MALAYSIA

There are four types of national/public examinations in the Malaysian education system as described below, the first three being conducted by the Ministry of Education Examination Syndicate, and the last one conducted by the Malaysian Examination Council:

a.  The PMR (Penilaian Menengah Rendah) or Lower Secondary Assessment is a centrally administered national examination with elements of coursework assessment at the lower secondary level.

This examination is taken by students at the end of the third year of lower secondary school based on the Integrated Secondary School Curriculum (KBSM).

The student who sits for the PMR should have completed 6 years of primary school under the KBSR system and 3 years of study under the KBSM.

Students form the National Type Primary School should have undergone a one year bridging programme called 'remove class' before proceeding to Form I.

The PMR is open to students in the third year of all government-aided secondary schools and private secondary schools which use Bahasa Melayu as the medium of instruction.

This examination is also open to private (individual) candidates.

The objective of the PMR is to evaluate students performance at the end of the third year of secondary school.

b.  The SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia) is the main national examination, administered centrally and taken at the end of secondary school.

The SPM is open to all students who have completed their secondary education, or who have finished six years of primary school and have undergone five years of secondary education or at least two years of secondary school after the PMR.

The SPM is offered to all Form 5 students from government - aided secondary schools as well as private institutions whose medium of instruction is Bahasa Melayu. The examination is also open to private (individual) candidates.

The objective is for certification. The SPM records students' achievement in the form of grades which is used for entrance to pre-university, colleges as well as for scholarship and job purposes.

c. The Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (Vokasional) is a centrally administered national examination taken on completion of the vocational education.

The SPM(V) examination is taken by vocational secondary schools students when they have completed their vocational secondary education.

Students who take the examination must have completed two years of vocational secondary education after the PMR.

It is open to all From 5 students of secondary vocational schools as well as private (individual) candidates.

The objective of the SPM (V) is for certification. The SPM (V) records students' achievement which can be used for entry into vocational/technical institutes or other institutions of higher learning, scholarships as well as for career options in the public and private sector.

d.  Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia or STPM (Malaysian Higher School Certificate)

After two years of higher secondary education, students sit for this examination, and this serves as one of the basis for selection into local universities. This is conducted by the Examinations Council Malaysia.

The four examinations described above usually constitute the main mode of selection of students, whether it is for promotion to the relevant subject streams at Forms 4 (SRP), or selection for Forms 6, teachers' colleges or other institutions (SPM or SPVM) or for entry into universities (STPM). SPM and SPVM also serve as the usual criteria for selection of school leavers who seek employment.

In addition to the national examinations, continuous or formative student assessment is also practiced widely. This assessment is carried out in the classroom exercises, assignments and monthly or term tests.

Figure 5 : The Structure of the Malaysian Educational System
(To view figure, please download Acrobat.)

Top