The Minister of Education visited the O-NET examination hall for students grade 9 at the Sainampeung School and other examination halls nationwide via an online system.

On Sunday, February 2, 2025, the Minister of Education (Pol. Gen. Permpoon Chidchob), the Director of National Institute of Educational Testing Service (Public Organization), or NIETS,  (Asst. Prof. Sirida Burachat Ph.D.), Secretary-General of the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC) (Acting Second Lieutenant Thanu Wongchinda), the Director of the Secondary Educational Service Area Office, Bangkok area 2 (Mrs. Naphaphon Phongkhan) and the team visited the examination hall for the Ordinary National Educational Test (O-NET) of grade 9 in the academic year 2024 organized at Sainampeung school. The school director (Mr. Suthikiat Phansena) and its teachers had warmly welcomed all visitors. In addition, the Minister of Education had an online visit along with the directors from 245 Educational Service Area Offices and the head of examination centers nationwide to report on the overall operation of the O-NET testing examination hall under the supervision of the examination centers.

The Minister of Education (Pol. Gen. Permpoon Chidchob) said that the O-NET test is a test using the national central examination to measure educational standards like a mirror reflecting what the quality of schooling management of educational institutions and the quality of student is. The clever students must be encouraged to do better, while those who aren’t must be encouraged and improved in their potential in the right way. In 2025, the PISA assessment will be conducted; therefore, he would like to recommend all grade 9 students take the integrated assessment of the national educational testing, including the testing development process. He also asked the executives of related agencies, the executives of educational institutions, and all sectors to cooperate for upgrading the quality of education.

The Director of NIETS (Asst. Prof. Sirida Burachat, Ph.D .) mentioned the overview of the O-NET testing for grade 9 students in the academic year 2024, which consists of 4 subjects: (1) Thai language, (2) English language, (3) Mathematics, and (4)Science. The testing is conducted in the paper-pencil format and using a digital testing system for the examination halls that have prepared computer equipment and internet network systems. This year, there are a total of 557,479 eligible students, classified as (1) Paper-Pencil: 537,743 students and (2) Digital Testing: 19,736 students.

NIETS has a mission that is in line with the focus of MOE and the policies of the Minister of Education (Pol. Gen. Permpoon Chidchob) to promote learners to be “Smart Learning (know what they should know), Smart Thinking (think logically), Smart Doing (do what is useful), and create a society of lifelong learning.”

NIETS also added competency-based testing and opened the system for educational institutions to submit data for grade 9 students to take the O-NET testing additionally between January 6-13, 2025, to promote the driving of raising the score of the PISA assessment results. The test results will reflect the schooling management of the educational institution. For students, it can be used as a preparation plan for having future testing. As for educational institutions, they can use the results to improve the schooling management, which has subsequently positive effects on the overall educational quality of the country.

NIETS has continuously developed personnel in the field of national educational testing, such as selecting a working group to create and refine the development of measurement and evaluation tools. There are also training programs for Thai language teachers from all affiliations nationwide to attend the “Subjective Test Marking Course.”. Those who pass the specified criteria will be selected as “NIETS Subjective Test Marking Teacher.”

After the test operation, NIETS prepared a test report and an additional report on strengths and what’s should be improved, and created an O-NET test report system with a Data Visualization format, including a report on “Discovering from Subjective Examination Marking” to encourage schools, students, and interested individuals to utilize the information on testing results.

On this occasion, NIETS would like to appreciate the Minister of Education for honoring us by presiding over the O-NET test site visit and was grateful for the original affiliations, examination centers, examination halls, and all relevant parties for their cooperation in conducting the national educational test in accordance with the national educational test standards.