Unanswerable exam questions have students scratching their heads

The questions in the Ordinary National Educational Test (ONet) have caused a stir again.

To many Mathayom 6 students, some of the questions on this year's test sounded rather stupid, with none of the multiple-choice answers given seeming to be correct. Some parents felt the questions test neither the knowledge nor the common sense of their children.

"If the question designers come up with such tests, how can we expect to see a bright future for our country?" asked one critic venting his frustration on a Web board.

A total of 397,177 students sat the O-Net tests last weekend, according to National Institute of Educational Testing Service (NIETS) director Samphan Phranphruek. The NIETS organises the O-Net tests; Mathayom 6 students take them seriously because their scores are a factor in the university-admission system.

However, as in years past, this year's examinees emerged from the exam rooms joking about the questions.

This year, O-Net questions for the Health Education subject have drawn criticism.

One of the multiple-choice questions asks, "If you have a sexual urge, what should you do?" The available alternatives are: a) Ask friends if you can play football together; b) Consult family members; c) Try to sleep; d) Go out with a friend of the opposite sex; or e) Invite a close friend to watch a movie together.

Critics pointed out that both "a" and "b" could be taken as correct answers for boys; furthermore, in the case of most girls, "a" would be a strange option, and therefore not a viable choice.

A large number of students also found the following question laughable: "Locals have found a bizarre item. It is round and soft. If it is not fed water, it shrinks and becomes a hard object. This hard object, when given water, will return to its soft, bigger condition. What is it?" The alternatives were: a) The egg of the Naga; b) The egg of a giant salamander; c) Quartz; d) Flour balls in milk tea; or e) Hydrogel.

"I guess this question was just for fun," a student said on condition of anonymity.