UPSR and PT3 exams cancelled, SPM and STPM postponed

The Ministry of Education has announced that Standard Six’s Primary School Achievement Test (UPSR) and Form Three’s Assessment (PT3) examinations are cancelled this year due to the COVID-19 outbreak. While the examinations are cancelled, the Ministry will find an alternative method for the selection criteria to full boarding schools, national religious secondary schools (SMKA), Mara Junior Science Colleges, and the Royal Military College.

“Canceling PT3 will not affect the assessments for students at the middle school level. A new method will be introduced. The results obtained from the method this will be one of the selection criteria for admission to special schools like full boarding schools and Technical Schools,” said Education Minister Mohd Radzi Md Jidin in a press conference.

The Ministry also announced the postponement of The Malaysian Education Certificate (SPM) and Malaysian Vocational Certificate (SVM) examinations for Form Five students, Malaysian Higher Education Certificate (STPM) and Malaysian Higher Islamic Religious Certificate (STAM) for Form Six students.

The date for SPM and SVM will be postponed to the first quarter of 2021. STPM’s Semester 2 examination date will be moved to August 2020, while the Semester 3 examination will be held within the first quarter of 2021. The STAM examination will also be done in the first quarter of 2021.

The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Higher Education has agreed to postpone the admission date for higher education institutes for foundation, matriculation and diploma programmes to between July and August 2021, and the admission for degree programmes will be delayed to September or October 2021. The postponement will affect all government schools, government-assisted schools, and private schools registered under MOE. As for schools that aren’t registered under the Ministry of Education, they are advised to follow the same decisions.

It was earlier reported that The Ministry of Education will introduce television-based learning sessions through RTM’s youth-centric channel, TV Okey. The programmes will offer a series of practice sessions for students facing public examinations, particularly those without Internet access.

Teachers have been given some leeway to adopt what they think is the best approach to be used during the MCO.

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