Pavich said the old programme using the Optical Mark Reading (OMR) equipment had fewer errors than the Optical Character Recognition (OCR) programme that NIETS used this year and which resulted in many mistakes in student's scores. Because the NIETS and relevant agencies spent weeks correcting the mistakes, the university-admission schedule was thrown into chaos. This year was the first time that the NIETS had held the national tests - the O-Net (Ordinary National Educational Test) and the A-Net (Advanced National Educational Test) - whose scores constituted the main university admission criteria.

The NIETS also opted for the OCR system that called for examinees to write with pens. Previously, the Office of Higher Education Commission (OHEC) had held central university entrance examinations, using the OMR system in which students were required to use 2B pencils. Pavich said the OHEC would lend its OMR scoring machines to the NIETS.

He said the NIETS board had set up several committees to prepare for next year's O-Net. "The contents will be similar," he said. Pavich said the OHEC would head the preparations for the A-Net exam next year. He said the authorities were now working in tandem to ensure that the O-Net and A-net exams were conducted smoothly in February.

Meanwhile, Pavich said the application deadline for the post of NIETS director had been extended from yesterday to August 28. The extension was approved after only two applications were received. Because of the serious problems with the O-Net and A-Net exams this year, several top NIETS executives resigned and its director decided not to seek another term. - The Nation