Thousands vie for place in prestigious Triam Udom Suksa School

Of the 10,517 hopefuls who sat the exams yesterday, the school will have room for only 1,110 students for academic year 2019, a competitive ratio of 1:10, said school director Sopon Kamol, saying the exams went well. 

Despite the huge crowd, there was no chaos, thanks to a realistic rehearsal at the building ahead of exam day. In order to prevent cheating, students were barred from bringing along their cellphones, digital devices or watches that could be used to help with mathematical calculations, he said.
This is the first time that the Office of Basic Education Commission has ordered Triam Udom Suksa School to conduct entrance exams two weeks earlier than other highly competitive schools or general schools so that students from across the country, who wished to attend higher secondary education at Triam Udom Suksa School, could get a chance and still have other places to study if they did not pass the test. The exam results will be announced on March 14 and student orientation day will be on March 17.
Bangkok Secondary Educational Service Area Office 1 deputy director Thanarat Somkhane inspected the exam site and said the school had prepared well at every stage and hence parents could feel confident that the test was conducted with fairness and transparency.