Students' O-Net scores are the main criteria in determining whether they win a seat in their preferred field of study and institution.

"We have already decided that the O-Net will cover eight subjects, in line with what is taught at schools," Education Minister Wijit Srisa-arn said yesterday after a meeting with University Presidents Council of Thailand chairman Pratya Vesarach and National Institute of Educational Testing Service director Utumporn Jamornmann.

Students at the senior secondary level study mathematics, Thai, social science, English, science, arts, vocational skills and physical education.

However, the O-Net exams this year were restricted to mathematics, Thai, social science, English and science.

Wijit added that he, Pratya and Utumporn also discussed ways to include students' moral development in the accumulative grade-point average (GPAX) of their senior secondary years, which also counts in the university-admission criteria.

"We will also prepare a weighting formula to ensure that the GPAX is fair," he said, responding to many students' complaints that schools had clearly used different grading standards.

Wijit said he also asked the Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) to look into the possibility of integrating O-Net into the tests it conducts for students completing Grade 12, because he was hoping to include these test scores in the students' GPAX.

"If we can do it, GPAX will become a more reliable factor," he said.

Obec holds academic tests for Grade 12 students, and in some other grades, to gather information for planning the country's education services.

Speaking about the Advanced National Educational Test (A-Net), Wijit said he hoped the exam would be given a more appropriate name.

"To me, A-Net sounds like the tests will be about knowledge above the secondary education level. But in fact, A-Net focuses on testing the students' analytical and synthetic thinking abilities and problem-solving skills," he said.

Wijit said the University Presidents Council of Thailand would discuss the above ideas with universities and the Office of Higher Education Commission so that the university-admission system for 2009 onwards could be finalised.

Utumporn said he expected a final decision before year-end.