Supamas" announced that students nationwide can apply for TGAT and TCAS 68 exams for free, reducing the burden, reducing inequality, creating equality, and increasing opportunities to access higher education. It pointed out that 2025 is the "first year" of revealing the A-level exam questions to measure academic knowledge. Ms. Supamas Isaraphakdi, Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI), announced the policy that the MHESI focuses on, which is reducing inequality and distributing access to higher education. 'If you want to study, you must be able to study.' In the previous academic year, the MHESI had a policy for university entrance examinations through the central admissions system for the year 2024 in the admission round or round 3, which allows each student to apply for 1-10 faculties for free, without any fees, for the first time in the country, or the 'Free TCAS policy.' This policy was very successful. It was found that there were as many as 132,004 applicants for the fr ee admission round of TCAS. Even though it was successful, the ministry was asked to analyze the data in detail in order to improve this policy to better meet the needs of students and use the country's budget in the most worthwhile way. The MHESI has discussed the data from the impact analysis of the Free TCAS 67 policy with the Council of University Presidents of Thailand (CUPT) and reached a joint conclusion. The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation is ready to announce good news for Thai society, parents and especially students who are about to take the university entrance exam through the TCAS 68 system that this year all students will be able to apply for the TGAT or Thailand General Aptitude Test, which is a general aptitude test, 'for free.' The TGAT test results can be used to apply from TCAS Round 1 (Portfolio Round). Therefore, supporting the cost of the TGAT or Free TGAT will benefit 'all students,' said the Minister of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation. Ms. Supamas added that there are currently more than 300,000 applicants for the TGAT exam, which will reduce the financial burden for students and parents and create educational equality in line with the policy of Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, Deputy Prime Minister who oversees the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation. In addition to the Free TGAT measure that was newly added this year, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation will continue the measure that was very successful last year. It will be adjusted to be more efficient. In addition, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation will continue to support the application fee for the TCAS 68 Round 3 or the 7-rank free admission round. This is because the detailed data analysis found that the Free TCAS 67 applicants who got the 8th-10th ranked faculty will have a very high waiver rate of 34%, especially in the 10th rank, which has a waiver rate of up to 40%. Therefore, if the 10th rank is still free like TCAS 67, it will be an inefficient use of the national budget. In this adjustment of the policy to support the application fee for the TCAS 68 selection system, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation and the Office of the Higher Education Commission have jointly found a new method of support, with the following principles: 'Students need to benefit more and budgets should be used more effectively.' Ms. Supamas added that for this new method, she is confident that up to 300,000 students will directly benefit, which is more than last year. Although 7 ranks are free to apply, if applicants want to apply for ranks 8-10, there will be a small additional charge of only 100 baht per rank. In addition, 2025 will be the 'first year' that the A-level exam answers, which measure academic knowledge, will be released. "This policy that I give great importance to will help reduce inequality, create equality and increase opportunities for Thai society to access higher education, " Ms. Supamas concluded. -317 - Thai News Agency Source: Thai News Agency