ENTRANCE EXAM TESTS, ORAL EXAMINATION PROCESS REQUIRE IMPROVEMENT IN ARMENIA
ARKA
Aug 12, 2008
YEREVAN, August 12. /ARKA/. Entrance examinations held this year
showed that tests on a number of subjects and oral examination process
require improvement in the country, Armenian Minister of Science and
Education Spartak Seyranyan said.
It is quite difficult to establish knowledge of entrants based on
tests consisting of 80 questions in such disciplines as "History of
Armenia" and "General History", unlike language subjects and math,
the Minister told journalists. Similar problems occurred in preparing
tests on chemistry, biology and geography that will be included in
the uniform state exams system next year, he said.
In September the Ministry will start preparing guidebooks to be
distributed to entrants in November the latest so that they have
an idea how the exams on these three disciplines will be held, the
Minister said.
The Minister also pointed out the problems occurred during the oral
examinations this year, particularly discontent of entrants and
their parents as no appeal procedure is provided for in the case of
oral exams.
Seyranyan stressed the necessity to bring oral examination process
closer to the test system when entrants answer verbal questions in
written (like TOEFL).
"We will try to find an option that will satisfy entrants on the one
hand and will not turn exams into a primitive proc ess on the other
hand," the Minister said.
Apart from language disciplines, in all other cases oral exams should
be maximally brought close to tests to avoid any display of bias,
Seyranyan said.
About 65,000 students study in 16 state-owned higher schools in
Armenia.
According to the Ministry, 10,001 students entered the universities
in Armenia this year (2,242 – in state-funded section, 3,327 in
paid departments and 4,401 with no right of adjournment of military
service).