Decline in university application numbers reaches 50,000 mark
Decline in Exam Applicants Linked to COVID-19 and Policy Changes
The number of applicants for the first phase of the exam in 2021 has seen a significant decrease compared to previous years, primarily due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in exam policies.
During 2020 and 2021, test centers were closed or had limited capacity, leading to fewer candidates being able to schedule or attend exams. The pandemic also affected education, with remote learning and reduced clinical or practical experience opportunities impacting candidates' readiness to apply or take exams, particularly in healthcare-related fields.
Policy changes, such as the retirement of certain exam policies, have also contributed to this decline. For example, the removal of the "rolling clock" policy in NCARB's Architect Registration Examination (ARE) in 2023 may have introduced uncertainty that affected candidate testing behavior.
Broader educational and admissions landscape shifts have also played a role. The pandemic accelerated changes like test-optional admissions policies in many universities and disruptions in traditional preparatory pathways, which might have reduced the immediate pool of applicants for certain professional exams in 2021.
Systemic access issues and evolving requirements may have indirectly influenced candidate numbers. Education experts suggest that beyond pandemic impacts, inequities in preparedness or changing relevance of traditional measures (e.g., calculus versus data science knowledge) might have influenced candidate numbers through altered career or study choices.
These factors combined resulted in a noticeable decline in candidates starting exams in 2020 and 2021, with recovery beginning in 2023 and 2024 as conditions normalized and policy adjustments took effect.
Interestingly, the number of applicants this year is close to the levels recorded in 2018, when 49,362 students applied for the first phase. However, the reasons for the decrease in applicants this year compared to last year, or any specific effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the application process for this year, are not provided.
The Directorate-General for Higher Education (DGES) reported that 49,595 applicants participated in this year's first phase, which is 9,046 fewer than last year. The enrolment for higher education in 2020, due to a temporary change in the rules for accessing higher education, saw a surge.
The lack of affordable housing for students has been a concern for student associations, but the paragraph does not provide information about the measures taken to address this issue.
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The decline in the number of applicants for the first phase of the exam in 2021 is not only linked to the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in exam policies but also to general news such as the lack of affordable housing for students, which may have influenced candidate numbers indirectly. Furthermore, broader educational and admissions landscape shifts due to the pandemic, including test-optional admissions policies and disruptions in traditional preparatory pathways, might have reduced the immediate pool of applicants for certain professional exams, contributing to the overall decline in candidates starting exams in 2020 and 2021.
