Fadhlina: UPSR and PT3 exams no longer relevant, Education Ministry will focus on school-based assessments

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 — The Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Pentaksiran Tingkatan Tiga (PT3) examinations are no longer relevant in assessing students’ academic performance, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said.

She said that was why the Ministry of Education (MOE) decided to maintain its stance on not reinstating the UPSR and PT3, which were abolished in 2021 and 2022 respectively, but to focus on strengthening the school-based assessment (PBS) system instead.

“I would like to take this opportunity to stress that we will not turn back on the decision to abolish UPSR and PT3 because they are no longer relevant.

“Instead, we are giving the time and space for PBS to function effectively…because everything that happens in education must reflect the National Education Philosophy,” she said when winding up the debate on the 2025 Supply Bill at the policy stage for MOE at the Dewan Rakyat today.

Fadhlina said that PBS is a more holistic approach, encompassing assessments that focus on the overall development of students, not just concentrating on grades and exam scores.

The minister said that a comparison of the education assessment systems in Malaysia with several other countries shows that Malaysia is moving in line with the global education agenda.

She said the comparison was made with countries such as Finland, the United States, Germany, Canada, Norway, Japan, Hong Kong, and Indonesia, which have also shifted from a centralised examination system to an educational assessment system.

“The implementation of PBS (in Malaysia) is also in line with the Education 2030: Incheon Declaration and Framework for Action presented on May 21, 2015, at the World Education Forum in Incheon, South Korea.

“This declaration outlines quality education assessment through continuous classroom-based assessments and more comprehensive assessments that include both cognitive and non-competitive evaluations,” she said.

On efforts to strengthen the PBS, Fadhlina stated that the ministry has introduced the Final Test of the Academic Session or UASA, which serves as a summative assessment within the evaluation component and this assessment is considered low-stakes as it helps reduce pressure on students.

She added that the MOE had also made improvements to UASA for the 2024/2025 academic session, including changing the reporting format from mastery levels to percentages and grades, and providing schools and teachers with greater autonomy in its implementation. — Bernama