On Tuesday (24/04/2016), ITB along with Bandung 34 Local Committee staff members of SBMPTN 2016 arranged a press conference at Campus Information Center (CIC) building, ITB. This conference was attended by the representatives of public universities in Bandung, including Prof. Dr. Ir. Kadarsah Suryadi (ITB Rector), Prof. Dr. Med. Tri Hanggono Achmad (Padjadjaran University Rector), Prof. H. Furqon (Indonesia University of Education Rector), Prof. Dr. H. Mahmud (Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung University Rector), and Prof. Dr. H. Rudi Priyadi (Siliwangi University). The staff members of SBMPTN 2016 Bandung 34 Local Committee who attended this conference were Dr. Arry Bainus, MA (Chairman of Bandung 34 Local Committee from Padjadjaran University) and Prof. Dr. Asep Gana Suganda (First Executive Secretary of Bandung 34 Local Committee).

This year, SBMPTN 2016 will be different from the previous year. Besides the usual Paper Based Test (PBT), both science and technology (sainstek) as well as humanities and social sciences (soshum) disciplines will conduct a new method named the Computer Based Test (CBT). However, not all public universities could hold the admission exam by the CBT method yet. Thus, ITB as one of the universities that could hold the CBT test will provide 120 chairs for participants to carry out the CBT test in the ITB campus. "CBT method is one of the exam methods that is based on computational technology. This method could benefit the applicants by reducing their time to fill in and correct their answers," said Prof. Dr. Asep Gana as the First Executive Secretary of Bandung 34 Local Committee.

There are 2 types of tests in SBMPTN which are the written test and the skills test. This year, the written test will only be held in one day and will be continued with the skills test, which are required for some majors, on another day. "The selection will be held on late May and early June 2016 and Bandung 34 Local Committee expected that there will be around 42,800 participants from Bandung dan Tasikmalaya," Prof. Dr. Asep Gana added.

  "This year, ITB will receive 3,757 freshmen from both SBMPTN and Seleksi Nasional Masuk Perguruan Tinggi Negeri (SNMPTN) 2016. This number increased from last year due to the society's demand to increase the number of Indonesian engineers," Prof. Dr. Ir. Kadarsah said as the rector of ITB. He also said that they added the quota for international class in some majors, including Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Management, Clinical Pharmacy, as well as Aeronautics and Astronautics. "The reason for this is because these majors have already obtained international educational accreditation, so ITB made this as one of the new missions," Prof. Dr. Ir Kadarsah added.

Information related to SBMPTN 2016: sbmptn.or.id

Translated by

ITB Journalist Apprentice 2016

Jeffrey Halim (Faculty of Earth Sciences and Technology 2015)