Title: Cambodia-Australia National Examinations
Project (CANEP)
Location: Cambodia
Client: Australian Agency for International
Development (AusAID)
Firm: IDP Education Pty Ltd
Associated firms: Australian Council for
Educational Research
Services: Assisted the Cambodian Government to
reform the country's national school examinations system through
the provision of services in training, technology transfer, and
procurement.
Completion: 2003
A principal focus of this project was to support the
professional development of staff in the Examinations Office of the
Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and involved:
- the provision of infrastructure to support the efficient and
secure handling and administration of the national examination
- improving the quality of the examination papers and marking
processes at the Grade 9 and 12 examination levels
- facilitating the review and development of examinations and
other educational policies on the basis of reliable data and
longitudinal research.
To achieve these objectives, the consortium mobilised specialist
consultants in the areas of project management, exam construction,
statistical interpretation of results, and exam administration;
procured equipment for computer hardware and software; formed and
trained an IT Unit for the Examinations Office; conducted staff
workshops every year in each province; organised study tours and
arranged counterpart participation in regional educational
conferences, and arranged English language training for Cambodian
counterparts.
Before the project start, final year examination questions were
written on the blackboard by teachers, resulting in a high
incidence of fraud. In addition, students were required to
sit separate entry tests to higher education after taking the Grade
12 examination. Now, after the implementation of this six-year
project, the Examinations Office has a secure building, and a
modern computer system. Systemic changes including the use of the
Grade 12 examination results for entry to higher education and the
introduction of measurable standards of perfomance have had a
significant impact on the status of Grade 12 results for both
higher education institutions and prospective employers.
