We all know the extent of what the Qubool platform has achieved in university specializations, which is somewhat similar to the Coordination Office in sister Egypt, which has been in use in the land of the Nile for a long time. Through it, male and female students register their preferences for university specializations suitable for their qualifications via offices spread across most, if not all, Egyptian cities and governorates. Nowadays, it may have become through a website, similar to the website in our country, thank God, which is the Qubool platform. I believe, by God's grace, that I was among the first to write about establishing something like it in our country nearly 20 years ago, through our local print newspapers at that time. Therefore, we are proud of the Qubool platform for university admissions now, through which a male or female student only needs to register their preferences via the website using their mobile phone, without needing to go to the university or even enter the university's website. This is a great achievement credited to the universities and the Ministry of Education behind them. This year, students registered their preferences from November 5 to July 18, while the preference ranking was on June 24 last, and it is still ongoing as of the last third of this current July. It sorts the preferences of male and female high school graduates in our country according to the weighted averages of each student, with the admission results announced from July 19 to 21. However, this year, many male and female high school graduates and their parents noticed that the red flags regarding their children's preferences continued until the admission announcement date on the platform, represented by the low weighted averages they obtained after calculating the high school GPA, the General Aptitude Test (GAT) score, and the Scholastic Achievement Test (SAAT) score. Additionally, very high percentages have been recorded for theoretical specializations, reaching 90% and above—specializations that have seen low demand in recent years, and they do not know the reason for the rise in those percentages for such specializations.

Theoretical specializations exceed the 90% threshold!!

As I mentioned, the astonishment continues among male and female high school graduates and their parents regarding the jump in weighted averages for theoretical specializations, knowing that demand for them has declined over the past ten years, if not before, because the job market no longer needs many of those theoretical specializations. Some scientific specializations, such as medicine, engineering, cybersecurity, and other demanded specializations in recent years—especially medicine and cybersecurity—have become top priorities for students' choices.

Demanded specializations (Medicine, all its branches, Engineering, Cybersecurity, and others!!)

Male and female high school graduates have become more aware of the specializations demanded by the job market or at least those with high demand for a bright professional future, after God's guidance. However, those specializations have become difficult to attain for many, regardless of how high the students' grades are, even if they approach 99% or 100% in the high school diploma. But as we and the students and their parents know, the grade obtained by graduates is not everything; it accounts for only 40% of the total admission percentage in universities, while the other 60% goes to the General Aptitude Test (GAT) and the Scholastic Achievement Test (SAAT). This has greatly affected the non-acceptance of many students, and if they are accepted, they are directed to undesirable specializations that have no fertile ground in the job market. Therefore, I and many education stakeholders believe that the opposite should be the case: 60% for the high school GPA, as it was before, and 40% for the GAT and SAAT. With that measure, hope will grow, and students will breathe a sigh of relief regarding the possibility of being admitted to universities in demanded specializations that the job market and our country still need, which are the specializations I mentioned earlier. Additionally, this would appreciate the effort of students over twelve years across their general education stages, as they have excelled since their early school years. After graduating from high school, they are shocked by that condition regarding the weight of the GAT and SAAT, despite taking multiple versions of these tests starting from the second year of secondary school for the GAT and the third year for the SAAT, not to mention the optional STEB English test to increase their chances for admission to demanded university specializations needed by the job market. Therefore, we hope, through the platform of Sabq newspaper, that the average of those multiple tests (GAT and SAAT) be taken to raise the weighted averages for our sons and daughters, or we adopt the first proposal: making the high school GPA account for 60% and the GAT and SAAT 40%. With that measure, we will ensure, God willing, the creation of many and numerous opportunities for male and female high school graduates to enroll in top specializations or those they desire. This is what we hope to become a visible reality, and God is the one who guides to all good, glory be to Him.