The state university is getting most of the students with the highest admission scores, the Higher Education Commission said yesterday.

The popular faculties are engineering, arts, law, economics, architecture, political science and commerce, and accountancy,

Khaimuk Kriengsakphong, who booked a seat in Chulalongkorn's Faculty of Engineering by scoring the highest in engineering - 90.88 out of 100 - said she had turned down an invitation to study medicine at Mahidol University under the direct admission system because engineering was more to her liking.

She had wanted to study chemical engineering since she was at Triamudom Suksa School, where she graduated with a GPA of 3.99.

The key to her success?

"The answer might bore you. It's simply paying attention in class and never leaving unanswered questions in my head," she said.

While many students criticise the testing system for university admission that was used for the first time this year, Khaimuk said she liked it better than the old "entrance examination", which she said was harder.

Nuanphan Tangthavorn, who is also a former pupil from Triamudom Suksa School and holds the highest score among medicine students accepted by the nine state medical schools, said although she did not thoroughly understand the new system and could not tell exactly whether it was right or wrong, she had managed to adjust to it.

"But the new system should have been tested carefully before it was put into use," Nuanphan said.