On July 22, on the initiative of the RA NA Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sport a working discussion on the theme concerning the higher education entrance examinations was held.
The Chairs and the Deputy Chairs of the RA NA Standing Committees, the deputies and the representatives of the Assessment and Testing Center (ATC), the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport and the Inspectorate took part in the discussion.
The Deputy Chair of the RA NA Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Diaspora, Youth and Sport Hovhannes Hovhannisyan has informed that the discussion is related to the complaint of the applicants, who have received positive points, but not entered. It has been noted that the applicants with highest points have been left out, and those who have received 7.5-8 points, as the priority has been given to the first application.
The deputies have opined that the new order of the entrance examinations has not been properly informed, according to which, the priority is given to the applicants, who have filled in the first application, which has caused confusion.
The participants of the discussion voiced numerous questions and presented recommendations. A proposal was particularly sounded to design additional places for the professions in demand. The places designed for the foreign students was pointed out as an example.
The Deputy Director of the Assessment and Testing Center Karo Nasibyan has informed that at this moment, 11.000 vacant places are available, and the applicants not entered with positive points are 739. They have been proposed to take part in the second phase of the admission. According to him, more than 500 applicants have already applied, and the results will be summed up on July 25.
Touching upon the issue of not properly informing the decision of giving priority to the first application, Karo Nasibyan noted that the applicants could not fill in the application online, without confirming that they had read the notice, where the information on giving the priority to the first application had been noted. Besides, a video clip on the changes of the entrance examinations had been prepared, which was shown on the Public TV Company.
Answering to the MPs’ proposal of adding additional places, the Head of the Department for Higher and Post Graduate Professional Education Robert Sukiasyan informed that this year, before the entrance examinations, according to the demand of the higher educational institutions, additional places have been added beforehand.
Summing up the discussion the MPs underlined that they would be consistent and would support the applicants to find versions for the solution of the problem.