Pawich Thongroj, secretary-general of the Higher Education Commission, told The Nation last night the announcement would cover around 90 per cent of the total scores that had already been double checked. About 10 per cent of scores have yet to be double checked to match them with the right students.

Pawich said the commission had just found 19,000 score sheets that had to be matched by last night if the scores were to be announced today as intended, he said.

"So, we have two options: to announce only part of the total scores or postpone the announcement from the previously scheduled 8.30am to 6pm or 9pm," he said.

"Tonight [Saturday] we will work late, until 5am tomorrow, to complete all scores. We intend to announce the full version with scores of all students tomorrow," he said.

"If we get lucky, we hope that the 19,000 new sheets we have just uncovered will be the last; we need to complete the double checking for those 10 per cent," he said.

Today's schedule is the third postponement of the announcement for the Ordinary National Educational Test (O-Net) and Advanced National Educational Test (A-Net) scores.

The commission has been heavily criticised for its poor management in introducing the tests, which were to be an important part of national education reform.

Meanwhile, university rectors say they will give back places to students who dropped out after being handed incorrect results from the tests on April 1.

The students who want to take up the offer must report to their university by May 7, the rectors said after a meeting in Bangkok yesterday.

Anan Paengnoy

The Nation