.
Barron, L. (2014, 8 September). Meet the man behind the exams, The Phnom Penh Post. Retrieved
from http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/meet-man-behind-exams
Bishop, J. H. (1998). The effect of curriculum-based external exit exam systems on student
achievement. The Journal of Economic Education, 29(2), 171-182.
Bishop, J. H., & Mane, F. (2004). Educational reform and disadvantaged students: Are they better off
or worse off?
Certo, J. L., Cauley, K. M., Moxley, K. D., & Chafin, C. (2008). An argument for authenticity:
adolescents' perspectives on standards-based reform. The High School Journal, 91(4), 26-39.
Dawson, C. (2002). Practical research methods: a user-friendly guide to mastering research
techniques and projects: How To Books Ltd.
Dee, T. S., & Jacob, B. A. (2006). Do high school exit exams influence educational attainment or
labor market performance? : National Bureau of Economic Research.
Everett, S., & Kaing, M. (2014). 2014 National High School Examination: A Snap Poll in Cambodia.
García, P. (2003). The use of high school exit examinations in four southwestern states. Bilingual
Research Journal, 27(3), 431-450.
Holme, J. J., Richards, M. P., Jimerson, J. B., & Cohen, R. W. (2010). Assessing the effects of high
school exit examinations. Review of Educational Research, 0034654310383147.
Hursh, D., & Martina, C. A. (2003). Neoliberalism and schooling in the US: How state and federal
government education policies perpetuate inequality. Journal for Critical Education Policy
Studies, 1(2), 1-13.
Jacob, B. A. (2001). Getting tough? The impact of high school graduation exams. Educational
evaluation and policy analysis, 23(2), 99-121.
Jürges, H., Schneider, K., & Büchel, F. (2005). The effect of central exit examinations on student
achievement: Quasi-experimental evidence from TIMSS Germany. Journal of the European
Economic Association, 1134-1155.
Jürges, H., Schneider, K., Senkbeil, M., & Carstensen, C. H. (2012). Assessment drives learning: The
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Ou, D. (2010). To leave or not to leave? A regression discontinuity analysis of the impact of failing
the high school exit exam. Economics of Education Review, 29(2), 171-186.
Polson, C. (2014). TAKS-ing Students? Evaluating Exit Exam Effects on Long-Term Student
Outcomes in Texas.
Retka, J., & Chhengpor, A. (2015, 27 August). Grade 12 Exam Asks Students to Explain the ‘Culture
of Dialogue’, The Cambodia Daily. Retrieved from
https://www.cambodiadaily.com/news/grade-12-exam-asks-students-to-explain-the-culture-
of-dialogue-92667/
Saad, L. (2005). Math Problematic for U.S. Teens. Retrieved 7 October, 2015, from
http://www.gallup.com/poll/16360/math-problematic-us-teens.aspx
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Zau, A., & Betts, J. R. (2008). Predicting success, preventing failure: An investigation of the
California high school exit exam: Public Policy Instit. of CA.

16
 Appendices
Appendix 1
Transcripts
Interview Questions
Pre-exam
1. Please describe your preparation in studying for the exam.

1 My preparation was to study part-time before exam taking place, and to read
books. During the preparation in 2014, I started part-time course during mid-2014
that why I failed in 2014 exam. In 2015, I started part-time since pre-vacation of
2014-2015.
During class, sometime I played with my friends because I thought that we
couldn’t study too much without fun.

2 I studied part-time, and tried to study hard with friends. Sometime I studied for
the whole day, and did self-study as well.

3 Before exam is the time that I study more and more however at home or at school,
I study 5 hours for do exercise and review. And more than this I have teacher to
study at home 4 hours for 4 subjects per day. I cut down all my fun time with
friends because of my exam.

4 I need to prepare the schedule, like what I have learned today. I need to read and
try to understand it well before I go to the class. I don’t wait or let it have more
and more, it can be difficult to understand. And if I have the exercise I try to do it
by myself. When I have time I like to read the old book that from my brother,
because it can make me know the differed exercise and it have many exercise that
I don’t know, I try to learn it

5 Before the exam, what I need to do first is I need to prepare the right schedule for
myself and time management in order to study both at school and home. Also if
there is free time I did the self-study together with my classmate to discuss and
shared the ideas.

6 Prepare the schedule for study, encourage myself that I will pass, review on the
previous test, practice the exercises and lessons, do extra classes and ask the
teachers to explain the key to solves the solutions and note important points from
the lesson, summarize the essential formula before going to exam room, test the
ability of doing the exercises, prepare to be mentally strong in the examination to
lessen the pressure, and be brave.

7 I studied extra classes with my friends since the beginning of the year. I did some
math, physic, and chemistry exercises in my free time so that i can improve my
calculating skill. I tried to study as hard as I can. If i don't understand the lessons,
I would asked my friends to help me.

8 I prepare the schedule for review the lesson, try to do the old exercise, and I like
group meeting. We can exchange ideas about exam.

9 For me I have prepared since I was in grade 10, 11 and until 12. We need to try
hard from the beginning until this level because it is the basic study which starts

17
 from the lower to higher grade. So we have the fundamental from the lower grade
so it will helps us more with more relax feeling by not feeling pressure or try
really hard on grade 12. For example like math, physics or chemistry, its formula
is related from grade 10 till 12. Moreover I need to practice the exercise, do the
self-study, create the exercise by our own and find solution for it.

10 The examination of 2013-3014 is the good pattern for 2014-2015 student because
the exam has quality no cheating no corruption with monitor etc. thus, as I am a
candidate who take exam in 24th August 2015 already prepared for exam through
I collect my friend and invite teachers who have ability come to teach and guide
us on some special subject. After the ministry selecting vote of subject to take
exam, all student have one months for review lessons for coming subject to exam.
During that time my team which has 10 members decided to separate into small
group for make it more easy for study detail into subject, in a small group has at
least 3 members. By studying this method, it makes my team understand more
clearly and during the weekend we have the meeting for mock exam. We took all
former exam from previous years to do it and review all those lessons again. The
reason I follow this plan because I want to walk to the exam class without
bringing document or cheating document and pass by my ability.

2. How prepared you feel about the exam before taking it?

1 Before the exam I felt I was afraid too, but I had to try hard for passing exam with
study hard by doing exercises. It can make things easier in the real exam.

2 I feel I study little because I have spent my early of my year with playing with my
friend. So feel that I have study not much for this 2015.

3 Usually before taking exam everyone must be worried and nervous about the
exam, when the ministry of education posted the rule of exam, I’m so nervous.
And they also said if you wanted to pass the exam you must study hard.

4 I was so nervous, but I tried hard to study for exam.

5 I think it is medium for me since there is too much to study and I have less time to
study by myself.

6 I thought that I had already prepared enough for the exam.

7 I think I've prepared enough to take this exam because I believed that my hard
work will pay off.

8 I prepare my feel and I always tell myself that, it doesn’t have corruption in the
exam. So I’m try study hard too much. When nearly taking exam I spend my time
only study and review the exercise.

9 I think I have prepared about 80% that I prepared myself for the exam. I try very
hard from the grade 10 till 12 so I think I made it. I expect less to have good grade
but I know that I can do it and pass the exam.

10 In fact, I think my preparation reach a level that I can accept my ability and
ministry also wanted because I have my confident I can win all obstacles during
exam and get the result I wished.

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3. Can you tell us what factors or things that motivate you to study hard?

1 I see most of my friends failed in 2014 including me, so I don’t want to see it
happen again. The main factor is myself, moreover the ministry also enforces the
law as well. So if I don’t study hard, I will fail.

2 I want to PASS. I am afraid of fail. I want to be successful in my life.

3 The factor that makes me became the outstanding student like nowadays, because
I was a person who like to challenge and want to win other. Now I get a good
opportunity, because of what I have to try to study hard. Another factor is my
parents, I don’t want them were absorbed of my result. And I want to have
reputation. The last factor is the society; if I fail, they will laugh at me

4 The factors that motivate me pass the exam is 2 thing are family and for my future
goal.
Family, I focus on my parents, they always respect I will pass the exam and get a
good grade. So I don’t want them to be hopeless of me. That’s why I try to study
hard.
My future goal: if I was the outstanding student, my future will be better than
careless students too.

5 The most important factor is myself and the other factors such as family, friends,
and teacher. Because I studied since grade one till twelve, if I fail then those 12
years mean nth to me. So it is important thing for my future. …… Also from the
outside environment like friends or teachers, if I’m in group of friend who is not
study, that won’t good either.

6 Parents: they support financially for the school fee from the kindergarten till now.
We have to pass the exam to repay their support.
Myself: for the bright future and opportunity to pursue higher degree, and to get
the prestige job that my family and I can be proud of.

7 The reasons that I tried hard for this exam are my family and myself. I don't want
to let anyone down and I don't want to ruin their reputation.

8 The factor that motivates me to study hard is the experience that I even fail in last
year and re-exam. It too affects my feel. At that time I want drop my study, but
my parents don’t let me drop so it can be my choice to continuous my studying
until I take exam again. One more factor my parents, they always upset about my
result again and again. Now I can do it I pass the exam in this year.

9 The factors that motivate me to study hard to pass the exam is about my family,
my parents encourage me to study, they support me with their words that they
know that I did it since I try so much and tell me not to lose hope. The other
factor is about my self that I have set my goal for what I want to do already.
These two factors make me want to study more harder .

10 Until this time, knowledge is the bridge, package that can lead us to the bright
future and no one can look down on us. Having knowledge is prepared to having
unlimited money and included with certificate from ministry of education as well
we must find a good job and happiness onward. Moreover, our parents's hope that

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 always sent us to school and devote everything is for us because wanted us to pass
exam and have good job. All these factor has pushed my mind to work hard on
this exam.

Exam
Regulation
4. What do you think about the regulations in the exam room?

1 I feel that it’s tough, and they have 4 or 5 investigator outside the exam room,
they also have the people who took picture during my examination it makes me
feel afraid. So I couldn’t focus much. I agree that the regulation during exam is
tough until I can’t bring my document to the exam area.

2 It’s tough, difficult, I did not well, I can’t open my document during my exam.

3 About the good points of the ministry of education, the regulation is fair for us,
and for the person that have the true ability, and I like the ministry said “the
person who, have study they will pass the exam easily”

4 For me the regulations in exam room, it was have good points and bad points too.
The bad point of the ministry of education is said that “if the answer of the
question was likely to the answer that have limit by the ministry, they will said we
was copy and we will get zero. I don’t like that point. Because sometime we try to
remember the answer, when we do the answer will be the same to correction rate.
I don’t like this point.

5 I think it is strict than the other previous years also it is contributes with the Anti-
corruption unit and volunteers youths to investigation in order to against the
corruption. I think that this new regulation is good because we have been
neglected during the exam about the corruptions or cheating on the exam so it is
good that ministry set this new regulation.

6 The regulation in the room was very strict and monitored carefully from the
invigilators.

7 I think it's good because nobody can cheat and everyone did their best in order to
pass. The class is nice and quiet which gives good aura for students to
concentrate.

8 Yes the regulation in the exam room was so strict, no cheating no taking with
each anther and no corruption at all. And the test was simple that I can do it, but
don’t well. It can said that if you study you will do it.

9 I think it is good. I felt very happy because there is no corruption in the class
unlike before. In this year teacher play their role perfectly. The anti-corruption
unit was watching us and walked by but they stand a bit far from us which lead us
not to feel afraid and concentrate well on our exam paper.

10 About regulation in the exam room, I have no comments because it deserved to be

that in order to improve the real human resources for developing our nation in the
future, these are my own thinking and regulation was not that bad.

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 5. Did you notice corruption in the exam process? Please elaborate more.

1 NO, because they have ACU. All teachers couldn’t accept the corruption money
from students. The reason teacher couldn’t accept the money from us because
they have investigator and ACU at outside the room

2 NO, because I am the one who did exam in class there was no collect money or
any corruption pictures.

3 The exam process not has corruption and don’t copy test or cheating too. But
helping or copy from each other ok. The teacher always favored for the students

4 the exam process not has corruption and don’t copy test or cheating too. But
helping or copy from each other ok. The teacher always favor for the students

5 There is no any corruption in where I had the exam. Everyone obeys and follow
the rules.

6 I noticed no corruption was practiced during the exam process because there were
interventions from Anti-corruption Units, which facilitated the process.

7 I didnt see any corruption during exam. Those volunteer people did a great job in
observation.

8 The corruption in the exam process wasn’t, it mean that no corruption in the exam
class, the teacher just let us a little bit copy from each other. That it can’t compare
with the last and last year that was so easy that have corruption and students have
the answer sheet to copy easily like older brother’s exam.

9 No, I don’t.

10 The processing of exam took 2 full days. First day of exam the room monitors
didn't show out any bad action in my room has silent environment too. However,
the second day of exam, the room monitors shown the strange reaction they
walked to check all candidates' paper while they were doing exam and helped to
double check as well. I thought they had a good mind for us, but the last minute
they came to tell us "don't forget to collect money for me." Because me and some
candidates didn't agree with this action, we decided not to collect money to give
them.

Test Difficulty
6. What did you think about the difficulty level of the exam?
1 It’s medium for 2015 exam. Question is not much hard than 2014. I believe that
2015 question is easier than 2014.
2 It’s medium. The important is we have already studied hard.

3 The difficulty with me is I am afraid, because I am afraid it might forget and

make the mistakes.

4 The difficulty of me is take time, I take long time to read or try understanding to
the test, because I’m scare of making mistake or incorrect answer.

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 5 The difficulty I faced in the exam is the new regulation because the practitioners
seemed to focus too much on what they were doing rather than the rules have
been set such as our mentally have pressured because of them by their actions.
Their actions here I refer to the way they took our picture and noted our name
during the exam. That what make us feel pressure and uncomfortable during the
exam.

6 About the difficulty level, I think those who are average students have the ability
to do some of the subjects they know fairly about.

7 I think it's fair enough for me because some exercises were tough and some others
were easy.

8 The difficulty level of the exam was that, I was the person that difficult to
remember so it is my wake point of doing exam.

9 I think the level of this difficulty is about 80% because the exam is ok for students
who study; they can do it although they are not very clever. If we study even a bit
we still can do it. the exam paper is easy to get the points.

10 The level of difficulty seems not our problems, all of exam subjects are the
questions that we can answers if we have studied, but for those who haven't
studied I can say that they couldn't do because it was difficult even some of
student said it's easy but for me it's not easy for student who didn't study.

7. What subject did you find the most difficult? Why?

1 Math is the hardest one because everyone also complains about math’s question
as well. For math, most students failed with this subject.

2 Math is the hardest one because the question surprised me and Math have many
form. Even my classmate also said the same me. Some lessons were not appeared
during exam, but appeared during class.

3 The most difficult subject is biology, because I can’t do it well.

4 the most difficult subject is mathematics, because the way that I do at home it was
different from the test. So it makes me forget.

5 I think Mathematics is the most difficult one because the exam paper of the math
is not what I have been studied in class and neither it is in the book that the
ministry posted for us. When I saw the paper exam, I just went blank since I have
never seen it and didn’t know how to do.

6 Math is the hardest subject because it needs the students to remember a lot of
formulas and it takes a lot of times to finish it.

7 I personally think that History was tough for me because I'm not familiar with
what's happening in our society and some of the questions were related to
something that's not in course book.

8 For me, the most difficult is mathematics, because I don’t understand well about

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 the question and it has a lot of step to do and I don’t remember.

9 For me I think mathematic is the most difficult because there are too many
exercises which make me can’t solve all the solutions. For example, one exercise
there is still another small point to solve like a, b, c. Also those exercises have the
graph that lead us to only pass without a good grade but still some students who
was confused with it and cannot do it.

10 Due to I choose science, mathematics is the priority subject that has highest score
among all subjects and the most difficult as well. In math it contains of a lot
exercises spacial is Bend-Wire Question.

8. What subject did you find the easiest? Why?

1 Physic is the easiest one because it has only formula and we need know calculate
as sample from question. It’s easy to get point.

2 English is the easiest one because I got B.

3 The easiest subject is physic, because the test isn’t difficult like what I expected.
It can said that the student that have learnt that subject, they can do it well

4 The easiest subject is biology, because the question of biology is I have ever
learned before and one more thing is I like biology.

5 Actually the subject that easy for me is Khmer literature and English because
these two subjects are easy to get the points without using our critical thinking or
analysis on it. I mean that the literatures and the way to write the essay, I know
how to do it since I have prepared myself before the exam.

6 Khmer literature is the easiest subject as it only demands us to understand the

literature texts and how to do the writing,

7 I personally think that physic was the easiest subject because most of physic
exercises were easy and not complicated to understand.

8 I personally think that physic was the easiest subject because most of physic
exercises were easy and not complicated to understand.

9 The easiest subject for me is the history because the exam paper was a broad topic
which can make me answer by thinking of my own ideas. I don’t need to
remember everything from the books but I can use my critical thinking to answer
the questions and share my idea.

10 As my idea, there is no subject is the easiest because all subjects have mixed with
hard and easy questions. So it's hard to decide which one is easy one.

9. Did you think the difficulty level of the exam should be changed? Please elaborate more.
1 I think it’s should not change, but one thing is calculator Ministry prevented. We
need to use it if Ministry allow it would be better.

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 2 I think it’s should not change because I can accept it. For this level it can make
students pass more if we study hard.

3 No, I think it’s easier than last year. We studied hard for that.

4 The changing of ministry education wasn’t difficult, because I have known it

before. That’s why my school was so strict for every student that no cheating and
no copy from each anther. So the changing is good for us.

5 Yes, I think it should be change. It should change from step by step, from low to
high, and the regulation should not change immediately.

6 I think the exam’s difficulty level should be changed as it depends on the students
who try hard and those who do not try hard.

7 I think that MOEYS should keep it that way because it's a good thing to do. The
rules are very strict and the exam itself is fair for average students to do.

8 The changing of the ministry of education was difficult for the person who don’t
know about the new policy of the exam but for me, it’s ok because I was prepare
my feel already and I always tell myself that the exam not easy.

9 I think the ministry should keep doing and following this regulation. What I want
to change more is that the ministry should motivate the teacher to give lecture like
the public school to student. If it can happen, I would like to request that the exam
paper should not be much different from what I learned from the books. For
example, for the chemistry subject, it is just opposite from the topic. What I mean
is that it is unlike from what I expect to appear on the exam. We thought that it
will appear from last year or last two years, but the exam papers seem to be
different like the new standard or new study program for chemistry, physic, and
biology.

10 The level of difficulty shouldn't change because I think it's totally right and
cheating, corruption, messy in exam now is no longer happen like before. If we
talked about quality ministry surely work hard by their best and they also get what
they want. Like students who passed are the students who study hard.

Overall Performance
10. Did you think the reform affects your result of exam?

1 Ofc, it’s affect us because say now, do now. So all students can’t catch up, and
some students also mention that this reform is also good, but some not good too.

2 It’s not much affecting me because we already realized it a year ahead.

3 The changing did not affect us and also our result of exam neither.

4 The changing was not affect to us and also our result of exam too.

5 I don’t think it is affect my exam, but the thing is like I mentioned from the above
question that it does affect my mentally that it seems like they put too much
pressure on us that make us feel nerve-wrecking.

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 6 The reform did not impact on the result of exam as the MoE had already informed
about this ahead.

7 What made it effect my result was the test center that I took exam in. I'm not used
to the enironment there so my performance was not good.

8 The changing was good but it can be affecting the student who careless like me in
last year, because I always think it was easy, but it wasn’t like what we think.
When the ministry does like that, they can get the real education and real ability
too.

9 I think there are still some affects on the result of the exam because from
what I see some students still careless from this new reforming. Some
students still don’t try to study hard. I think the ministry or governor should
motivate or support those students like encourage to study, do not take money
or reduce it from poor students for extra class.

10 These reform if we talked about action, it’s not effect to my result because my
knowledge is that I have is still inside me and its belong to me even the exam has
changed if you have knowledge it will pass exam. however, what is our concern is
the correct the question or give score to candidate seem now justice, if you do
right some students seem not get the score what they did. if mark the score is not
equal its the main problem.

Post exam
11. What did you want to see in the next year’s exam?

1 I want to see that It would be easy than this year, because I want all my junior pass
more than this year. They have study for 12 years, and failed with one year it would
be affect to them.
2 I want to see happen again. Not difficult and not easy, because it can make
students pass more. I want pass students rate increasing.

3 I want the ministry of education to keep paying much attention on the education
of the students. Because I think if they do like that student in next year will try
study hard and they will get the true ability of the students.

4 I want to see no change. The ministry keep doing the same thing, so the students
will study harder.

5 What I think is The Ministry of Education should continue to preserve this

regulation in the next years. What is important here is it depends on the Ministry
of Education to decide whether to keep this regulation or change it in to other
regulations.

6 I want to see the students who will do the exam try harder in their studying
because the reform is good for the true knowledge of them.

7 I want next year exam to be strict like this year and I hope to see more students
pass.

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 8 I want the ministry of education to continue this policy for the next year, for
taking real ability and real education from now on.

9 I think that the next year should follow to keep this regulation but make sure that
to make the exam papers more properly. I hope that this will helps the next
generation to succeed in their exam like this year that there are 108 of grade A
students.

10 In the next year exam I have a request to ministry of education to keep the
limitation of exam like 2014-2015 this another actions, but only the processing of
marking score please keep focusing more than this year. if you did wrong, it
would make student lost willing.

12. Did you think there should be a re-exam in this year?

1 It’s good for failed student. It is a chance for them. They have at least 1.5 month
to study or prepare for exam.

2 I want all failed students have chance to pass again.

3 About the re-exam, we shouldn’t have because from last year exam the student
don’t know about the changing of exam so they was careless about study. But in
this year we had known already for changing.

4 About the re-exam, we shouldn’t have because from last year exam the student
don’t know about the changing of exam so they was careless about study. But in
this year we had known already for changing.

5 I don’t think there should be a re-exam in this year because student have been
studied hard from the first day of grade 12 and also we have known about the
regulation from last year that it is going to be strict.

6 The second exam for those who fail is not necessary because the process of
examination was better and the time to prepare for another exam is so short.

7 About the re-exam, we shouldn’t have because from last year exam the student
don’t know about the changing of exam so they was careless about study. But in
this year we had known already for changing.

8 The re- exam should not, because in this year every student was known about how
ministry changes the policy. And one more thing it wasn’t the first years that
change. So the student should prepare yourselves to taking exam that was fair.

9 I think there should be re-exam in this year for the subject that they failed in order
to pass to enter the university like the ones who pass. Also it helps to make them
feel confident in themselves. It also makes them feel secure about their future.

10 result and exam already done, if we have retake exam it would lead difficult.
losing time, and money and the failed student need to re study again, it lost time
for them to find university to study. if ministry want to have retake exam for
failed student i would happy to see it because of percentage of failed students
have many and i think among failed students also have the strong student that
failed because of error counting marks.

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13. What was your idea about last year’s exam compared to now?

1 Last year, it was too tough, but this year is easier because the reform has changed,
and student have chance to study with the full year as well. But last year most
student didn’t know that ministry will did tough like that.

2 I don’t know about last year. But my own idea the difficulty is not much different
because former student didn’t realize about reform of ministry. If I were 2014
student, I would fail exam too.

3 I think the test is related to the lesson, meaning that if you don’t study you can’t
do it.

4 I think it was the same, because first they don’t allow to cheating or copy from
anther, the no corruption and the test was ether easy and difficult.

5 By comparing from last year’s exam and this year exam, the different is the there
is no supplementary exam in this year unlike last year. I think there is no need to
have a re-exam.

6 I thin k the exams from last year and now are not much different because the
studying of students is stable.

7 I think the exam in previous year was okay.

8 In my option last year’s exam and now are different; as we can see the frailer in
last year it was too many students. Because they were careless about changing of
ministry. But now the student was known and understands what the ministry
wants.

9 By comparing to last year and this year’s exam it was the same because we have
the same regulations, there the same new reforming that lead the students who
study hard from the beginning want to study even more harder. It was very better
from the last 2 or 3 years.

10 If we compare to last year and this year, it is not different. The last two years’
exam are in reform policy of ministry. but some people said the exam this year is
earlier than last year by my thought because last year student didn’t focus on their
study and they thought the reform did not affect them by this year all students
wake up to study since the beginning of the year that why they can did well in the
exam

14. Overall, what did you think about the reform as the whole? (Bad or Good, why?)

1 I think I can say it’s good because ministry want us to gain knowledge.

2 It’s good because I want Cambodia having more human resource for developing
country.

3 I like to change of the ministry, it was good. Usually when it changes student
think it was hard so they will try to study hard too. And it fair for the outstanding

27
 student true ability.

4 I like to change of the ministry, it was good. Usually when it changes student
think it was hard so they will try to study hard too. And it fair for the outstanding
student true ability.

5 I think it is good because the both the disciplines and regulations is strict that
make the candidates do not cheat or have any corruption in the exam and also it is
fair to show our own capability that we can do it or not. It is showing that the
candidate who study is pass and the candidate who doesn’t study is fail.

6 Overall, the reform in the exam was good as it searched for the true knowledge of
students without bribery from students to teachers or teachers to students, and the
country can develop well as there is the improvement of human resources for the
development.

7 I personally think that the new change is a great thing because more students tend
to study harder than before and they begin to rely on their own knowledge
without corruption or cheating.

8 Overall, I think the new policy if ministry is good, it fair for every student who try
to study hard. And for the social can get the good education and real ability in the
work place and business, it can be a good opportunity for everyone.

9 I think this reform as a whole was very good for the students who try to study
hard from the beginning until the day they had the exam. It shows that they really
have their capacity, ability and the talent that they can do it without cheating or
other corruptions during the examination. I am proud of myself that I can do it on
my own with my ability that I try so hard from the beginning until the end.

10 The reform was good because student can see their own real ability and they can
challenge with another foreign country without shy and this country will transfer
its self to a developing country because the real human resources has increased.

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