Johor education dept urged to set up additional temporary test centres for private candidates
Aspiring university students are willing to travel almost 500km to neighbouring states to sit for their Malaysian University English Test (MUET), due to limited seats in Johor.
Abdul Hakim Mahfidz, 21, said he spent nearly RM900 just to sit for the test in Pahang after failing to secure a slot closer to home in Johor Baru.
“It was very expensive, as I had to travel to Kuala Lipis twice, once for the speaking test and another for the reading, writing and listening paper,” he told StarMetro of his exam dates which were almost two weeks apart.
Abdul Hakim, who is currently working and hopes to pursue a spot in a public university, said the biggest challenge was planning his journey – he had to leave two days before each session to ensure he had enough time to rest and prepare.
He said Pahang was the closest available option after centres in Johor were fully booked.
J. Yoram, 20, who is retaking the MUET to get into a public university, faced the same predicament as he too had to travel to Kuala Lipis twice after failing to secure a slot in his home state Johor.
“The trip cost me around RM700 including transportation, accommodation and meals,” he said, adding that he had to stay with relatives in Putrajaya before continuing his journey to Pahang.
Yoram said he would have preferred to sit for the test in Johor and hoped the state Education Department could consider setting up temporary examination centres, such as in public halls, to cater for private candidates.
“They could rent a public hall and turn it into a temporary exam centre so students do not have to travel so far,” he said.
Meanwhile, university student Wan Harira Naimah Wan Zaidi travelled from Puncak Alam, Selangor, to Kuala Lipis to re-sit the MUET after centres in her state were fully booked.
The 22-year-old, who is trying for better results for future job prospects, said it was exhausting as she had to manage her lectures and travelling to sit for the test.
Although her bus ticket cost only RM14.90, she said additional transport costs including e-hailing fares, pushed her total expenses to about RM200 for both sessions, even after saving on accommodation by staying with a friend’s relatives.
She added that the long journey affected her focus during the test and believed additional slots would help reduce the burden on candidates.
When contacted, Johor Education Department director Zulkurnain Abdul Rahman said candidates who registered in another state but faced difficulties travelling there could apply for a shared examination centre placement through the Sector of Assessment and Examination (SPP) in Johor.
“The quota set within the state depends on the maximum capacity each centre can accommodate.
“SPP JPN Johor has increased the quota for private candidates by 20% beginning from Session 2 of 2025,” he said.
Zulkurnain added that candidates applying for a transfer or shared arrangement would need to pay RM60 if they managed to switch to another centre.
According to the Malaysian Examinations Council (MPM) calendar, the 2026 MUET Session 2 examination will be held from June 15 to 27, while Session 3 is scheduled from Oct 6 to 17.
Candidates can contact MPM at 03-612 61600 or e-mail muet@mpm.edu.my, while SPP JPN Johor can be reached at 07-231 0036 or sppjpnj@moe.gov.my
MUET is compulsory for students who wish to pursue their degrees in public universities.
The test comprises four components, which involve reading, writing, listening and speaking.
