Difficult SPM paper needs careful assessment before marking

FROM both new and repeat candidates of the SPM 2025 Chemis-try paper, the overwhelming feedback is that the paper was extremely confusing and challenging. This sentiment is widely shared among students, whether they are from boarding schools and premier institutions in the country or repeat candidates aiming to pursue their dream courses.

Many say that the paper is the hardest in the past 25 years mainly due to the overemphasis on high-order thinking skills (HOTS) questions and its unique pattern of questioning that mixes chapters and demands more critical application than usual.