KUALA LUMPUR: The percentage of candidates who scored a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average (CGPA) in Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) 2014 has increased.
The 2014 examination saw a 0.91% increase or 390 candidates obtaining a 4.0 CGPA compared to 0.89% or 492 candidates in the previous year.
Although the percentage has improved, the lower number of candidates is due to a decrease in the number of students who registered for STPM last year compared to 2013.
Malaysian Examination Council (MEC) president Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Noh Dalimin noted a drop in candidates, from 58,355 students in 2013 to 48,615 students last year.
“It is a drop of 16.69% (9,740 candidates),” he told reporters when announcing the analysis of the STPM 2014 results yesterday.
He said the MEC would investigate the reason behind the drop, adding that the second group of STPM candidates who underwent the new modular format did better than the pioneer batch of 2013.
STPM has undergone a change in format from the terminal system, which was based on one final exam, to the modular system, which assesses students continuously over three terms in Sixth Form.
While candidates can take up to five subjects for STPM, Prof Mohd Noh said the CGPA points are calculated based on the best scores for four subjects, including General Studies.
“The average CGPA for government schools went up from 2.55% in 2013 to 2.62% last year,” he said, adding that 10 out of 3,039 candidates who took five subjects got straight As for STPM 2014.
He also said the percentage of candidates who passed all their subjects increased to 97.81% (41,915 candidates) compared to 2013, which saw a passing rate of 96.85% (53,494 candidates).
“These improvements show that student performance will continue to improve under the new format,” he added.
He said this was because under the new format, candidates sit for their finals at the end of every semester and are tested based on that semester’s subject content alone.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin congratulated students who obtained their results yesterday.
“The students’ success is the result of hard work by their families and teachers, too,” he said in a statement.
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