The Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), or the Malaysian Certificate of Education, is a national examination sat for by all Form 5 secondary school students in Malaysia. It is the equivalent of the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) of England, Wales and Northern Ireland; the Nationals 4/5 of Scotland; and the GCE Ordinary Level (O Level) of the Commonwealth of Nations. It is the leaving examination of the eleventh grade of schooling. The SPM is sat for by secondary school students before further studies in foundation, STPM, matriculation or diploma. The examination is set and examined by the Malaysian Examinations board. For students attending international schools, the equivalent exam they take is the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) exam, and the Unified Examinations Certificate is equivalent to Advanced Level. All SPM examination papers are considered official confidential property and are protected under the Official Secrets Act 1972 of Malaysia.
In 2021, the Malaysian Ministry of Education introduced a new SPM format for the new KSSM syllabus, which replaced the old SPM format for the old KBSM syllabus. For English, the GCE O Level grade was discontinued, the Common European Framework of Reference syllabus was implemented for the English paper, and the result statement is handed out with the SPM Certificate.
History The SPM allows Malaysians to continue their studies to the pre-university level. Originally there were two versions of the SPM, which were introduced in 1964: the Malaysian Certificate of Education taken by students studying in English schools and SPM (Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia) taken by students studying in national schools. The difference between the two was that the SPM was conducted using the national language (Bahasa Melayu), while the MCE was conducted in English. The MCE was discontinued in 1976 when the Ministry of Education took over the examination from the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES) and merged it with the SPM. The predecessors of this exam were SPPTM (Sijil Pelajaran Persekutuan Tanah Melayu, which was started in 1962) and FMC (Federation of Malaya Certificate, which started in 1957) before the formation of the Federation of Malaysia.
Subjects
Compulsory subjects Certain subjects are mandatory for students. They are:
Code Subject (Official name) Subject (English name) Examination language 1103 Bahasa Melayu Malay Language Malay 1119 Bahasa Inggeris English Language English 1223 Pendidikan Islam Islamic Education Malay 1225 Pendidikan Moral Moral Education Malay 1249 Sejarah History Malay 1449 Matematik Mathematics English and Malay 1511 Sains Science English and Malay Compulsory for all Muslim students except for students in the Islamic Science stream, who are required to take their respective electives in lieu of this subject.
for all non-Muslim students.
Compulsory for students in the Commerce, Literature and Arts streams only. Students in the Pure Science, Islamic Science, and Humanities Science streams are required to take their respective Science electives in lieu of this subject.
Elective subjects At the end of Form 3, Form 3 students are required to sit for the final exam — Ujian Akhir Sesi Akademik Tingkatan 3. Based on their result, performance and interest, students will be streamed into the streams that suit them the most for the following 2 final upper form years of schooling.
Science and mathematics Code Subject (Official name) Subject (English name) Examination language 3472 Matematik Tambahan Additional Mathematics English and Malay 4531 Fizik Physics English and Malay 4541 Kimia Chemistry English and Malay 4551 Biologi Biology English and Malay 4561 Sains Tambahan Additional Science English and Malay In 2003, the medium of instruction for the science and mathematics subjects was switched from Malay to English. Due to this transition, students taking science and mathematics subjects can choose to sit for the exams in either English or Malay.
Languages and literature Code Subject (Official name) Subject (English name) Examination language 2205 Kesusasteraan Inggeris English Literature English 2215 Kesusasteraan Melayu Komunikatif Communicative Malay Literature Malay 2361 Bahasa Arab (اللغة العربية) Arabic Language Arabic 6351 Bahasa Cina (华文) * Chinese Language Simplified Chinese 6354 Bahasa Tamil (தமிழ்மொழி) Tamil Language Tamil 6356 Bahasa Iban (jaku Iban) Iban Language Iban 6357 Bahasa Kadazandusun (Boros Momogun) Kadazandusun Language Kadazandusun 6358 Bahasa Semai (Engrok Semai) Semai Language Semai 6401 Bahasa Jepun (日本語) Japanese Language Japanese 6405 Bahasa Jerman (Deutsch) German Language German 6406 Bahasa Korea (한국어) Korean Language Korean 6407 Bahasa Cina Komunikasi (交际华语) Communicative Chinese Language Simplified Chinese 9216 Kesusasteraan Cina (华文文学) Chinese Literature Simplified Chinese 9217 Kesusasteraan Tamil (தமிழ் இலக்கியம்) Tamil Literature Tamil 9303 Bahasa Perancis (Français) French Language French 9378 Bahasa Punjabi (ਪੰਜਾਬੀ) Punjabi Language Punjabi *Chinese Language is compulsory for all National-type Chinese secondary school (SMJK) students (Bahasa Cina)
Economics and business Code Subject (Official name) Subject (English name) Examination language 3754 Pengajian Keusahawanan Entrepreneurial Studies Malay 3766 Perniagaan Business Malay 3756 Prinsip Perakaunan Principles of Accounting Malay 3767 Ekonomi Economics Malay
Social Sciences and religion Code Subject (Official name) Subject (English name) Examination language 2280 Geografi Geography Malay 5226 Tasawwur Islam Islamic Worldviews Malay 5227 Pendidikan Al-Quran dan Al-Sunnah Quran and Sunnah Studies Malay 5228 Pendidikan Syariah Islamiah Islamic Law Studies Malay 5301 Hifz Al-Quran Quran Recitation Arabic 5302 Maharat Al-Quran Quran Skills Arabic 5303 Turath Al-Quran dan Al-Sunnah Quran and Sunnah Classics Arabic 5304 Turath Dirasat Islamiah Islamic Studies Classics Arabic 5305 Turath Bahasa Arab Arabic Language Classics Arabic 5401 Usul Al-Din Foundational Islamic Theology Arabic 5402 Al-Syariah Islamic Law Arabic 5403 Al-Lughah Al-'Arabiah Al-Mu'asirah Arabic Language Arabic 5404 Manahij Al-'Ulum Al-Islamiah Islamic Logic Arabic 5405 Al-Adab Wa Al-Balaghah Arabic Literature and Rhetorics Arabic 9221 Bible Knowledge Bible Knowledge English
Arts and health Code Subject (Official name) Subject (English name) Examination language 2611 Pendidikan Seni Visual Visual Arts Education Malay 2621 Pendidikan Muzik Music Education Malay 4572 Sains Sukan Sports Science Malay
Technical and vocational Code Subject (Official name) Subject (English name) Examination language 3729 Pertanian Agriculture Malay 3759 Lukisan Kejuruteraan Engineering Drawing Malay 3760 Pengajian Kejuruteraan Mekanikal Mechanical Engineering Studies Malay 3761 Pengajian Kejuruteraan Awam Civil Engineering Studies Malay 3762 Pengajian Kejuruteraan Elektrik dan Elektronik Electrical and Electronic Engineering Studies Malay 3763 Reka Cipta Design Malay 3768 Asas Kelestarian Basics of Sustainability Malay 3769 Sains Rumah Tangga Home Science Malay 3770 Sains Komputer Computer Science Malay 3771 Grafik Komunikasi Teknikal Technical Communication Graphics Malay 7101 Pembinaan Domestik Domestic Construction Malay 7102 Membuat Perabot Furniture Making Malay 7103 Kerja Paip Domestik Domestic Plumbing Malay 7104 Pendawaian Domestik Domestic Wiring Malay 7105 Kimpalan Arka dan Gas Arc and Gas Welding Malay 7106 Menservis Automobil Automobile Servicing Malay 7107 Menservis Motosikal Motorcycle Servicing Malay 7108 Menservis Peralatan Penyejukan dan Penyamanan Udara Air-Conditioning Servicing Malay 7109 Menservis Peralatan Elektrik Domestik Domestic Electrical Appliances Servicing Malay 7201 Rekaan dan Jahitan Pakaian Design and Tailoring Malay 7202 Katering dan Penyajian Catering Service Malay 7203 Pemprosesan Makanan Food Processing Malay 7204 Penjagaan Muka dan Penggayaan Rambut Facial and Hair Care Malay 7205 Asuhan dan Pendidikan Awal Kanak-Kanak Infant Care and Early Childhood Education Malay 7206 Gerontologi Asas dan Perkhidmatan Geriatrik Geriatic Services Malay 7301 Landskap dan Nurseri Nursery and Landscape Malay 7302 Akuakultur dan Haiwan Rekreasi Aquaculture and Pets Malay 7303 Tanaman Makanan Food and Crop Cultivation Malay 7401 Produksi Reka Tanda Signage Design Malay 7402 Hiasan Dalaman Interior Design Malay 7403 Produksi Multimedia Multimedia Production Malay 7404 Reka Bentuk Grafik Digital Digital Graphic Design Malay
Removed subjects Due to the switch from the KBSM syllabus to the KSSM syllabus in 2017, some subjects were removed. The list does not include courses that have minor changes in name only. + Old subject name New subject name 3775 Perdagangan 3766 Perniagaan 3757 Ekonomi Asas 3767 Ekonomi 3758 Ekonomi Rumah Tangga 3769 Sains Rumah Tangga 3764 Engineering Technology 3768 Asas Kelestarian 3765 Information and Communication Technology 3770 Sains Komputer 3728 Sains Pertanian 3729 Pertanian 4571 Pengetahuan Sains Sukan 4572 Sains Sukan Terminated subjects 4581 Applied Science 6355 English for Science and Technology
Results When releasing the results, only the letter grades (and not the actual scores) are revealed to the candidates. Candidates may request a remarking (regrading) if they suspect errors in the original marking. Although no list of rankings is released to the public, the names of the top-ranked students in the country and in each state are released to the press.SPM Trial Paper, Download all SPM past year paper here.
Since 2010, the Ministry of Education has imposed a ten-subject limit on every candidate while lowering the minimum number of subjects from eight to six. Students are allowed to take two additional subjects (from Arabic, Chinese, Tamil, Iban, Kadazandusun languages and Bible Knowledge) but they will not be considered for government scholarships.
Grade system Candidates are assigned grades based on their scores in each subject. The exact grading scale used every year has never been made public.
Since 2009, the grading system ranged from A+ (the highest grade) to G (for gagal or fail; F is not used). The previous system assigned a grade point and a letter to each range, with 1A ("1" being the grade point and "A" the letter grade) as the highest and 9G the lowest. The Kepujian (Pass-With-Credit) grade is equivalent to the UK GCSE Pass-With-Credit grade as stated on the back of the certificates. 2000–2008 From 2009 Grade value Description N/A A+ 0 Cemerlang Tertinggi (Highest Distinction) Cemerlang Pass With Distinction 1A A 1 Cemerlang Tinggi (High Distinction) 2A A- 2 Cemerlang (Distinction) 3B B+ 3 Kepujian Tertinggi (Highest Credit) Kepujian Pass With Credit (UK GCSE Equivalent with said category) 4B B 4 Kepujian Tinggi (High Credit) 5C C+ 5 Kepujian Atas (Upper Credit) 6C C 6 Kepujian (Credit) 7D D 7 Lulus Atas (Upper Pass) Lulus Pass 8E E 8 Lulus (Pass) 9G G 9 Gagal (Fail) Gagal (Fail)
Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia Ulangan (SPMU) The Malay language (Bahasa Melayu) was slowly introduced into the national school system from 1960 but was only made a compulsory subject in 1970. Furthermore, a credit in Bahasa Melayu is essential in order to secure a seat in sixth form. One of the many problems associated with this change is that many "good" students were unable to continue their post-secondary education because of their examination result in Bahasa Melayu. In 1972, the BM failure rate was nearly 40%, and the July Paper was introduced as a solution so that students would be given a second chance to retake the paper.