Students take a class at the Faculty of Economics and Business Management, one of the most popular faculties at the NUOL. - VT File
VIENTIANE: In just one week, almost 3,000 people registered to take the entrance exams for a place at the National University of Laos, with candidates able to register from July 8 to Aug 7.
The entrance exams for courses at the university’s 13 faculties will take place at the university campus in Vientiane on Aug 10.
Candidates sitting the exams will be divided into two groups. Those in Group A will take exams in maths, physics, Lao/literature, chemistry, biology and English. About 725 people have so far registered to take these exams.
Candidates in Group B will take exams in maths, Lao language/literature, geography, history and English. About 2,087 people have registered for these exams to date.
Meanwhile, the university admissions office is preparing the final student intake proposals for approval by the Ministry of Education and Sports.
Those who pass the entrance exam can enroll in courses in engineering, teaching of mathematics and physics, agriculture, environmental studies, Lao language education and numerous other fields, with 118 courses available in total.
The University of Health Sciences in Vientiane, University of Champassak in Champassak province, Souphanouvong University in Luang Prabang province, and the University of Savannakhet are also preparing for entrance examinations.
Online registration is also available at these universities and is encouraged because it enables faster and simpler application.
According to an official report, the number of students registering for entrance exams at NUOL and other universities has dropped in recent years.
In the 2022-2023 academic year, 11,976 people registered to take entrance exams at NUOL, of whom 6,990 were accepted.
In the run up to the 2023-2024 academic year, only 7,441 students sat entrance exams, of whom 6,688 were awarded places.
The Ministry of Education and Sports has expressed serious concerns over the decline in student applications, which it attributes to several factors.
The main reason for the fall in the number of applicants is because employment opportunities in Laos are limited and many people see no point in paying for a university education if it does not provide them with a job.
The ministry also says that more scholarships are now available for study in other countries, which has led to a drop in the number of people applying for courses at universities in Laos.
Another reason for the drop in university applicants is that many families in rural areas cannot afford to pay the tuition fees. - Vientiane Times/ANN
