For the first time in Malaysia’s history, more than 413,000 students are sitting for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2025 exams without ever having taken any major public examinations before.
Running from 3 November to 23 December, this year’s Form 5 cohort marks a new chapter in the country’s education system, shaped by reform and circumstance.
Photo via BERNAMA
This batch of students never sat for the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) in primary school or the Pentaksiran Tingkatan 3 (PT3) in lower secondary. The COVID-19 pandemic first forced the cancellation of both exams, UPSR in 2020 and PT3 in 2021, before they were officially abolished in the years that followed.
Former education minister Datuk Dr Radzi Jidin spearheaded the move to remove these centralised exams as part of a larger education reform. The idea was to introduce the School-Based Assessment (PBS) system, which gives teachers greater flexibility to evaluate students continuously and encourage more creative, critical, and holistic learning.
This shift also reflected the government’s effort to reduce exam pressure and focus on nurturing well-rounded students instead of rote learners.
The 2025 SPM officially began on 3 November across 3,350 examination centres nationwide. Students first sat for the Bahasa Melayu oral tests, followed by English oral exams from 10 to 13 November. Listening tests for both subjects are set for 20 November, while Science practicals will take place from 17 to 19 November.
Written papers will be held from 25 November to 23 December, supported by a total of 127,526 examination personnel to ensure the process runs smoothly.
UPSR and PT3 were discontinued to make way for a more student-centred assessment system. The School-Based Assessment (PBS) model now allows teachers to monitor students’ progress throughout the year, rather than relying on one-off national exams.
This change aims to create a more balanced education system that values creativity, critical thinking, and character development, not just test scores.
