The O-Net (Ordinary National Educational Test) and A-Net (Advanced National Educational Test) exams also have sections for open questions. This is the first year the tests are being used for university admissions.

"But whether all test-takers will get their scores remains to be seen because some answer sheets have inadequate identification information," Pavich said.

Earlier this month the National Institute of Education Testing Service (NIETS), which conducts the exams and scores the papers, twice released and subsequently voided the O-Net and A-Net results due to many errors.

Ohec has stepped in to help recheck the answer sheets.

Pavich suggested that NIETS set up an independent panel to investigate how more than 10,000 answer sheets could not be matched to test-takers.

"We are not focusing on who is at fault. Rather, we have to find the root of these problems," he said.

Meanwhile, Khon Kaen University president Sumon Sakolchai said he had set up a committee to determine whether human error or the XM scanning software developed by the university was to blame for the debacle.

"The fact-finding committee is necessary because our university's reputation is affected," he said.

Dr Bandhit Thinkamrop, head of the university's technology research and development project, insisted there was nothing wrong with the software, which he said had worked efficiently in many tests before.

"The problems lies with the users," he said.