Form Five students sit for their SPM examination in Kuala Lumpur, November 8, 2016. The Ministry of Education (MOE) has announced today the cancellation of UPSR, PT3, SPM and STPM examinations. ― Bernama pic

KUALA LUMPUR, April 15 — The Ministry of Education (MOE) has announced today the cancellation of Standard Six’s Primary School Achievement Test (UPSR) and Form Three Assessment (PT3) examinations, amid the Covid-19 pandemic this year.

It also announced that the Malaysian Education Certificate (SPM) and Malaysian Vocational Certificate (SVM) examinations for Form Five students, and Malaysian Higher Education Certificate (STPM) and Malaysian Higher Islamic Religious Certificate (STAM) for Form Six students, will be postponed.

“MOE wants to announce that the date for SPM and SVM will be postponed to the first quarter of 2021. For STPM candidates, the Semester 2 examination date will be postponed to August 2020, while Semester 3 examination will be held within the first quarter of 2021.

“STAM examination will also be done in the first quarter of 2021,” said Education Minister Mohd Radzi Md Jidin in a press conference.

Mohd Radzi said, to reflect the postponement,, MOE and the Ministry of Higher Education has agreed to postpone the admission date for higher education institutes for foundation, matriculation and diploma programmes to between July and August 2021, while admission for degree programmes will be delayed to September or October 2021.

He also said that while UPSR and PT3 examinations are cancelled, MOE will find an alternative method for selection criteria to full boarding schools, national religious secondary schools (SMKA), Mara Junior Science Colleges, and the Royal Military College.

“Canceling PT3 will not affect the assessments for students at the middle school level. A new method will be introduced.

“The results obtained from the method this will be one of the selection criteria for admission to special schools like full boarding schools and Technical Schools,” he said.

Mohd Radzi said that the postponement will encompass all government schools, government-assisted schools, and private schools registered under MOE.

“Schools that are not registered under MOE are also recommended to follow these decisions,” he said.