More than 50,000 students hoping to enter university sat yesterday for the first day of tests in fields that are required by the college departments in which they want to study -- the first exams in a new scheme administered by the Ministry of Education.
The three-day tests are the last in a series of exams under the new scheme for those aspiring to enter university in September.
Students are tested according to the requirements set by the college departments to which they are applying. For example, students applying to a school's chemistry department may be required to take just the chemistry and math portions of the test if they passed a scholastic achievement test administered earlier this year.
PHOTO: LIN CHENG-KUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Physics, chemistry and biology were the subjects covered yesterday. Mathematics, Chinese and English will be covered today. History and Geography will be covered tomorrow.
More than 110,000 university hopefuls -- including 50 mentally or physically challenged students -- have registered for the test. There are 2,745 examination sites nationwide.
Although there were no serious testing violations reported yesterday, 172 test-takers at the Kinmen site were forced to start the physics exam without proper answer sheets. Organizers had failed to pick them up from the post office on time.
The answer sheets were delivered 40 minutes after the test started. Students were given 20 extra minutes to copy their answers from blank sheets to the formal answer sheets.
The result of the tests will be released on July 18, according to the College Entrance Examination Center, which is the organizer of the exam.
The United Academic Committee said yesterday that admission rates could not be determined until the test results are released.
"Because this is the first time we have held these tests, this could be regarded as a milestone for the diversified university admission system," Minister of Education Huang Jong-tsun (
Under the new college-entrance admission system, university hopefuls choose to take the scholastic achievement test, the "department-required subjects" tests, or both, to enter university.
Those with special talents can also gain admission via application or recommendation.
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