CHED finds conducting online university entrance exams difficult, questions to be redesigned

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) said on Monday that conducting entrance examinations online for admission of students in colleges and universities is a bit problematic.

Photo credit: mb.com.ph

CHED chair Prospero De Vera said that they need to redesign the questions since it will be online. Vera added that the integrity of the test is at risk.

Kailangan baguhin mo ang disenyo ng exam kung gagawin mo online. Yan yung medyo problematic area sa ngayon, yung pagdating ng entrance exam para sa academic year 2021-2022, 

[There is a need to change the exam’s design if it will be conducted online. That’s a little problematic area right now: the entrance exam for the academic year 2021-2022.]

Vera added that in an online test it's hard to determine if the student is the one answering or he/she might have someone helping. Compared before that, there’s a proctor and students go to a classroom to take the exam.

De Vera made example of the University of the Philippines (UP), which is not yet ready to administer its UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) online. UP's UPCAT is not designed for online. The exam should be given this third quarter of the year for the next school year, but it is not yet done or it is not ready to be administered online given that UPCAT has a lot of examinees, more than 100,000.

UP earlier announced that the administration of UPCAT for next school year is still being studied and planned more extensively due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the other hand, CHED has clarified that colleges and universities are not required to delay the opening of its academic year, following the announcement of the Department of Education (DepEd) to move the opening of classes to October 5.

Universities that will have full online classes are allowed to open last June and most already opened their academic year. As for Universities who will use a combination of online and offline learning, they can open in August or later.