Ordinary National Education Test (O-Net) arrangements for Mathayom 6 students which kicked off yesterday were satisfactory, Education Minister Teerakiat Jareonsettasin said.
Speaking after inspections, Dr Teerakiat said he was satisfied with the O-Net arrangements, adding Thailand is one of the countries in Asean which is able to make quality examination arrangements.
Dr Teerakiat along with Sumphan Phanphurk, director of the National Institute of Educational Testing Service (Niets), and Karoon Sakunpradit, secretary-general of the Office of the Basic Education Commission (Obec), yesterday made a random inspection of O-Net conditions for Mathayom 6 students at Rittiyawannalai School in Sai Mai district, which was selected as one of the exam venues in Bangkok.
O-Net exams for the 2016 academic year kicked off yesterday with 394,343 students sitting exams across the country, Mr Sumphan said.
There are a total of 405 exam venues including Rittiyawannalai School and 18 exam centres.
The tests started yesterday and will end today.
Niets has taken strict measures to prevent students from cheating by copying answers on tests by students sitting the exam, Dr Teerakiat said. He said instances of cheating were not detected.
Last year the institute made a mistake by giving incorrect answers, he said. This year exam samples and test score indicators had been provided for students, Dr Teerakiat said.
Test examples would be advantageous for students, he said.
Dr Teerakiat said the O-Net is good not only for students but also for educators and officials.
"If students do not get good scores this time, they must work harder to get good ones in the next exam," Dr Teerakiat said.
To help students prepare for the test, the ministry will provide free online tutorial programmes for students, he said.
Leading tutors will help students develop examination techniques nationwide, he added.
Dr Teerakiat said he had assigned Obec to set up a website which will provide more than 10,000 sample questions for students.
Meanwhile, the O-Net has been monitored closely at the Secondary Educational Service Area Office 19 (Loei-Nong Bua Lam Phu) to ensure transparency, office head Somjet Srisomjak said yesterday.
Mr Somjet said officials from Niets and Khon Kaen University have looked into every process of the examination carefully.
He was speaking after inspecting exam rooms at Srisongrakwittaya School in Loei's Dan Sai district.