Nearly 70 per cent of students preparing to enter university say the new admissions system has caused them stress, and almost 2 per cent would consider suicide if they were not accepted by their first choice of university, a survey revealed yesterday.

The Mental Health Department and Abac Poll Research Centre conducted the survey of 1,079 students applying to universities this year.

Of the respondents who reported feeling stress, about 9.5 per cent said the level was high while 27.4 per cent reported moderate stress.

Nearly 2 per cent of respondents said they would consider suicide if they failed to win a seat at their preferred higher-educational institution.

"Two per cent of respondents is too many when it comes to being suicidal," caretaker Deputy Public Health Minister Anutin Charnveerakul said yesterday.

The main reasons given by those who said they would consider suicide were: a lack of anyone to comfort them when they failed; to send a message about their feelings to adults; and to protest against the National Institute of Education Testing Service (NIETS).

Earlier this month, NIETS twice voided the O-Net (Ordinary National Educational Test) and A-Net (Advanced National Educational Test) scores.

This year saw the introduction of a new admissions system based on students' secondary-school grades and O-Net or A-Net scores, in place of the old central university entrance exam.

Authorities have promised to officially announce the O-Net and A-Net scores on Sunday.

Anutin said the survey was conducted to help authorities prepare measures to help students who fail to win a seat at their preferred university.

"We hope to persuade students that failing to enter their favourite university isn't the end of their lives," he said.

Anutin also called on parents to offer their children moral support if their preferred university rejected them.