NIETS held a 20th anniversary celebration in the theme of “Advancing Toward the Digital Assessment Era.”

On September 3, 2025, the deputy minister of education (Asst.Prof. Rinthipond Varinvatchararoj, Ph.D) presided over the opening ceremony of the 20^th anniversary of the establishment of the National Institute of Educational Testing Service (Public Organization), or NIETS, held under the theme “2 Decades of NIETS: Advancing Toward the Digital Assessment Era.” The event aimed to showcase NIETS' key achievements and its role in driving educational quality, as well as to present the institute’s future directions in the digital age. The event was honored by Wattanaporn Ra-ngaptuk, Ph.D. the NIETS Board Member, who delivered a keynote address on the path of NIETS in the digital era. The director of NIETS (Asst.Prof. Sirida Burachat, Ph.D.) presented the objectives of the event along with a report on noteworthy accomplishments. Participants included NIETS board members, subcommittee members, executives from various organizations, students, teachers, educational institutions, education personnel, and members of the media — totaling approximately 200 attendees. The event took place at Grand Ballroom A, Asawin Grand Convention Hotel, Bangkok.

The deputy minister stated that the essential objective of assessment is not merely testing, but the meaningful use of test results to enhance learning and genuinely improve students’ academic achievement. She expressed her appreciation upon learning that NIETS has revised all national assessments — including O-NET, V-NET, N-NET, B-NET, and I-NET — to incorporate real-life scenarios that emphasize analytical thinking and practical application. Furthermore, NIETS is developing tools that focus on essential competencies for lifelong human development. This aligns with the government’s policy that NIETS has been assigned to implement — namely, adjusting assessment systems to be in line with competency-based curricula. There are two key directions consisting of 1) ensuring alignment with the Basic Education Core Competency Curriculum of the Office of the Basic Education Commission (OBEC), which is already being piloted in over 4,000 schools. 2) to begin implementing competency-based curricula from the early primary education level, while also aligning with international student assessment standards such as PISA. She praised NIETS for its early preparation and readiness, noting that these efforts reflect NIETS' capability to keep pace with changes in the modern world. NIETS is ready to open up new testing systems to support the development of Thai children. On this occasion, she also congratulated the students and schools that received awards, as this reflects their commitment to self-development and the dedication of their affiliated institutions. She expressed her gratitude to NIETS for organizing this event, which plays an important role in raising awareness and fostering understanding among stakeholders about the national educational assessment mission, along with the goals and future direction of NIETS.

Wattanaporn Ra-ngaptuk, Ph.D. the NIETS Board Member, stated about the future direction of the institute, noting that NIETS is currently undertaking the following key initiatives: (1) developing assessment tools focused on essential competencies for lifelong learning development, integrating digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) into the creation and refinement of these tools. This includes conducting actual tests to overcome the limitations of traditional paper-based assessments, especially in areas where such formats only allow for indirect measurement of skills. (2) establishing a National Digital Testing Platform to support paperless examinations via computer or online systems, with a strong emphasis on security and integrity. (3) utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to generate test items stored in a Digital Item Bank, as well as to mark scores of exams, report results, and provide real-time analytics dashboards to assess students' strengths and weaknesses. (4) developing digital test formats that incorporate text, images, audio, video, and simulations, moving toward multimedia-based digital assessments.

The director of NIETS (Asst.Prof. Sirida Burachat, Ph.D.) reported performance on NIETS’ achievements in administering national educational assessments, highlighting its commitment to promoting equal educational opportunities for all learner groups — including children and youth, persons with disabilities, the underprivileged, the elderly, incarcerated individuals, gender-diverse groups, and other vulnerable populations — in an inclusive and comprehensive manner. NIETS has transformed its national educational assessments from traditional paper-and-pencil formats to digital testing systems, enhancing accessibility and modernizing the assessment process. In addition, NIETS has developed and offered various educational testing services, such as the Test of English Communication in the Workplace (TEC-W), competency assessments in educational measurement and learning evaluation, and Digital Literacy (DL) assessments to support workforce readiness in the digital era.

NIETS has developed 21^st-century competency assessment tools to align with the changes in the digital era and the need for lifelong learning. These tools are designed to assess a wide range of skills — including academic skills, life skills, and the ability to work collaboratively and effectively with others. The tools include: (1) the 21^st Century Competency Assessment (for students in basic education). This assessment covers five key competencies: communication competency, thinking competency, problem-solving competency, life skills competency, and technology competency. (2) English Language Proficiency Test (for learners aged 12–18). This test measures English proficiency for school-aged learners and adolescents based on the CEFR framework (levels A1–B1). It covers all four language skills — listening, speaking, reading, and writing — using both indirect testing and actual testing formats. (3) Thai Language Communication Competency Test (for students in basic education). This tool assesses Thai language communication skills in reading, analytical thinking, and summarizing in writing. It utilizes actual test formats to evaluate reading and the real-life situations of listening, speaking, and writing.

As part of the 20^th anniversary celebration of NIETS, a variety of activities were organized, including an exhibition showcasing the evolution of national educational assessments, a demonstration of AI-powered scoring systems for constructed-response (subjective) test items, a presentation on the Digital Item Bank and AI-generated test item creation, school exhibitions, and the academic panel discussion on the topic “Transforming National Educational Assessment in the Digital Era.” This academic forum featured distinguished speakers, including Assoc. Prof. Panjai Tantatsanawong, Ph.D, NIETS Board Member; Assoc. Prof. Teerasit Kasetkasem, Ph.D., Board Member of the Artificial Intelligence Association of Thailand; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chailerd Pichitpornchai, Ph.D., Director of the Institute for Innovative Learning, Mahidol University; and Assoc. Prof. Putcharee Junpeng, Ph.D., lecturer in Educational Measurement and Evaluation, Faculty of Education, Khon Kaen University.

In addition, an award ceremony was held, presided over by the Deputy Minister of Education, to recognize and encourage outstanding students and educational institutions. A total of 37 awards were presented, including:

• 8 awards for students with the highest scores in national educational assessments
• 12 awards for schools with the highest O-NET scores
• 7 awards for schools showing the most significant improvement in national assessment results (N-NET, B-NET, and I-NET)
• 6 awards for schools with the highest improvement in Thai language (subjective format)   O-NET scores
• 4 awards for schools participating in the project promoting the use of O-NET testing results to improve teaching and learning, which demonstrated the highest improvement in national assessment results

For those interested, the live broadcast and recorded sessions of the event are available on the NIETS Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/nietsofficial.