Fewer students register for university entrance tests

JAKARTA (JP): The local committee for the upcoming entrance exams for state universities (UMPTN) predicts a drop of 3,000 in the number of students who will join the test in the capital.

Ridla Bakri from the entrance exams' local committee said on Tuesday that the committee registered 71,000 students for the exams last year, but this year, the number would likely drop to 68,000 at the most.

The test will be conducted next Tuesday and Wednesday at a number of high schools in the city.

Ridla said that until Tuesday, there had only been 56,926 students who had registered for the exams.

Most of them, or 76.6 percent, registered collectively from schools.

Registration continues on Saturday, but the forms are only available until Friday.

Ridla said that the committee provided a total of 71,000 forms for the students.

"Last year, we provided 72,000. But only around 70,000 were sold," he asserted.

"We have predicted that this year, a maximum of only 67,000 forms will be sold," he added.

The number of students who have taken the test in the capital have dropped in the past few years. In 1999, there were some 75,000 high school graduates who competed for university places.

"I don't know what caused the drop. But each year shows a different trend, sometimes it's up, sometimes it's down," Ridla said.

"Maybe it's because students have lost interest (in state universities). Or maybe because they don't have the money, I don't know," he said.

The price of purchasing a registration form, however, is the same as last year. It is Rp 55,000 (US$5) for a science or social studies package, and Rp 75,000 for students who want to take both.

The payment should be made by Friday.

As a first step, students pay at any branch of BNI bank in the capital which opens from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. After that, they can obtain the form between 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Menza building on Salemba Raya 18, near the campus of University of Indonesia in Central Jakarta.

"Students have to return the forms by themselves. And for late registration, they have to pay an extra amount, Rp 10,000, which must be paid on Saturday at the latest.

The tests will be held at 209 schools across the capital. Seventy three schools will hold the science test, 102 will hold the social studies test and 34 schools are available for students who take both.

"That is if the target of 71,000 is fulfilled. But since it's unlikely, several schools will not be used," Ridla said.

The students will compete with some 465,000 fellow students from all over the country, for seats at 45 state universities.

Last year, out of 473,402 senior high school graduates who took the test, only 73,540, or 15 percent, made it. The University of Indonesia registered 2,673 new students. (hdn)