SPM results 2014: Overall performance takes a dip

PUTRAJAYA: Overall performance in last year's Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) took a dip compared with previous years.

Of 429,003 students who sat for the examination, 11,289 (2.63%) scored straight As compared with 13,970 (3.16%) out of 442,558 students in 2013.

Education director-general Datuk Seri Dr Khair Mohamad Yusof said overall SPM achievement in 2014 declined compared to the year before, with the National Average Grade (GPN) at 5.08 compared with 4.93 in 2013 (lower GPN indicates better performance).

Dr Khair said the decline in overall performance could be due to the change in the way examination questions are posed.

"The (content of) the questions are the same as before, but students now need to think more when they answer and perhaps some need a bit more time adjusting to this.

"But the decline is still within the acceptable range, as the overall performance of students will rise and dip slightly over the years.

"In fact, the 2014 GPN is the same as in 2012," he said when announcing the SPM 2014 results analysis at the Ministry building here on Tuesday.

Dr Khair added that five out of 964 special needs students scored straight As.