The Council of University Presidents of Thailand has advised students to study details about the new system at http://tcas61.cupt.net/ so they can prepare for the changes.

The Thai University Central Admission System (TCAS) is set to replace the current central university admission system (CUAS).

The new system has been designed to prevent students from applying to various institutes and reserving places, which they previously often failed to take up.

The new set-up prescribes five rounds of recruitment. Applicants who have already got a seat from a previous round will not be allowed a seat in a further round.

The first round is based on students’ portfolios. The second features a quota system with applicants required to submit scores from the Ordinary National Education Test (Onet), the General Aptitude Test (Gat), the Professional Aptitude Test (Pat) and probably other tests that universities deem appropriate.

The third round involves a direct admission system shared by partner institutes, while the fourth round features a scores-based joint |admission system, and the fifth round is a direct admission system offered by institutes that still have seats left.

There were queries as soon as Council president Prof Suchatvee Suwansawat finished his press conference on the new university admission system on Thursday.

“Not all faculties will stage a portfolio round, right?” one student asked.

Another student asked about |the differences between the joint admission round and independent admission rounds.

The first round of the TCAS will start on October 1 and universities will announce the list of successful candidates by December 12.

The second round will then start with an announcement of successful candidates on May 8 next year.

The third round will then accept applications between May 9 and 13; results of successful candidates will be posted on June 8.

Applications for the fourth round will run till June 10.

The list of successful applicants will be released on July 13.

The fifth round will start after that.

“The new system won’t allow students to apply to other institutes if their application has already been accepted by a university,” Suchatvee emphasised.

He expected the change to reduce gaps between rich and poor children, because applicants would not be able to “book” as many seats as they can after paying for application fees. That practice has hurt children from low-income families who are not be able to pay several lots of application fees.