The delay was necessary to allow for a third round of checking of examination papers, which were full of errors, the dean said yesterday.

The announcement followed the earlier decision by the National Institute of Educational Testing Services (NIETS) to re-check open-ended sections for science, mathematics and social sciences as well as English and Thai of both the O-Net and A-Net exam papers.

One hundred computers will be used to check the exams in order to meet the new deadline, while 30 extra telephone lines will be installed at the marking centre for students to check their results, which will also be made available at various universities around the country, such as Chulalongkorn and Chiang Mai.

The authorities urged students to put their faith in the new round of checks, as the papers will be expertly checked. They expect there should be no more than about 500 errors in the 200,000 papers.

Initial results of the Thai and English-language tests were particularly problematic as many students received a score of zero despite claiming to have answered the test papers well. A meeting will take place today to discuss the two language tests and how to address the problem.

Chulalongkorn University's deputy dean for Academic Affairs of the Medical Faculty, Asst Professor Nanthana Sirisab, said however the recruitment of 200 medical students under the "morally endowed" programme had been achieved. As for other medical science applicants waiting for the revised results of both O-Net and A-Net exams, Nanthana said the faculty would honour the revised results though it has yet to decide whether it would take the old scores into consideration. The deputy dean urged NIETS to be clearer about whether the organisation would re-check all open-ended exam papers.

Meanwhile, a group of students will hand a petition to caretaker Education Minister Chaturon Chaisang today urging him to ensure the new round of checks is standardised and credible.

 Thanaphol Juengsirakulwit, one of the students who will meet Chaturon, said it was critical for the results to be reliable. He urged the minister to find ways to ensure fairness for first-year university students who wish to transfer to another university or another programme as the system used in calculating a student's performance is different this year.

Acting caretaker Prime Minister Chidchai Vanasatidya said he would bring up the matter during the Cabinet meeting tomorrow, which will also include the problem of funding.

More information on the new results will be online from April 30 at www.cuas.or.th, www.ntthailand.com and www.mua.go.th. Students can also call the secretariat of the Commission for Higher Education at 02-576-5555.

Those applying for direct admission to higher educational institutions can submit applications from now until May 7 on www.cuas.or.th and make a payment by May 9 through a bank or post office.