Exam Answer Sheets Reportedly Hard to Write On; Ministry of Education Says They Were Tested, Appeals Possible

(CNA, Taipei, 18th, Reporter Hsu Chih-wei) After the junior high school CAP exam concluded yesterday, some students reported issues with the quality of the answer sheet paper, which caused pens not to write properly. The Ministry of Education responded today, stating that the paper had been tested with various ballpoint pens before the exam, and if students feel their rights have been compromised, they can file an appeal.

The 115th junior high school CAP was held on May 16 and 17. Media reported that some students complained that they couldn't write on the answer sheets, and even had to test multiple pens to find one that would work smoothly.

During a review of the Ministry of Education's budget today, the Legislative Yuan's Education and Culture Committee's KMT legislator Lo Ting-wei mentioned recent online news where many parents reflected on issues with the exam papers and paper quality, such as black pens not writing, and reminded the ministry to prioritize students' rights.

Minister of Education Cheng Ying-yao responded that they had indeed received a report from one student who said their ballpoint pen kept skipping on the exam paper. A teacher on-site took a photo of the paper, and the preliminary judgment is that the writing is clearly legible and will not affect the student's rights. The issue was also raised in a meeting yesterday, and he assured that attention would be paid to this matter in future exam paper printing.

Peng Fu-yuan, Director-General of the K-12 Education Administration, added that the CAP paper was tested with various ballpoint pens before the exam. If students still feel their rights have been compromised, they can file an appeal, at which point the original exam paper can be reviewed to handle the case.

Yang Yu-huei, Director of the Department of Technological and Vocational Education, pointed out that the Ministry will also remind all major entrance examination bodies to pay attention to paper quality to prevent issues where students cannot write with ballpoint pens or experience ink skipping during exams. (Editor: Chang Ya-ching) 1150518