Despite the success of the national unified admissions platform 'Qabool' in its first operating season last year and the broad engagement from students and parents, the user experience yielded a number of remarks that can be regarded as opportunities to develop the platform and enhance its efficiency. This is natural in national digital projects that rely on continuous improvement based on user feedback, which this year was reflected in the introduction of several improvements, including the addition of an icon that allows students to review 'unavailable opportunities'. Competition opportunities: Nevertheless, specialists and educators believe the platform still needs further development in several areas, foremost among them enhancing transparency in explaining why certain specializations do not appear for the student, by clarifying whether it is due to not meeting the weighted ratio, health requirements, specific specialization prerequisites, or other admission criteria, thereby helping students understand their choices and reducing inquiries. Observers also called for providing indicative indicators of competition opportunities for specializations based on previous years' results, emphasizing that they are non-binding indicators, giving students a more realistic picture when ranking preferences and helping them build a balanced list combining ambitious specializations and safe options. On the data side, the need emerged for a more flexible electronic mechanism to correct errors in basic data, especially health data, during the application period, ensuring that the student's chances are not affected by an unintentional information entry error. Specialists also see the importance of expanding the guidance content within the platform by providing more detailed explanations of the symbols and colors used, continuously updating frequently asked questions, and producing illustrative materials explaining the comparison mechanism, how to rank preferences, and the impact of each decision the student makes during the application process. They also emphasize the need to strengthen the technical support system and increase response speed during peak periods, with instant notifications when the application moves between admission stages or when an action is required from the student, thereby improving user experience and reducing the need for repeated contact with support channels. On the awareness side, educators believe that schools can play a larger role in supporting the platform by training student counselors on its mechanism, how to rank preferences and choose the appropriate specialization, so they in turn can educate students and their parents before graduation from high school, ensuring the family is ready to make university admission decisions on clear and studied bases. Fairness and transparency: In turn, educational consultant Abdullah Al-Sultan told Al-Watan that the 'Qabool' platform is one of the most prominent digital initiatives witnessed by the university education sector in the Kingdom, as it succeeded in bringing about a fundamental transformation in the university admission mechanism by unifying application procedures into a single national platform, which helped simplify the student journey, reduce procedures, and enhance fairness and transparency in competition for study seats. Digital development: Al-Sultan said: Before the platform's launch, students were forced to apply through multiple electronic portals that differed in mechanisms, dates, and requirements, which required continuous monitoring and increased the likelihood of missing some admission opportunities. Today, however, students can manage their application through a unified platform, review available specializations, rank their preferences according to their priorities, and follow admission stages in a more organized and easier digital environment. Moreover, the application does not require attaching any paper or document, as all steps are carried out electronically, reflecting the digital development achieved in services provided in the Kingdom. The experience of the 'Qabool' platform confirms that digital transformation in university admission procedures represents a strategic step in developing the higher education system in the Kingdom, and is one of the mechanisms for human capacity development, which is one of the pillars of the Kingdom's Vision 2030. Continuing to develop the platform by benefiting from users' opinions and observations enhances its efficiency, raises student and parent satisfaction, and cements it as a leading national model in providing digital educational services. The six development opportunities: 01 Enhancing transparency by clarifying reasons why some specializations do not appear for the student. 02 Providing indicative indicators of competition opportunities for specializations based on previous years' results. 03 Offering a flexible electronic mechanism to correct errors in basic data, especially health data. 04 Expanding guidance content and explaining the comparison mechanism and preference ranking, and updating frequently asked questions. 05 Strengthening technical support and accelerating response with instant notifications about admission stages and required actions. 06 Activating the role of the school and student counselor through early training and awareness for students and parents on the platform's mechanism and specialization selection.

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