Indonesia is set to execute this year’s computer-based exam (UTBK), part of the annual state university entrance test (SBMPTN), in two phases because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Education and Culture Ministry along with the Institution of University Entrance Exams (LTMPT) and the Indonesian State University Rectors Assembly (MRPTNI) announced the plan in a virtual press conference on Wednesday.
The ministry’s acting director general of higher education, Nizam, said the decision was made to ensure the safety of the participants.
“We will try to make the state university admission as safe as possible,” he said on Wednesday as reported by kompas.com.
“Test takers usually do not come [to the test locations] alone, they go with their parents. Travelling [in large groups] outside their [respective] regions would be difficult because of the large-scale social restrictions [PSBB], so we decided to hold the test in two phases,” he added.
He went on to say that first phase of the exam would be carried out from July 5 to 14. The exam would be designated for participants residing in the regions of the test sites.
Meanwhile, the second phase of the exam, which is scheduled for July 20-29, is designated for participants from the COVID-19 “red zones” that have chosen test locations outside of their respective region.
The test organizers will cooperate with local high schools to conduct the exams, so that the participants do not have to travel out of town.
“We want to ensure the safety of the test takers and people who escort them as well as the test organizers and supervisors. We also want to prevent the test takers from traveling outside of their respective regencies or provinces for the exam,” MRPTNI head Jamal Wiwoho said.
He added that organizers would follow strict health protocol in conducting the test.
“I hope we will still be able to conduct fair, accountable, flexible, efficient and transparent state university entrance tests,” added Jamal.
LTMPT organizer executive chief Mohammad Nasih said there would be several other adjustments for the exams.
“We will reduce the number of tests per day from four to two in each location. This year, participants will only take one test subject,” Nasih said, adding that the exams would be conducted in many locations across the country to avoid intercity travel over fears of coronavirus transmission.
Besides utilizing the 74 UTBK Centers, which are located in Jakarta, in Surabaya of East Java, in Yogyakarta, in Semarang of Central Java and other places, the organizers are to cooperate with private universities and high schools to provide venues to conduct the tests.
He went on to say that the 2020 UTBK had been modified to match the so-called “new normal” phase during the pandemic.
“Apart from keeping [in place some of the] previous protocols, we have also added measures to anticipate [force majeure] situations, including earthquakes, that would limit participants’ mobility. Therefore, we call it a hybrid UTBK,” added Nasih.
More than 703,000 participants have registered for the upcoming annual state university entrance test. (nal)
