Jordan Scraps Comprehensive Exam for Diploma Students to Boost Vocational Training

Jordan has abolished the comprehensive exam for intermediate diploma students, a move hailed by academic experts as a strategic decision to enhance vocational and technical education and align it with the demands of the modern labor market.

The decision prioritizes students' interests and reflects contemporary changes, particularly the increasing need for specialized technical education and skilled young professionals with practical knowledge.

According to the director of the Unified Admission Coordination Unit at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education and Scientific Research, the decision followed a thorough study that considered student interests and the current redundancy of the comprehensive exam as a student evaluation tool. Students undergo continuous assessment throughout their studies.

The Higher Education Council has encouraged official universities to establish technical colleges and vocational specializations at the intermediate diploma level. This expansion of technical and vocational education made it inappropriate for a public university to oversee the comprehensive exam for diploma students in other public universities, a practice inconsistent with higher education laws and university regulations.

The original purpose of the comprehensive exam was to ensure students were prepared for bachelor's-level studies after completing their intermediate diploma, especially those whose high school grades did not qualify them directly. However, with the presence of the Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority, which ensures that all higher education institutions meet accreditation standards and output quality, including community colleges and intermediate diploma graduates, the exam became unnecessary.

The cancellation of the comprehensive exam is expected to incentivize students to enroll in intermediate diploma programs in vocational and applied specializations. Previously, some students would retake their high school exams to achieve a grade that would qualify them for private universities, rather than enrolling in diploma programs due to the comprehensive exam.

The Dean of the Technical College at Jerash University, Muhammad Salem Tarawneh, stated that the decision is a significant step in developing technical education because it refocuses on the essence of the educational process: equipping students with skills and practical experience throughout their studies, rather than tying their graduation to a single final exam. Technical colleges are primarily based on practical training and continuous evaluation, making student assessment more fair and realistic.

The labor market seeks graduates who can perform, not those who have passed a theoretical test. This step allows students more time for practical training, applied projects, and direct interaction with the work environment, increasing employment opportunities. This indicates that the decision enhances graduate readiness and helps bridge the gap between education outputs and the needs of the productive sectors.

The decision aligns with the goals of Jordan's Economic Modernization Vision, which focuses on empowering youth, developing technical skills, raising employment rates in priority sectors, and enhancing technical education and modernizing its assessment tools. This type of education is part of a broader process aimed at building qualified cadres that support economic growth and respond to the rapid changes in the labor market.

The Dean of the Faculty of Technical Education at Al al-Bayt University, Majed Harahsheh, emphasized that abolishing the comprehensive exam for intermediate diploma students is an important step in the path of modernization and academic development, contributing significantly to removing the psychological and academic obstacle that prevented students from joining technical specializations.

Harahsheh anticipates that this decision will contribute to an increase in demand for community colleges and technical programs, which the labor market urgently needs, especially with the trend of official universities establishing new technical colleges. This will create a positive shift in the culture of students and parents towards this educational path.

The decision reflects a comprehensive and serious shift in the educational process towards focusing on practical skills and continuous training instead of standardized theoretical exams that focused on memorization and rote learning. This approach will produce a graduate who is more prepared to face actual job requirements and more in line with the needs of employers who are looking for ready skills and real applied capabilities.

The decision will enhance the confidence of students and their families in the technical path, which will positively reflect on enrollment rates in these specializations. A large turnout is expected this year for community colleges, both public and private, and the number of students in technical and applied tracks will increase, helping to provide skilled and qualified personnel for work in domestic and foreign labor markets.