Since as early as August 2020, PNG Insight Blog (my blog) has been actively raising concerns regarding the fairness and necessity of this mandatory admissions exam, publishing critical articles such as "UNITECH and UoG Yearly STAT-P Test - Is it Necessary?".
For years, the blog has argued that the test creates an artificial, exclusionary barrier that prioritizes geographical convenience and financial capacity over true academic merit.
Fast forward to today, October 2026, and the blog’s early warnings perfectly mirror the current frustrations shared by educators nationwide. Recent reports from Wesley highlight a school from the remote Rooke Islands that was forced to spend K47,750 to transport 45 Grade 12 students to a test center in Lae. When factoring in maritime vessel diversions, PMV fares, and urban lodging, rural families are now shouldering a burden of over K1,060 per student just to sit for a single exam.
As PNG Insight Blog has consistently highlighted, the system disproportionately punishes the 80 to 86 percent of the population living in rural and maritime regions. The testing administration generates substantial revenue from thousands of vulnerable Grade 12 students—who pay mandatory booking fees—despite the reality that most will never secure a placement due to strict university quotas.
Furthermore, the test measures general reasoning skills developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), rather than the national curriculum these students spent years studying.
To move away from this financially extractive model, universities must look to the constructive alternatives that advocates and educators are actively proposing:
●Trust Existing Data: Institutions should utilize Grade 12 national results and existing Differential Aptitude Tests (DAT) rather than forcing an expensive, external metric on students.
● Integrate Testing Locations: If a specialized test is deemed absolutely necessary, it should be administered alongside the Grade 12 exams inside local secondary schools, utilizing existing secure distribution networks to completely eliminate travel costs.
●Provide Fee Waivers: Testing authorities must offer comprehensive fee waivers for candidates traveling from remote and maritime zones to ensure equal access.
