LAE, MOROBE: The Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT-P) Joint Universities Committee of the PNG University of Technology, University of Goroka, and Pacific Adventist University would like to clarify recent media critiques made by the certain members of the public on the credibility of the STAT-P test and the assumption that the test undermines the integrity of the national examinations, categorizing the institutions as cash cows and the test as a money-making scam.
The Special Tertiary Admissions Test, or STAT-P as it is commonly known, is an admission requirement of the PNG University of Technology (PNGUoT), the University of Goroka (UOG), and the Pacific Adventist University (PAU).
The introduction of STAT-P as an admission requirement is a decision made by the University Council and Management of the respective partner universities to provide a fuller, well-rounded assessment of intending applicants. Past analyses of student performances in courses offered at tertiary institutions have indicated that some students struggle to keep up with studies at the University.
STAT-P was developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to help universities admit students well-suited to a broad range of academic programs. It
It does not test applicants’ knowledge of curriculum or specific academic content, instead, it evaluates their verbal or critical reasoning and quantitative reasoning skills. Furthermore, this standardized aptitude test does not impugn the worth and credibility of the Grade
12 National Examination but complements it.
The STAT-P is not a money-making scam, as it was misconstrued on social media. The three partner institutions do not get direct financial benefits from the test fee of K130 paid by applicants. The test fee is set based on the cost of production and printing of the test materials, logistics costs from Melbourne, Australia, to the 19 test centres in PNG and back for marking, plus the costs of administering the tests locally.
To conclude, all higher learning institutions in this country have their admission processes and requirements set and approved by their own governing Councils. Measures such as the STAT-P aptitude test are part of this requirement for the three aforesaid universities. Applicants who wish to apply to either of the three institutions – PNGUOT, UOG, and PAU, must sit for this test.
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STAT-P Contact:
For more information, contact stat-p@pnguot.ac.pg, statpenquiries@uog.ac.pg or information@pau.ac.pg , or visit the STAT-P website www.statpng.acer.org.
About Us:
The STAT-P Joint Universities Committee comprises the three partner institutions – PNGUoT, UOG, and PAU, with members comprised of a fair representation of the Senior Management, Academic Fraternity, and Administrative Executives from the partner institutions that oversee the administering of the STAT-P aptitude test with integrity and transparency in PNG.
The STAT-P aptitude test is commonly used in other countries, such as the USA, Australia, the UK, and the Pacific. In PNG;
- PNGUoT introduced the STAT-P in 2016 as an admission requirement for its Grade 12 School Leaver (SL) applicants.
- UOG introduced the test in 2017, which is required for Grade 12 School Leaver (SL) and Pre-Service Non- School Leaver applicants.
- PAU introduced the test in 2023, and is a requirement for Grade 12 School Leaver (SL) and Non-School Leaver applicants.
