Why I took the SPM examination twice?

Most students take the SPM examination only once when they are 17 years old. However, I took it twice, once in 2012 when I was 17 years old and once more in 2013 when I was 18 years old. Why is this the case?

Way back in 2010 when I was in Form 3, I had been looking at the past year SPM papers for every subject so that I could have an idea on how the questions would be like. I observed that for the Chinese Language subject, the questions seemed very difficult, especially the Comprehension questions in Paper 2. Even for PMR, I felt that Chinese Language was one of the most difficult subjects. Therefore, I wondered whether or not I should take Chinese Language in SPM. Later, I heard about the Chinese Literature subject in SPM. At that time, for the Malay Language and English Language subjects in PMR, I felt that the easiest part of these 2 subjects is literature, because literature is the only part of language subjects that is possible to make full preparations for. Therefore, I thought that in the same way, Chinese Literature might me easier than Chinese Language. As a result, I thought of taking Chinese Literature instead of Chinese Language in SPM.

On 14 October 2010 after my PMR examination ended, all Form 3 students in my school were asked to choose the subjects that we wanted to take in Form 4, and we were told of the subjects that my school offered. Chinese Language was offered at my school, but Chinese Literature was not, so I could not take Chinese Literature. I decided to take Chinese Language, because I felt that as a Chinese I should do so. I also thought that if it turns out to be too difficult for me, I could still drop it later.

In the beginning of Form 4, I did not face problems with the Chinese Language subject. During the Form 4 1st Mid-term Examination in March 2011, I unexpectedly obtained 97 marks (A+) for Chinese Language. However, for this examination, the Chinese Language paper was not set according to the SPM examination format so it included only Summary, Continuous Writing and Idioms which are easier sections. My teacher also marked our papers quite leniently since it was the first examination in Form 4. Therefore, I did not feel overconfident about the Chinese Language subject. Later in that month, the SPM 2010 results was released. My teacher then told us that for that year, no one in my school obtained A+ in Chinese Language and very few obtained A. My friends and I were worried about that. Despite that, my teacher strongly advised us not to drop Chinese Language because Chinese Language will be useful in the future.

Then in May 2011, it was the Form 4 1st Term Examination. In this examination, the Chinese Language paper was set according to the SPM examination format. I expected that Paper 2 would be quite difficult, but it turned out that the Comprehension questions in Paper 2 were far more difficult than what I had expected. For most of the questions, the answers could not be directly found in the passage given, instead we had to fully understand the passage and then answer based on our understanding. I tried my best to answer every question by writing down everything that I understood, but I was not sure whether I answered correctly or not. Consequently, I was not even confident of getting B for Chinese Language in that examination.

That examination made me realised how difficult SPM Chinese Language actually is. I thought that I might be dropping Chinese Language in Form 5, because I did not want my overall SPM results to be affected by my poor result in Chinese Language. Later, during the 2011 mid-year school holidays, I saw on the newspaper that for that year, students who obtained straight A+ in SPM would be guaranteed the JPA scholarship. JPA had also made it clear that straight A+ meant A+ in all subjects taken, so taking 11 subjects and getting 10A+ 1A would not be considered as getting straight A+. Therefore, if I take Chinese Language but do not get A+, I would be disadvantaged in this. Since it was so difficult to get A+ in Chinese Language and I was aiming to get the JPA scholarship, I decided to drop Chinese Language in Form 5.

In June 2011, my teacher gave back the Chinese Language paper for the Form 4 1st Term Examination. Out of my expectation, my answers for many of the Comprehension questions were correct. I obtained 84 marks (A) for Chinese Language and my marks was the highest in the whole Form 4. However, I felt that I was just lucky in getting my answers right, so I did not regain my confidence to score well in this subject. Shortly after that, my teacher started conducting the oral test for Chinese Language which would contribute marks to the actual SPM examination. At that time, I heard from my friends that after taking the oral test, it would not be possible to drop Chinese Language later and we must take it in SPM, because we would be considered to have taken part of the examination. I asked the teacher in charge of examinations in my school about that, and she confirmed that it was indeed true.

I decided that I must drop Chinese Language straight away and not take the oral test. However, I was afraid to tell my Chinese Language teacher about that because she had previously reminded us several times not to drop Chinese Language. I told my friends that I wanted to drop Chinese Language and the news soon spread to my teacher. She asked me about that and I explained to her that I wanted to drop it only because I was aiming for straight A+ in SPM to get the JPA scholarship. Then, she agreed to not let me take the oral test, but she also advised me not to drop Chinese Language officially until Form 5. I promised her that I would continue to attend her classes and take Chinese Language in the next school examination.

At that time, some of my friends told me that JPA had announced that starting from the following year, the JPA scholarship would no longer be awarded to SPM leavers, instead it would only be awarded to leavers of STPM and other pre-university programmes. I did not know about that because I seldom read newspapers, and I did not believe what my friends said because I thought that they were just trying to persuade me not to drop Chinese Language.

I continued taking Chinese Language during the Form 4 2nd Mid-term Examination in August 2011. The Chinese Language paper was not set according to the SPM examination format in this examination, so it was not difficult and I managed to get 90 marks (A+). At that time, the SAPS (Sistem Analisis Peperiksaan Sekolah) was introduced for the first time and starting from that examination onwards, my school used the SAPS grading instead of the previous grading. As a result, the minimum mark for A- was increased from 70 to 75, although the minimum mark for A and A+ remained at 80 and 90 respectively.

Soon after that, it was the Form 4 2nd Term Examination. I knew that for that examination, Chinese Language Paper 2 would be very difficult since it would be set according to the SPM examination format. Because of this, in addition to the increase in the minimum A- mark, I was not even confident of getting A-, so I did not want to take Chinese Language in that examination. I told my Chinese teacher about that, but she advised me to continue taking it. She also said that she would make the Chinese Language paper easier in that examination, because at that time my school achieved the status of Cluster School for the first time and consequently there were rumours that students who did not obtain excellent results could be kicked out of the school. Despite that, I still decided not to take Chinese Language in that examination. I told the teacher in charge of examinations in my school that I wanted to drop Chinese Language officially and she agreed.

I still continued to attend Chinese Language classes after that, but I would no longer take Chinese Language in school examinations. After the Form 4 2nd Term Examination ended, my teacher gave back the Chinese Language paper and discussed the answers with us. I looked at the Chinese Language paper and I found out that it was not very difficult. I felt a little regret for not taking Chinese Language in that examination, but it was already too late. In November 2011, my school gave us the SPM 2012 registration form and we had to choose the subjects that we wanted to take in SPM. I maintained my decision not to take Chinese Language in SPM. It was still possible to change the subjects after that until May 2012.

When I started Form 5 in January 2012, I still wanted to attend Chinese Language classes. When my Chinese Language teacher knew about that, she spoke to me and gave me a suggestion. She suggested that I register for SPM 2013 as a private candidate and take only Chinese Language. By doing so, I would get an SPM certificate for Chinese Language which is useful in the future, and my SPM 2012 results would not be affected by my Chinese Language results, so it is a win-win situation. I felt that my teacher's suggestion was good so I agreed. Since then, I planned that I would be taking Chinese Language in SPM 2013 as a private candidate. Initially, I thought of taking it in June 2013. Later, I found out that only Malay Language and Mathematics are available in the June examination session, so I had to take Chinese Language in November 2013 instead. I would also take Chinese Language for every school examination in Form 5 as a practice, but since I had officially dropped Chinese Language, my results for Chinese Language would not be included in the SAPS system.

During the Form 5 1st Mid-term Examination in March 2012, I took Chinese Language, but I did not make any preparation for it because I did not take it too important. At that time, because it had been more than 6 months since the last examination where I took Chinese Language, I had forgotten how to write certain Chinese characters. However, the Chinese Language paper was not difficult since it was not set according to the SPM examination format, so I still managed to get 87 marks (A). In April 2012, the Ministry of Education announced that starting from that year onwards, students who obtained at least 9A+ in SPM would be offered the KPM Bursary. This meant that even if I take Chinese Language in SPM 2012 but do not get A+, I would still qualify for the KPM Bursary as long as I get A+ in 9 of the other subjects that I take. However, I still decided not to take Chinese Language in SPM 2012, because I felt that studying for the other SPM subjects was already very stressful so I did not want to further increase my stress by taking Chinese Language.

Then in May 2012, it was the Form 5 1st Term Examination. I again did not prepare for Chinese Language at all. For that examination, the Chinese Language paper was set according to the SPM examination format so Paper 2 was quite difficult, except that my teacher made it slightly easier by removing the Poems section from Paper 2. I still tried my best to answer the questions. Eventually, I got 78 marks (A-). During the SPM Trial Examination in August 2012, all papers including Chinese Language were set by the Kedah State Education Department according to the SPM examination format, so I expected that Chinese Language Paper 2 would be difficult. I did some revision for Chinese Language on the day before the test since no other subject was tested on the same day as Chinese Language. Paper 2 turned out to be easier than what I had expected. I managed to get 90 marks (A+) for Chinese Language, which was the highest mark in the entire Form 5.

After completing SPM 2012, I started studying A Level at Taylor’s College Subang Jaya on 14 January 2013. On 21 March 2013, the SPM 2012 results was released and I obtained 9A+ 1A. On 24 March 2013, I went to the Kulim Education Office to register for SPM 2013 as a private candidate. Initially, I wanted to take the examination either at SMK Sultan Badlishah or SMJK Chio Min, but both of them were not available for private candidates, so I chose SMK Kulim.

In June 2013, the Kedah State Education Department sent me a letter to inform me that my oral test for SPM Chinese Language would be held at Hotel Seri Malaysia, Alor Star on 3 August 2013. Luckily, my college had one week of holidays at that time so I could take the oral test. The oral test consisted of individual test and group test. The individual test was difficult, but the group test was quite easy. The examiners did not tell me my marks but I accidentally saw that they gave me 26/30 for the individual test. Since the group test was much easier, I assumed that I got higher marks for the group test. Only the higher of the marks for the individual test or group test would be taken into consideration.

In October 2013, I wanted apply to study Medicine at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). I found out that HKU requires all applicants to have obtained grade C or higher for Chinese Language in IGCSE or its equivalent (SPM is an equivalent to IGCSE). I was glad that I decided to take Chinese Language in SPM 2013, because otherwise I would not be able to meet the entry requirements for HKU. Later in that month, I received the timetable and statement of entry for SPM 2013. My examination would be held at SMK Keladi, although I chose SMK Kulim when I registered for SPM. Chinese Language would be tested on 3 December 2013. That was lucky because I had other examinations around that time and they did not clash with it. The SPM Chinese Language paper was just 4 days after the last day of my AS Level examination and 2 days before my IELTS Speaking test.

During my AS Level examination, I had 2 weeks break from 12 November to 25 November 2013. During the 2 weeks, I mostly revised for the remaining AS Level subjects, but I also spent some time revising for SPM Chinese Language. I was worried that I might have forgotten how to write many Chinese characters as it had been about 15 months since I last took Chinese Language in the SPM Trial examination, so I tried to remember every Chinese character that I came across in the reference books. On 3 December 2013, I took SPM Chinese Language at SMK Keladi. I decided to just take it easy. Paper 1 was not difficult, while Paper 2 was quite difficult but still slightly easier than what I had expected. I was able to remember how to write all the Chinese characters that I wanted to write during the examination. I was not sure what grade I could get for Chinese Language, but I hoped that I could get A+ or A or at least A-.

The SPM 2013 results was released at 10AM on 20 March 2014. I was in college at that time and I checked my results through online. I obtained A- for Chinese Language in SPM 2013. Although I felt a little disappointed for not getting A, I was still quite satisfied with my results. My Chinese Language results met the requirements for HKU. The Ministry of Education then sent my SPM 2013 results slip to my house. Finally on 7 June 2015, I got my SPM 2013 certificate at the Kedah State Education Department in Alor Star.

Looking back, I felt that I made the right decision by taking Chinese Language in SPM 2013 instead of not taking it at all or taking it together with the other subjects in SPM 2012. Even though I was eventually rejected by HKU, having a SPM certificate for Chinese Language would be useful for me in the future. Some of my friends think that if I took Chinese Language in SPM 2012, I might be able to get A or even A+, and I did not have to go through the hassle of taking SPM twice. However, in my opinion, studying for the other SPM subjects was already very stressful, so taking Chinese Language in SPM 2012 would make this worse. On the other hand, studying for the AS Level examination was much less stressful, so it was the right choice to take Chinese Language in SPM 2013 at the same time as the AS Level examination.

Why is SPM more stressful than A Level?

If you ask any student who has taken both the SPM and A Level examinations this question "Between SPM and A Level, which one is more stressful?", it is highly likely that they will say that A Level is more stressful than SPM. I have also taken both SPM and A Level, but if you ask me the same question, I will say that SPM is definitely much more stressful than A Level. I am not joking about this, this is really what I think. Why is this the case?

I took 10 subjects for SPM, which are Bahasa Melayu, English Language, Mathematics, Additional Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Information And Communication Technology, Sejarah and Pendidikan Moral, while I took 4 subjects for A Level, which are Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics and Biology.

First, consider the 5 subjects that I took in SPM but not in A Level. One of them is Sejarah. I consider Sejarah to be the most difficult subject to study in SPM, because I did not have an effective way to study Sejarah. I had to memorise every single sentence for every topic in the reference book, and I also had to memorise the same thing again many times to ensure that I would not forget them. This was extremely tedious and time-consuming, which was the main reason why I had to study long hours every day. In fact, I spent more than half of my study time during Form 5 just to study Sejarah. Therefore, Sejarah is the most stressful subject in SPM.

The next one is Pendidikan Moral. I did not have any problem memorising the 36 Nilai and their definition and answer the Nilai questions, but I felt that the KBKK questions were difficult. Usually, about 60% of the examination questions are KBKK questions, while the remaining 40% are Nilai questions. Often, the KBKK questions look easy and we feel that we have given a good answer, but the examiner may think otherwise and therefore not give us marks. So, there is a lot of uncertainty in this subject because we cannot be sure whether our answers would be accepted by the examiner or not. To help answer the KBKK questions, I had to go through and memorise everything in my teacher's notes, which was tedious.

Bahasa Melayu and English Language are the next two subjects. Compared to other subjects, language subjects are difficult because it is not possible to actually study and prepare for them. The only part of these 2 subjects that we can actually prepare for is literature. However, these is a lot to study for literature, and I feel that studying literature is very boring. Essay is the most important part of these 2 subjects because it carries a lot of marks, but it is difficult because we can't predict what essay title will appear. We can only hope that we will have the idea to write on the essay title that appears. Also, before the examination, the thought having to write a long essay definitely causes stress.

Another subject that I took only in SPM is Information And Communication Technology (ICT). The workload for ICT is quite low compared to other subjects, because there is not much to study and the examination questions are easy to answer. But despite this, very few students obtained A+ for ICT in SPM every year, probably because the minimum mark to obtain A+ is very high. The difficulty to obtain A+ for this subject caused me to feel stressed.

I took these 5 subjects in SPM but not in A Level, so the stress of these subjects are only experienced in SPM. The combined stress for these subjects is already very high, and there is still 5 other SPM subjects.

Now, consider the subjects that I took in both SPM and A Level, which are Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics and Biology. These subjects are more difficult in A Level compared to SPM because in A Level, we learn these subjects in greater depth, and many of the examination questions require application of what we understand. However, we have access to the actual mark schemes and grade thresholds for A Level, unlike SPM where these are made secret. Therefore in A Level, we can certainly know the requirements of each question. It is also possible to learn the mark scheme for certain questions that appear commonly. Besides, we can just aim for the marks that is required for grade that we want to achieve.

But in SPM, since the actual mark schemes are not available to the public, we can only refer to the mark schemes for the SPM trial examination. However, these may not necessarily be the same as as the actual mark scheme, and the mark scheme for the same type of question may differ depending on the state where the SPM trial examination is held. Therefore, we can't know for sure what are the requirements of each question. There is a lot of speculation about the grade thresholds for each SPM subject, but it is impossible to find out whether they are true or not. So, to be safe, we have to aim for as high marks as possible. As a result, even though A Level is more difficult for these subjects, SPM is still more stressful.

When I was in Form 5, during school days, I would study 7 hours, from 5PM to 6PM, from 7PM to 8PM, then from 9PM to 2AM; during holidays, I would study 10 hours, from 1PM to 3PM, from 4PM to 6PM, from 7PM to 8PM, then from 9PM to 2AM. During my study hours, I hardly took any break, even if I did, each break lasted for a few minutes only. I studied seriously throughout the year, except that I relaxed for one week after every school examination. However, when I was in A Level, during school days, I would study 5 hours from 9PM and 2AM; during holidays, I would study 7 hours, from 4PM to 6PM, then from 9PM to 2AM. During my study hours, I often took breaks whenever I finish revising each chapter. Depending on the situation, each break may be as short as 5 minutes, or as long as 1 hour or more. I studied seriously only one month before each examination.

During my SPM examination, I felt very stressful and did not answer very well for many of the papers, and I was only confident of getting 7A+ 3A. Although it turned out that I obtained 9A+ 1A, that was partly by luck. However, during my A Level examination, except for a few papers, I mostly had little stress and could answer quite well. I was confident of getting 3A* 1A, but it turned out that I obtained 4A*. Therefore, even though the amount of effort I put in studying for A Level was much lower compared to SPM, I still got better results for A Level.

Besides studies, there are some other factors which causes SPM to be more stressful than A Level. One of them is that the rules at my secondary school was much stricter compared to that at my college. For example, all students in my secondary school must attend the assembly on time every day, while there is no such rule at my college. Strict rules restrict freedom, so it also contributes to stress.

In addition, during secondary school, I almost never had any outings or interesting activities with my friends. This is mainly because my upper secondary class was very inactive and I was too focused on my studies. But during A Level, every day I had lunch with my friends at the restaurants near my college, and we had outings occasionally. Having activities with friends can help reduce stress.

With all these reasons, I can very surely say that SPM is much more stressful than A Level, and this is an undeniable fact. However, I also understand that different people have different opinion, study method and lifestyle, which is probably why many do not think the same way. So, I will just agree to disagree when others say that A Level is more stressful than SPM.

Guide to JPA Scholarship

LAST UPDATED: 17 August 2025

The JPA scholarship is a scholarship offered by the Malaysian government for students to further their studies in universities. Here, I would like to share some information about the JPA scholarship.

The JPA scholarship will sponsor for your tuition fees in full and you will be given a monthly allowance. It will not sponsor for your accommodation specifically, instead you are expected to use part of the monthly allowance to pay for the accommodation.

Between 2016 and 2024, the JPA scholarship was a convertible loan based on place of work.

- If you work in the public service after graduation, you are exempted from paying back the loan.

- If you work in a Government Linked Company (GLC) after graduation, you have to pay back 25% of the loan.

- If you work in a private company in Malaysia after graduation, you have pay back 50% of the loan.

- If you work overseas or do not work after graduation, you have to pay back 100% of the loan.

- If you fail to graduate, you have to pay back 100% of the loan.

Since 2025, the JPA scholarship is a convertible loan based on academic performance.

- For degree courses other than Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy, you have to pay back 5% of the loan if your CGPA is 3.75 to 4.00; 10% of the loan if your final CGPA is 3.50 to 3.74; 15% of the loan if your final CGPA is 3.00 to 3.49; 20% of the loan if you have any extensions in the course with a final CGPA of 3.00 or above; 100% of the loan if your final CGPA is below 3.00 or if you fail to graduate. However, if you work in the public service after graduation, you are exempted from paying back the loan.

- For Medicine course, you are exempted from paying back the loan if you successfully graduate and you work in the public service for 5 years after graduation, regardless of whether you have any extensions in the course. If you fail to graduate or do not work in the public service, you have to pay back 100% of the loan.

- For Dentistry and Pharmacy courses, you are exempted from paying back the loan if you successfully graduate and you work in the public service for 3 years after graduation, regardless of whether you have any extensions in the course. If you fail to graduate or do not work in the public service, you have to pay back 100% of the loan.

There are several different programmes of the JPA scholarship, which includes the following:

- Program Khas Lepasan SPM Dalam Negara

- Program Khas Perubatan, Pergigian dan Farmasi (Lepasan SPM)

- Program Ijazah Dalam Negara

- Program Khas Perubatan, Pergigian dan Farmasi (Ijazah Pertama)

- Program Penajaan Nasional

- Program Khas Jepun, Korea, Perancis dan Jerman

- Program Khas JPA-MARA

(A) Program Khas Lepasan SPM Dalam Negara:

This programme is for students who obtained 9A+ or above in the SPM. It replaces the previous Program Bursary and Program Penajaan 9A+ since 2020.

It first sponsors for local pre-university courses which include A Level, IB, STPM, STAM, Matriculation, AUSMAT and Foundation. You have to get a place in a pre-university course of your choice. After you have completed the pre-university course under the scholarship, you will be sponsored for your degree course if you meet the requirements.

This programme sponsors for degree courses at selected local universities only. It does not sponsor for twinning or credit transfer programmes with overseas universities. You have to get a place in a degree course of your choice. 

There is no guarantee that students who meet all the requirements will be offered this programme. Students will have to undergo selection process, which involves attending interviews and the Student Assessment Centre (SAC).

For SPM 2024 students, this programme no longer sponsors for Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy. If you wish to study Medicine, Dentistry or Pharmacy, you can instead apply for the Program Khas Perubatan, Pergigian dan Farmasi (Lepasan SPM) (see part B).

List of pre-university courses sponsored by the Program Khas Lepasan SPM Dalam Negara:

1. A Level

2. International Baccalaureate (IB)

3. Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM)

4. Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM)

5. Ministry of Education Matriculation

6. Australian Matriculation (AUSMAT)

7. Foundation

List of degree courses and universities sponsored by the Program Khas Lepasan SPM Dalam Negara for SPM 2024 students:

All degree courses except Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing, Education and Aviation:

1. All local public universities

2. Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP)

3. Universiti Multimedia (MMU)

4. Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN)

5. Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL)

6. Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NUMed) (Biomedical Sciences)

7. International Medical University (IMU)

8. Taylor’s University

9. UCSI University

10. INTI International University

11. Sunway University

12. Management and Science University (MSU)

13. Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation (APU)

14. Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR)

15. Monash University Malaysia

16. University of Reading Malaysia

17. Curtin University Malaysia

18. University of Nottingham Malaysia

19. University Xiamen Malaysia

20. Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus

21. Heriot-Watt University Malaysia

List of degree courses and universities sponsored by the Program Khas Lepasan SPM Dalam Negara for SPM 2021, 2022 and 2023 students:

1. All degree courses except Nursing, Education and Aviation:

All local public universities (Entry through saluran perdana only)

2. Medicine:

(For SPM 2021 and 2022 students)

Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, International Medical University, Monash University Malaysia, Universiti Kuala Lumpur - Royal College of Medicine Perak, UCSI University, Management & Science University, Taylor's University, SEGi University, University of Cyberjaya, Lincoln University College, WIDAD University College

(For SPM 2023 students)

Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia, International Medical University, Monash University Malaysia, UCSI University, Taylor's University, Sunway University

3. Dentistry:

(For SPM 2021 and 2022 students)

International Medical University, SEGi University, Lincoln University College

(For SPM 2023 students)

Not available

4. Pharmacy:

(For SPM 2021 and 2022 students)

International Medical University, UCSI University, University of Cyberjaya, Monash University Malaysia, Management & Science University, Taylor's University, SEGi University, Universiti Kuala Lumpur - Royal College of Medicine Perak, Lincoln University College

(For SPM 2023 students)

International Medical University, Monash University Malaysia, UCSI University, Taylor's University

5. Architecture:

Taylor's University, UCSI University, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman

6. Engineering:

(For SPM 2021 and 2022 students)

University Teknologi Petronas, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Multimedia University, Malaysia Japan International Institute of Technology, Curtin University of Technology, Monash University Malaysia, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation, Infrastructure University Kuala Lumpur, INTI University, Nilai University, SEGi University, Taylor's University, UCSI University, Universiti Selangor, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, AIMST University, KDU University College, Universiti Kuala Lumpur

(For SPM 2023 students)

Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Multimedia University, Malaysia Japan International Institute of Technology, Taylor's University, UCSI University, Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Monash University Malaysia, University of Reading Malaysia, Xiamen University Malaysia, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak, Curtin University Malaysia, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman

7. Science & Technology and Social Science:

(For SPM 2021 and 2022 students)

Monash University Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Curtin University of Technology, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Management and Science University, Sunway University, UCSI University, Taylor's University, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kolej Universiti Sains Perubatan Cyberjaya, Lincoln University College, Universiti Multimedia, Al-Madinah International University, Asia E University, City University, INTI University, Mahsa University, SEGi University, HELP University, Universiti Infrastruktur Kuala Lumpur, Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Nilai University, Universiti Tun Abdul Razak, KDU University College, Kolej Universiti Hospitaliti Berjaya, Kolej Universiti Insaniah, Kolej Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Selangor, Kolej Universiti TATI, Kolej Universiti Teknologi Antarabangsa Twintech, Lim Kok Wing University of Creative Technology

(For SPM 2023 students)

Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Universiti Kuala Lumpur, UCSI University, Multimedia University, Management and Science University, Taylor's University, Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation, Sunway University, INTI University, Monash University Malaysia, University of Reading Malaysia, Xiamen University Malaysia, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak, Curtin University Malaysia, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman

The requirements to apply for the Program Khas Lepasan SPM Dalam Negara:

1. You have to obtain grade A+ in at least 9 subjects in SPM.

2. You must have taken the SPM for the first time within the previous year.

3. You must not have reached 19 years old (or 20 years old if you took Remove Class previously before entering Form 1).

4. You must be a citizen of Malaysia.

You have to obtain one of the following results in your pre-university course under the Program Khas Lepasan SPM Dalam Negara:

A Level: ABB

IB: 34 points

STPM: CGPA of 3.50

STAM: Jayyid Jiddan with at least 4 subjects

AUSMAT: ATAR score of 85

MOE Matriculation / Foundation: CGPA of 3.75 or Distinction

In all cases, you must not have obtained grade C (or its equivalent) or lower in any subject.

For SPM 2024 students, this programme is open for application on 30 April 2025.

To apply for this programme, go to this web page:

SPM 2021 students: http://esilav2.jpa.gov.my/online_progs/epermohonan/index.php?program=KSPM1

SPM 2022 students: http://esilav2.jpa.gov.my/online_progs/epermohonan/index.php?program=LSPM1

SPM 2023 students: http://esilav2.jpa.gov.my/online_progs/epermohonan/index.php?program=LSPM

SPM 2024 students: http://esilav2.jpa.gov.my/online_progs/epermohonan/index.php?program=KSPM

Once you get a place in a pre-university course, go back to the web page and update the information regarding that. After you complete the pre-university course and get a place in a degree course, go back to the web page and update that information.

For more information on this programme, go to this web page:

SPM 2021 students: http://esilav2.jpa.gov.my/online_progs/epermohonan/syaratPermohonan.php?program=KSPM1

SPM 2022 students: http://esilav2.jpa.gov.my/online_progs/epermohonan/syaratPermohonan.php?program=LSPM1

SPM 2023 students: http://esilav2.jpa.gov.my/online_progs/epermohonan/syaratPermohonan.php?program=LSPM

SPM 2024 students: http://esilav2.jpa.gov.my/online_progs/epermohonan/syaratPermohonan.php?program=KSPM

(B) Program Khas Perubatan, Pergigian dan Farmasi (Lepasan SPM):

This programme is for students who have just completed the SPM and wish to study Medicine, Dentistry or Pharmacy.

It first sponsors for local pre-university courses which include A Level, IB, STPM, STAM, Matriculation, AUSMAT and Foundation. You have to get a place in a pre-university course of your choice. After you have completed the pre-university course under the scholarship, you will be sponsored for your Medicine, Dentistry or Pharmacy course if you meet the requirements. 

This programme sponsors for Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy courses at selected local universities only. It does not sponsor for twinning or credit transfer programmes with overseas universities. You have to get a place in a university of your choice.

There is no guarantee that students who meet all the requirements will be offered this programme. Students will have to undergo selection process, which involves attending interviews and the Student Assessment Centre (SAC).

Students who have already started studying Medicine, Dentistry or Pharmacy cannot apply for this programme, but they can instead apply for the Program Khas Perubatan, Pergigian dan Farmasi (Ijazah Pertama) (see part D).

List of pre-university courses sponsored by the Program Khas Perubatan, Pergigian dan Farmasi (Lepasan SPM):

1. A Level

2. International Baccalaureate (IB)

3. Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM)

4. Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM)

5. Ministry of Education Matriculation

6. Australian Matriculation (AUSMAT)

7. Foundation

List of universities sponsored by the Program Khas Perubatan, Pergigian dan Farmasi (Lepasan SPM):

1. All local public universities

2. Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia (NUMed)

3. International Medical University (IMU)

4. Universiti Kuala Lumpur - Royal College of Medicine Perak (UniKL-RCMP)

5. UCSI University

6. Taylor’s University

7. Management and Science University (MSU)

8. Monash University Malaysia

The requirements to apply for the Program Khas Perubatan, Pergigian dan Farmasi (Lepasan SPM):

1. You have to obtain grade A in at least 8 subjects in SPM, including:

- Grade A in Bahasa Melayu, Mathematics, Additional Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology

- Grade A- in Sejarah and English

2. You must have taken the SPM for the first time within the previous year.

3. You must not have reached 19 years old (or 20 years old if you took Remove Class previously before entering Form 1).

4. You must be a citizen of Malaysia.

You have to obtain one of the following results in your pre-university course under the Program Khas Perubatan, Pergigian dan Farmasi (Lepasan SPM):

STPM: CGPA of 3.50

STAM: Jayyid Jiddan with at least 4 subjects

MOE Matriculation / Foundation / A Level / IB / AUSMAT: CGPA of 3.75 or equivalent

In all cases, you must not have obtained grade C (or its equivalent) or lower in any subject.

For SPM 2024 students, this programme is open for application on 28 April 2025.

To apply for this programme, go to this web page:

SPM 2024 students: http://esilav2.jpa.gov.my/online_progs/epermohonan/index.php?program=PPF2

Once you get a place in a pre-university course, go back to the web page and update the information regarding that. After you complete the pre-university course and get a place in a Medicine, Dentistry or Pharmacy course, go back to the web page and update that information.

For more information on this programme, go to this web page:

SPM 2024 students: http://esilav2.jpa.gov.my/online_progs/epermohonan/syaratPermohonan.php?program=PPF2

(C) Program Ijazah Dalam Negara:

This programme is for students who are studying a degree course at a local university and are not sponsored by any scholarship currently. This programme sponsors for degree courses at local public universities, polytechnics and local private universities with the status of Government Linked University (GLU) only. Since 2014, it does not sponsor for any other local private universities. Since 2015, students who have not yet started their degree course cannot apply for this programme.

This programme does not currently sponsor for Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmacy courses. If you are currently studying a Medicine, Dentistry or Pharmacy course, you can instead apply for the Program Khas Perubatan, Pergigian dan Farmasi (Ijazah Pertama) (see part D).

JPA will start sponsoring for your degree course when you get the offer for this programme and this will continue until you complete the degree course. Any tuition fees before you get the offer for this programme will not be sponsored. There is no guarantee that students who meet all the requirements will be offered this programme, as students will have to undergo selection process.

The requirements to apply for the Program Ijazah Dalam Negara:

1. You must be currently studying a degree course at a local public university, polytechnic or local private university with the status of Government Linked University (GLU), and have remaining at least 12 months in your degree course.

2. You have to obtain CGPA of 3.30 (for courses other than Engineering) or CGPA of 3.00 (for Engineering course) in the previous semester of your degree course. If you have not yet completed the 1st semester of your degree course, you have to obtain CGPA of 3.30 (or its equivalent) in your diploma course.

3. You must not have failed, repeated or deferred any subjects or semesters in your degree course.

4. You must have a full SPM certificate.

5. You must not be older than 23 years old (or 24 years old if you took Remove Class previously before entering Form 1).

6. You must be a citizen of Malaysia.

For 2025, this programme was open for application on 28 February 2025 and the application closed on 9 April 2025.

For more information on this programme, go to this web page:

http://esilav2.jpa.gov.my/online_progs/epermohonan/syaratPermohonan.php?program=PIDN

(D) Program Khas Perubatan, Pergigian dan Farmasi (Ijazah Pertama):

This programme is for students who are studying a Medicine, Dentistry or Pharmacy course at a local public university and are not sponsored by any scholarship currently. It does not sponsor for local private universities or overseas universities. Students who have not yet started their Medicine, Dentistry or Pharmacy course cannot apply for this programme [Those who have just completed the SPM can instead apply for the Program Khas Perubatan, Pergigian dan Farmasi (Lepasan SPM) (see part B).]

JPA will start sponsoring for your Medicine, Dentistry or Pharmacy course when you get the offer for this programme and this will continue until you complete the course. Any tuition fees before you get the offer for this programme will not be sponsored. There is no guarantee that students who meet all the requirements will be offered this programme, as students will have to undergo selection process.

The requirements to apply for the Program Khas Perubatan, Pergigian dan Farmasi (Ijazah Pertama):

1. You must be currently studying a Medicine, Dentistry or Pharmacy course at a local public university and have remaining at least 12 months in your course.

2. For Medicine or Dentistry course, you have to pass the previous semester. For Pharmacy course, you have to obtain CGPA of 3.30 in the previous semester. If you have not yet completed the 1st semester of your course, you have to obtain CGPA of 3.50 (or its equivalent) in your pre-university course.

3. You must not have failed, repeated or deferred any semesters.

4. You must have a full SPM certificate.

5. You must not be older than 23 years old (or 24 years old if you took Remove Class previously before entering Form 1).

6. You must be a citizen of Malaysia.

For 2025, this programme was open for application on 28 February 2025 and the application closed on 9 April 2025.

For more information on this programme, go to this web page:

http://esilav2.jpa.gov.my/online_progs/epermohonan/syaratPermohonan.php?program=PPF

(E) Program Penajaan Nasional:

This programme is only open for application for the students who are shortlisted based on the SPM results. They have to undergo further selection process, which involves attending interviews and the Student Assessment Centre (SAC). Only the best 30 students among them will be offered this programme.

It sponsors for Engineering & Technical, Science & Technology, Social Science and Creative Industry courses at the top 20 universities in United Kingdom, Australia, China and United States based on the QS World University Rankings.

If you are offered this programme, you will study a pre-university course locally before starting the degree course. You have to get a place in one of those universities.

This is the list of shortlisted students for Engineering and Science & Technology courses for 2025:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hP_dcyQSY_0UuhqvW1RXt-9-L0_tqo30/view

This is the list of shortlisted students for courses other than Engineering and Science & Technology for 2025:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xAd4ID56lzekqloivKHXzZJk0FElA-fO/view

For 2025, this programme was open for application on 30 April 2025 and the application closed on 11 May 2025.

For more information on this programme, go to this web page:

http://esilav2.jpa.gov.my/online_progs/epermohonan/syaratPermohonan.php?program=PPN

(F) Program Khas Jepun, Korea, Perancis dan Jerman:

This programme sponsors for Engineering, Science & Technology and Social Science courses at selected universities in Japan, South Korea, France and Germany. It is for students who have just completed the SPM. 

Students who are offered this programme will study a pre-university course locally before starting the degree course. You can choose the degree course.

There is no guarantee that students who meet all the requirements will be offered this programme. Students will have to undergo selection process, which involves attending interviews and the Student Assessment Centre (SAC).

The requirements to apply for the Program Khas Jepun, Korea, Perancis dan Jerman:

1. You have to obtain grade A in at least 7 subjects in SPM, including the following subjects:

- For Engineering and Science & Technology courses: Bahasa Melayu, Sejarah, English, Mathematics, Additional Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry

- For Social Science courses: Bahasa Melayu, Sejarah, English and Mathematics

2. You must have taken the SPM for the first time within the previous year.

3. You must not have reached 19 years old (or 20 years old if you took Remove Class previously before entering Form 1).

4. You must be a citizen of Malaysia.

For 2025, this programme was open for application on 28 April 2025 and the application closed on 11 May 2025.

For more information on this programme, go to this web page:

http://esilav2.jpa.gov.my/online_progs/epermohonan/syaratPermohonan.php?program=JKPJ

(G) Program Khas JPA-MARA:

This programme is for Bumiputra students who have just completed the SPM. It sponsors for Engineering, Science & Technology and Social Science courses at selected universities in Malaysia, Japan, New Zealand and United Kingdom.

Students who are offered this programme will study a pre-university course locally before starting the degree course. You can choose the degree course.

There is no guarantee that students who meet all the requirements will be offered this programme. Students will have to undergo selection process, which involves attending interviews and the Student Assessment Centre (SAC).

The requirements to apply for the Program Khas JPA-MARA:

1. You have to obtain grade A in at least 7 subjects in SPM, including the following subjects:

- For Engineering and Science & Technology courses: Bahasa Melayu, Sejarah, English, Mathematics, Additional Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry

- For Social Science courses: Bahasa Melayu, Sejarah, English, Mathematics, Additional Mathematics and Pendidikan Islam or Pendidikan Moral

2. You must have taken the SPM for the first time within the previous year.

3. You must not have reached 19 years old (or 20 years old if you took Remove Class previously before entering Form 1).

4. You and either one of your parents have to be Bumiputra.

5. You must be a citizen of Malaysia.

For 2025, this programme was open for application on 28 April 2025 and the application closed on 11 May 2025.

For more information on this programme, go to this web page:

http://esilav2.jpa.gov.my/online_progs/epermohonan/syaratPermohonan.php?program=PKJM

Tips for SPM Examination

For my SPM, I scored 9A+, 1A and 1A-. I got A+ for Bahasa Melayu, Mathematics, Additional Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, ICT, Sejarah and Pendidikan Moral. I got A for English and A- for Bahasa Cina. Here, I am sharing the tips for SPM. These tips are intended for students taking SPM 2021 or later. Please go to the links below to view the tips for each subject.

SPM Mathematics & Additional Mathematics:

https://www.daniellimjj.com/2013/09/complete-tips-for-spm-mathematics-and.html

SPM Chemistry & Physics:

https://www.daniellimjj.com/2013/10/tips-for-spm-chemistry-and-physics.html

SPM Biology & Sains Komputer:

https://www.daniellimjj.com/2013/10/complete-tips-for-spm-biology-and-ict.html

SPM Science & Additional Science:

https://www.daniellimjj.com/2013/12/tips-for-spm-science-and-additional.html

SPM Sejarah:

https://www.daniellimjj.com/2013/10/complete-tips-for-spm-sejarah-and.html

SPM Bahasa Cina:

https://www.daniellimjj.com/2012/11/answering-tips-for-spm-bahasa-cina-spm.html

Tips for Bahasa Melayu, English and Pendidikan Moral are no longer available as there are significant changes to the examination format from SPM 2021 onwards.

Tips for other subjects are not available.

If you are looking for tips for Cambridge International AS and A Level examination, you can find it here:

https://www.daniellimjj.com/2014/09/complete-tips-for-cie-as-and-level.html

My SPM Examination in 2012

I sat for the SPM examination in year 2012. I took 10 subjects for SPM 2012, which were Bahasa Melayu, English, Mathematics, Additional Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Information & Communication Technology, Sejarah and Pendidikan Moral. I did not take Chinese Language in SPM 2012, instead I took it in SPM 2013 as a private candidate. The SPM 2012 was from 5 November 2012 to 6 December 2012. However, the last day of examination for me was on 27 November 2012.

This is my diary during the SPM 2012 examination:

1 November 2012 (Thursday):

It was the last day of school before the SPM started because my school decided to give us a holiday on 4 November 2012. On that day, there was a 'Majlis Mohon Restu' program in my school. Before the program started, the teachers told us the rules for the SPM. During the program, our teachers wished us good luck for the SPM. Then, after the program, we arranged the tables and chairs in the examination hall. After that, I took some photographs with my friends. At home, I did revision for Sejarah.

2 November 2012 (Friday)- 4 November 2012 (Sunday):

There were no school on that 3 days. On 2 November 2012, I did revision for Sejarah. I also finished reading the Kembara Amira novel (Form 5 Novel for Bahasa Melayu) on that day. I did not read it until recently because earlier I only depended on revision books prepare for exams. Besides, I studied some English, especially the literature. Then, on 3 November and 4 November 2012, I studied Bahasa Melayu entirely. I spent most of the time revising KOMSAS and Novel. I also prepared for Karangan by memorising some good Pendahuluan, Penutup and Isi. Besides, I studied some Tatabahasa. At night on 4 November 2012, I slept earlier at 12:30AM.

5 November 2012 (Monday):

It was the first day of the SPM examination. The subject tested on that day was Bahasa Melayu. Bahasa Melayu Kertas 1 started first in the morning while Bahasa Melayu Kertas 2 was in the afternoon. For Bahasa Melayu Kertas 1, both Karangan Bahan Rangsangan and Karangan Respons Terbuka were moderately difficult. After the exam ended, I went home for a while. I slept for a while before eating lunch. After that, I did some revision for Bahasa Melayu. In the afternoon, I went to school again to sit for Bahasa Malayu Kertas 2. It was also moderately difficult. The Rumusan and Novel was easy, while the Pemahaman and Tatabahasa was moderate. After I returned home, I studied for English. I mostly did revision for Literature. I also prepared for Writing and Grammar. I slept at about 1AM on that night.

6 November 2012 (Tuesday):

English was tested on that day. Both English Paper 1 and Paper 2 were in the morning. English Paper 1 started first. It was moderately difficult. The Directed Writing was easy while the Continuous Writing was moderate. Then, it was English Paper 2. It was a bit difficult. The Information Transfer was easy while the Section A, Comprehension and Summary was moderate. However, the Literature section was difficult. The question asked me to describe an event in the novel that made me angry and the reasons. I just gave a few reasons based on my own opinion. I was not sure if it was correct. Still, I was confident to get A+ in English. After the exam, I returned home. At home, I studied for Sejarah. I spent the whole day revising Sejarah. Finally, I could finish revising Sejarah because I had made early revisions before that. On that night, I slept later at 2AM.

7 November 2012 (Wednesday):

Sejarah was the subject tested on that day. Sejarah Kertas 1 and Kertas 2 were both in the morning. Sejarah Kertas 1 started first. It was quite easy. I could answer all questions correctly except for 1 question. Then, I sat for Sejarah Kertas 2. It was moderately difficult. Earlier, my teachers told us that about 70% of the Sejarah Kertas 2 questions would be KBKK questions. I used to be weak in answering KBKK questions. However, it turned out that only about 30% of the questions were KBKK questions. I could answer most of the questions, including the KBKK questions, but for some questions I was not sure if my answer was correct. I was very confident to get A+ in Sejarah. After returning home, I studied for Information and Communication Technology (ICT). I revised the SPM ICT Score A book as well as the notes I downloaded from the internet. I did not study for Mathematics because it is an easy subject. I again slept at 2AM on that night.

8 November 2012 (Thursday):

The subjects tested on that day was Mathematics and Information & Communication Technology (ICT). Mathematics Paper 1 and Paper 2 were in the morning, while ICT was in the afternoon. Mathematics Paper 1 was very easy and I was confident to get 40/40. Then, Mathematics Paper 2 was also quite easy. I was confident to answer all questions correctly, except for 1 question. That question was about calculating the perimeter for a shaded region. I did not calculate the internal perimeter because I never came across a question like that so I thought that I only needed to calculate the external perimeter. However, many of my friends could answer that question correctly. Still, I was very confident to get A+ in Mathematics. After the Mathematics Paper 2, my grandparents brought lunch for me. I had lunch in my grandparents' car outside the school. Then, I walked back into the school because ICT would be tested on that afternoon. For ICT, it was quite easy. I could answer most questions correctly except for a few questions. I was confident to get A+ in ICT. After the exam, I returned home. At home, I rested for a while before doing revision again.

9 November 2012 (Friday) - 18 November 2012 (Sunday):

It was a one-week break for SPM because of the Deepavali festival. During that week, I studied for the remaining SPM subjects. I spent most of my time revising Biology and Chemistry. I also did some revision on Physics. Besides, I did some exercises for Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Pendidikan Moral. However, I did not study Additional Mathematics because I had understood all the topics. Then, on 17 November and 18 November 2012, I studied for Pendidikan Moral entirely. I memorised all the Nilai and Definisi and I revised the notes given by my teacher.

19 November 2012 (Monday):

The subject tested on that day was Pendidikan Moral. It was in the morning. Pendidikan Moral was moderately difficult. The structured questions (Bahagian A) were moderate. Most of the questions were KBKK questions and only a few were Nilai questions. The Nilai questions and many of the KBKK questions were easy, but a few KBKK questions were a bit difficult. The essay questions (Bahagian B) were easy. I was quite confident to get A+ for Pendidikan Moral. After the Pendidikan Moral exam, I had no more exam on that day because it was Pendidikan Islam Kertas 2 in that afternoon. After returning home, I studied for Additional Mathematics. I did some exercises for Additional Mathematics and also looked at the examples in revision books. On that night, I slept at about 1AM.

20 November 2012 (Tuesday):

Additional Mathematics was tested on that day. Additional Mathematics Paper 1 was in the morning while Paper 2 was in the afternoon. Paper 1 was very easy. In fact, it was easier than Mathematics Paper 2. I went home after the exam. After sleeping for a while, I had lunch. Then, I looked at some more examples in revision books. In the afternoon, I went to school again to sit for Additional Mathematics Paper 2. Paper 2 was easy. For Section C, I had time to answer 3 questions although I was only required to answer 2 questions. I was very confident to get A+ and maybe full marks for Additional Mathematics. After returning home, I studied Physics. I mostly revised the experiments and the explanations on working principle of devices and natural phenomena. I also looked at the examples for questions on suggestion and modification of characteristics in revision books. I slept at 2AM on that night.

21 November 2012 (Wednesday):

Physics was the subject tested on that day. Physics Paper 1 started first, followed by Paper 2 and then Paper 3. Physics Paper 1 and Paper 2 were in the morning while Physics Paper 3 was in the afternoon. Physics Paper 1 was very easy. I was confident to get full marks for it. Physics Paper 2 was moderately difficult. Section A was easy, while Section B was moderate. After the Physics Paper 2 exam, I had lunch in my grandparents' car outside the school gate. They brought me lunch. After lunch, I walked back into the school to sit for Physics Paper 3 in the afternoon. Paper 3 was quite easy. However, later I realised that for a question in Section A, I did not notice that it asked me to give my answers correct to 1 decimal place, instead I gave my answers to 3 decimal places. Still, I was very confident to get A+ in Physics. After going back home, I slept for a while. Then, I studied for Biology and Chemistry.

22 November 2012 (Thursday) - 25 November 2012 (Sunday):

There were no exam on that few days. During that few days, I studied Biology and Chemistry, which were the 2 remaining SPM subjects. I revised all the topics of Biology and Chemistry. I also revised all the experiments. Every night, I slept very late at around 3:15AM. On 22 November and 23 November 2012, I mostly studied for Biology. Then on 24 November and 25 November 2012, I studied for Chemistry entirely.

26 November 2012 (Monday):

Chemistry was tested on that day. Chemistry Paper 1 was tested first, then Paper 2 and followed by Paper 3. Chemistry Paper 1 was quite easy. I was confident to answer all questions correctly except 1 question. Chemistry Paper 2 was moderately difficult. Section A was easy while Section B was moderate. The question on describing experiment in Section B was a bit difficult. After Chemistry Paper 2 ended, I again had lunch in my grandparents car outside the school gate. Then, I returned to school because it was Chemistry Paper 3 in the afternoon. Chemistry Paper 3 was difficult. Question 1 was quite difficult while Question 2 was easier. I was still confident to get A+ in Chemistry. After returning home, I studied Biology entirely. I revised all the topics and experiments of Biology. On that night, I slept very late at 3AM.

27 November 2012 (Tuesday):

It was my last day of SPM. The subject tested on that day was Biology. Biology Paper 1 started first, then Paper 2 and lastly Paper 3. Biology Paper 1 was easy. I could answer most questions correctly except a few questions. Biology Paper 2 was difficult. Section A was a little difficult while Section B was more difficult. There were some questions in both sections that I was not sure what answer to write. After the Biology Paper 2 exam, I again had lunch in my grandparents car outside the school gate. Then, I walked back into the school to sit for Biology Paper 3 in the afternoon. Biology Paper 3 was moderately difficult. Question 1 was moderate while Question 2 was quite easy. Still, I was confident to get A+ for Biology. After that,it was the end of my SPM. I did not go home straight, instead I went to the SPBT room of my school to help my friends arrange the textbooks that they returned to school, while at the same time talking to my friends. However, I did not return my textbooks on that day. After that, I returned home. Then, I started relaxing myself. On that night, my grandparents took me to Loft 67 cafe for dinner.

28 November 2012 (Wednesday):

Prinsip Perakaunan was the subject tested on that day. I did not take Prinsip Perakaunan so I had no exam. Still, I went to the school when the Prinsip Perakaunan Kertas 2 exam was about to end and brought along my Form 5 textbooks. I waited outside the school hall for the exam to end, then I met and talked to my friends who took Prinsip Perakaunan. After that, I went to the SPBT room of my school to return my textbooks. Then, I stayed there for about one hour to help my friends arrange the textbooks that they returned to school, while talking to my friends at the same time. After I went home, I relaxed myself on that day, and for the rest of the days until I started studying A Level at Taylor's College on 14 January 2013.

This is the ranking of all subjects from the easiest to the most difficult:

1. Additional Mathematics Paper 1

2. Mathematics Paper 1

3. Mathematics Paper 2

4. Additional Mathematics Paper 2

5. Physics Paper 1

6. Chemistry Paper 1

7. Sejarah Kertas 1

8. Biology Paper 1

9. Physics Paper 3

10. Information and Communication Technology

11. Biology Paper 3

12. Physics Paper 2

13. Chemistry Paper 2

14. Pendidikan Moral

15. Sejarah Kertas 2

16. Chemistry Paper 3

17. Biology Paper 2

18. Bahasa Melayu Kertas 2

19. English Paper 1

20. English Paper 2

21. Bahasa Melayu Kertas 1

For every year in the past, the SPM results was always released in late March. However, in January 2013, I heard rumours that the SPM 2012 results would be released in late February instead. Later, I saw on the internet that the SPM 2012 results would be out on 20 March 2013. Finally, about one week before the SPM results was out, the Ministry of Education announced and confirmed that the SPM 2012 results would be released on 21 March 2013 (Thursday).

Before 21 March 2013, I was in Subang Jaya, studying A Level at Taylor's College. I had class on 21 March 2013 itself, but I skipped it because I wanted to go back to my school to get my SPM results. On 20 March 2013, my father drove me back to Kulim at night. We arrived Kulim at 12:45AM. I was very worried of my SPM results. Although I was aiming for 10A+ in SPM, I would be satisfied if I get 9A+. However, I was worried that I could not get even 9A+. On that night, I was still able to sleep, but I had a nightmare. I dreamt that I got only 3A 4B 3C for SPM.

On 21 March 2013, I woke up at 8:30AM. I took my bath and then had nasi lemak for breakfast. Previously, I also had the same nasi lemak for breakfast on the days when my UPSR and PMR results were out. At 9:15AM, my father took me to my school. My grandparents also followed along. I arrived at my school at 9:30AM. I went to the school hall by myself but there were only a few people there since it was still early. After a while, I met one of my friend and I talked to him. Then, more students and parents began to arrive at the school hall.

At 10AM, the form teachers for every Form 5 classes came to the hall, bringing the SPM results slips. My father also walked to the school hall at that time. Before they gave the results slip, the school principal gave a speech. She said that 47 students in our school got straight A for SPM, but nobody got straight A+. She also said that the SPM 2012 performance had a slight drop compared to SPM 2011. That made me feel more worried. Then, the principal called the students who got straight A to go up the stage to get their results slip one by one.

I was the first person to be called up the stage, because I was in class 5SC1 and my 'angka giliran' was in front. Before the principal gave me my results slip, she said to me 'I think you should request for rechecking.' That made me even more worried. Then, when I saw my results slip, I was quite happy but surprised. I got 9A+ 1A, and the subject I got A was English. Earlier, I was quite confident of getting A+ in English, instead I was more worried of Biology and ICT. However, I got A+ for both Biology and ICT, instead I did not get A+ for English. Although I did not get 10A+, I was still very happy and satisfied that I got 9A+, especially that no one in my school got 10A+. My father was in the hall at that time. He was happy to know my results and he walked to the car to tell my grandparents about that. He also telephoned my mother to let her know.

Many of my friends were surprised about my results, because they were thinking that I did not get A+ for Bahasa Melayu. I decided to request for rechecking for English and many of my teachers and friends also advised me to do so. Then, I realised that there was another grade for English written at the bottom of the SPM results slip, which was the GCE O Level 1119 grade. My GCE O Level grade was 2A. I thought that the SPM English papers could have been marked by examiners from Cambridge University so that was why I did not get A+ for English.

After all the straight A students got their SPM results slip on the stage, other students who did not get straight A could get their SPM results slip from the form teachers. The form teachers also gave every students an envelope containing some important documents such as the school leaving certificate, co-curriculum marks certificate, English Oral Test certificate, 'Ujian Lisan Bahasa Melayu' certificate, PEKA certificate and Additional Mathematics Project Work certificate. 6 students in my school got 9A+ 1A and 2 students got 10A+ 1A. All of them got A in either Bahasa Melayu or English, and they also wanted to request for rechecking.

My father and grandparents went home while I stayed in the school for some time. I walked around the hall and talked to my friends. I also gave a bar of Cadbury chocolate as a gift to 2 girls who were my close friends. Besides, I took photographs with some of my friends. After that, I met my Chinese teacher. She asked me to follow her to the staff room and she gave me a few educational CD's as a present. She also reminded me to sit for Chinese Language in SPM 2013 as a private candidate and I promised her to so so. On that day, the staffs from a few universities also came to my school to introduce their university to the students.

By 12:30PM, most of my friends had gone home. So, I telephoned my father and told him to come and fetch me. After returning home, my grandparents said that they were still very happy with my results although I did not get straight A+. Then, my father and my grandparents took me to a restaurant in Bukit Mertajam for lunch. My father went back to Subang Jaya on that day, but I stayed in Kulim because my birthday would be two days later and I wanted to celebrate it in Kulim. My parents came back to Kulim on 23 March 2013 and took me back to Subang Jaya on 24 March 2013. On 24 March 2013, I registered for SPM 2013 before going back to Subang Jaya.

Earlier, I was planning that if I got the offer for Matriculation, I would switch from A Level to Matriculation. However, because I did not get straight A+ in SPM, I knew that most likely I would not be offered Matriculation. In the previous year, they were students who got straight A+ in SPM but still did not get the Matriculation. So, I decided to continue studying A Level in Taylor's College. My next target would be getting 4A* for A Level. My plan after completing A Level was to study Medicine at International Medical University (IMU) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I did not plan to study overseas, because I love my country and I want to stay here.

The Ministry of Education would offer bursaries to all students who got 9A+ or above in SPM 2012. The bursary would sponsor for pre-university courses including STPM, Matriculation, A Level, Foundation and International Baccalaureate (IB). The bursary would also include a RM430 allowance every month. I was eligible for the bursary since I got 9A+ in SPM. I would use it to pay for my A-levels study fees. I was really lucky that I managed to get 9A+ in SPM. When I was in Form 5, some of my friends advised me to drop the Information & Communication Technology (ICT) subject, because in the past very few students got A+ for ICT in SPM. Luckily, I was determined to continue taking ICT and finally I successfully got A+ in this subject. If I had dropped ICT, I would only get 8A+ in SPM and I would not get the bursary.

This is my SPM 2012 results:

Bahasa Melayu: A+

English: A

Mathematics: A+

Additional Mathematics: A+

Chemistry: A+

Physics: A+

Biology: A+

Information and Communication Technology: A+

Sejarah: A+

Pendidikan Moral: A+

GCE O Level 1119: 2A

Summary: 9A+ 1A

In 2013, I sat for the SPM examination again as a private candidate, taking just the Chinese Language subject. I wrote about it in this post:

https://www.daniellimjj.com/2015/07/why-i-took-spm-examination-twice.html

What went wrong that caused me to not get A+ in SPM English? You can read about it here:

https://www.daniellimjj.com/2017/04/my-learning-of-english-language.html

Tips for SPM Mathematics and Additional Mathematics

For my SPM, I got A+ in both Mathematics and Additional Mathematics. Here, I am sharing the tips for SPM Mathematics and Additional Mathematics. These tips are intended for Form 4 and Form 5 students.

Starting from SPM 2021, there are some changes to the examination format for Mathematics and Additional Mathematics, but the tips here are still applicable. Mathematics and Additional Mathematics will continue to be set bilingually in English and Malay for SPM 2021 and beyond, and all students can still choose to answer in English or Malay.

Tips for other SPM subjects can be found here:

https://www.daniellimjj.com/2013/06/complete-tips-for-spm-examination-first.html

SPM MATHEMATICS

1. Studying tips

- When your teacher is teaching in class, pay attention to what your teacher says. Make sure you understand everything taught by your teacher. If you do not understand anything, ask your teacher or friends.

- You need a reference book because the textbooks are not enough. I recommend you to use the Success Plus Mathematics SPM reference book by EPH.

- When studying a chapter for the first time, read through the notes in the reference book. Make sure that you understand the concept for that chapter and relate them to what your teacher had taught in school.

- You need to know how to apply what you have learnt to solve questions. Go through all the example questions in the revision book. Make sure that you understand how every question is solved.

- Then, you have to do a lot of exercises. Buy exercise books from the bookshop. You can start by doing topical questions topic by topic. When you have understood all topics, proceed with doing SPM model test papers, past year SPM trial questions and past year actual SPM questions. They should be available from bookshops. After doing the exercises, refer to the suggested answer or mark scheme and do self marking.

- You should sometimes refer to the mark scheme of past year SPM trial papers to find out how every question is marked and which steps need to be shown for every question. Usually, the same types of questions will have similar mark scheme, so this can help you when answering exam questions.

- When doing revision before exam, you should go through the example questions for all chapters in the reference book. If you have forgotten the concept for any chapter, go through the notes in reference book for that chapter again. You should also do some SPM model test papers or past year papers.

- The SPM Mathematics paper will also test on some Form 1 to Form 3 topics in addition to Form 4 and Form 5 topics. Make sure that you do not forget those topics. The Success Plus Mathematics SPM reference book contains some example questions for the Form 1 to Form 3 topics, so you should also go through them.

2. Paper 1

- You do not need to show any workings since the questions are objective questions. Write any rough workings on the question paper if you need to. Solve the question and choose the correct answer among the 4 options.

3. Paper 2

- From SPM 2021 onwards, there are Section A, Section B and Section C. Section A consists of 10 questions where you must answer all questions, Section B consists of 5 questions where you must answer all questions while Section C consists of 2 questions where you can choose any 1.

- You must show all workings for every question. You should not skip any important steps. You do not need to write down the formula used to solve the question. The number of marks allocated for a question usually shows the amount of working needed. 1 mark will be given for each important step and the final answer. Marks can only be given for the final answer if the marks for working are scored. If you do not show a particular important step, marks may not be given for that step, as well as all important steps after that step and the final answer, even if they are correct. Therefore, correct answer without working usually scores 0 mark. On the other hand, if your final answer is wrong but some of your working is correct, you may still be given some marks.

- You are not allowed to write extra solutions or answers for any question. If you do so and any of the answers/solutions is wrong, marks will be deducted. When copying figures from the question or from your answer for the previous part of the question, be careful not to copy wrongly.

- If the question does not state that you must or you cannot use a particular method, then you can use any suitable method to solve the question. You can also use methods that are learnt only in Additional Mathematics or in STPM / A Level or higher level, if you know them. If the question states that you must use a particular method, then you can only that method to solve the question. If the question states that cannot use a particular method, then you cannot that method to solve the question

- If the final answer is a number with infinite decimal places, you should round up to at least 4 significant figures.You can also write your final answer as a fraction if possible. However, if the question states that you must express your answer as fraction or decimal, then you must follow the instruction. If a number with infinite decimal places is involved in between the workings, you should take at least 5 significant figures (4 significant figures is not sufficient) to ensure accuracy of the final answer. Otherwise, marks can be deducted if the final answer is less accurate.

- For questions involving Pi, the question may ask you to use Pi = 22/7. In that case, you cannot use Pi = 3.142 or the value of Pi from the calculator. You must also follow other instructions given in the question.

4. Both Paper 1 & Paper 2

- When answering, read the question and information given carefully. For questions involving diagrams, mark any important details on the diagram. For some questions without diagram, sometimes it may be helpful to draw a diagram so that you can illustrate the information given in the question. Apply what you have learnt in mathematics in order to solve the questions and get the answer. Use the correct concept or formula for every question.

- Certain formula are provided in the first few pages of the question paper, refer to them if necessary. After you have answered all questions, you should recheck your answers for mistakes. Leave at least 15 minutes to recheck your answers if possible. When rechecking, use a different method to solve the question or directly use the calculator if possible.

SPM ADDITIONAL MATHEMATICS

1. Studying tips

- When your teacher is teaching in class, pay attention to what your teacher says. Make sure you understand everything taught by your teacher. If you do not understand anything, ask your teacher or friends.

- You need a reference book because the textbooks are not enough. I recommend you to use the Success Plus Additional Mathematics SPM reference book by EPH.

- When studying a chapter for the first time, read through the notes in the reference book. Make sure that you understand the concept for that chapter and relate them to what your teacher had taught in school.

- You need to know how to apply what you have learnt to solve questions. Go through all the example questions in the revision book. Make sure that you understand how every question is solved.

- Then, you have to do a lot of exercises. Buy exercise books from the bookshop. You can start by doing topical questions topic by topic. When you have understood all topics, proceed with doing SPM model test papers, past year SPM trial questions and past year actual SPM questions. They should be available from bookshops. After doing the exercises, refer to the suggested answer or mark scheme and do self marking.

- You should sometimes refer to the mark scheme of past year SPM trial papers to find out how every question is marked and which steps need to be shown for every question. Usually, the same types of questions will have similar mark scheme, so this can help you when answering exam questions.

- When doing revision before exam, you should go through the example questions for all chapters in the reference book. If you have forgotten the concept for any chapter, go through the notes in reference book for that chapter again. You should also do some SPM model test papers or past year papers.

- The Additional Mathematics topics may require knowledge and understanding of the Mathematics topics. Make sure that you understand all the topics in SPM Mathematics.

2. Both Paper 1 & Paper 2

- From SPM 2021 onwards, Paper 1 has Section A and Section B while Paper 2 has Section A, Section B and Section C. For Paper 1, Section A consists of 12 questions where you must answer all questions while Section B consists of 3 questions where you can choose any 2. For Paper 2, Section A consists of 7 questions where you must answer all questions, Section B consists of 4 questions where you can choose any 3 while Section C consists of 4 questions where you can choose any 2.

- When answering, read the question and information given carefully. For questions involving diagrams, mark any important details on the diagram. For some questions without diagram, sometimes it may be helpful to draw a diagram so that you can illustrate the information given in the question. Apply what you have learnt in mathematics in order to solve the questions and get the answer. Use the correct concept or formula for every question. Certain formula are provided in the first few pages of the question paper, refer to them if necessary.

- You must show all workings for every question. You should not skip any important steps. You do not need to write down the formula used to solve the question. The number of marks allocated for a question usually shows the amount of working needed. 1 mark will be given for each important step and the final answer. Marks can only be given for the final answer if the marks for working are scored. If you do not show a particular important step, marks may not be given for that step, as well as all important steps after that step and the final answer, even if they are correct. Therefore, correct answer without working usually scores 0 mark. On the other hand, if your final answer is wrong but some of your working is correct, you may still be given some marks.

- You are not allowed to write extra solutions or answers for any question. If you do so and any of the answers/solutions is wrong, marks will be deducted. When copying figures from the question or from your answer for the previous part of the question, be careful not to copy wrongly.

- For a part of question which requires you to use your answer from the previous part, even if your answer for the previous part is wrong and you use it for this part, causing your answer for this part to be wrong, you will still get the working marks for this part as long as your calculation for this part is correct, but you will usually lose the answer marks for this part.

- If the question does not state that you must or you cannot use a particular method, then you can use any suitable method to solve the question. You can also use methods that are learnt only in STPM / A Level or higher level, if you know them. If the question states that you must use a particular method, then you can only that method to solve the question. If the question states that cannot use a particular method, then you cannot that method to solve the question.

- If the final answer is a number with infinite decimal places, you should round up to at least 4 significant figures. You can also write your final answer as a fraction if possible. However, if the question states that you must express your answer as fraction or decimal, then you must follow the instruction. If a number with infinite decimal places is involved in between the workings, you should take at least 5 significant figures (4 significant figures is not sufficient) to ensure accuracy of the final answer. Otherwise, marks can be deducted if the final answer is less accurate.

- For questions involving Pi, the question may ask you to use Pi = 3.142. In that case, you cannot use Pi = 22/7 or the value of Pi from the calculator. You must also follow other instructions given in the question. 

- After you have answered all questions, you should recheck your answers for mistakes. Leave at least 15 minutes to recheck your answers if possible. When rechecking, use a different method to solve the question or directly use the calculator if possible.

Tips for other SPM subjects can be found here:

https://www.daniellimjj.com/2013/06/complete-tips-for-spm-examination-first.html