The Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM), or the Malaysian Certificate of Education, is a national examination taken by all fifth-year secondary school students in Malaysia. It is set and examined by the Malaysian Examinations Syndicate (Lembaga Peperiksaan Malaysia).

SPM is equivalent to the O-Level and is the second last public examination at the secondary school level before the entry into a first bachelor degree course at a university. The Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia

Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia

The Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia is a pre-university examination taken by students in Malaysia. It was formerly known as the Higher School Certificate...

 (STPM), being a pre-university study and equivalent to the A-Level

GCE Advanced Level

The Advanced Level General Certificate of Education, commonly referred to as an A-level, is a qualification offered by education institutions in England, Northern Ireland, Wales, Cameroon, and the Cayman Islands...

, is the last public examination at the secondary school level. Other available pre-university studies in Malaysia include matriculation, foundation study, A-Level, etc., which are conducted at a college or university.

History

The SPM is equivalent to the British GCSE, and provides the opportunity for Malaysians to continue their studies to pre-university level. Up to 1978, the examination was handled by UCLES

UCLES

University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate is a non-teaching department of the University of Cambridge and is a not-for-profit organisation...

, which still advises the Malaysian Examinations Syndicate on standards. The English paper is separately graded by the national examination board and UCLES

UCLES

University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate is a non-teaching department of the University of Cambridge and is a not-for-profit organisation...

, and both grades will be displayed on the statement slip. On the real certificate, only the national examination board's grade is listed. The minimum requirement to get a certificate is a pass in Bahasa Malaysia.

Generally, the SPM is taken at the age of 17, though students who attended pre-secondary school class would take it at the age of 18. Previously, students who successfully passed their Penilaian Tahap Satu (PTS) examination at Primary Three and chose to skip a year of primary school education would take their SPM a year earlier, at the age of 16. This was discontinued in 2000. Students who are taught at home

Homeschooling

Homeschooling or homeschool is the education of children at home, typically by parents but sometimes by tutors, rather than in other formal settings of public or private school...

 generally take the SPM at some point at the end of their secondary education as well.

Compulsory subjects

Certain subjects are made compulsory for students. These are:

Code	Subject (Official Name)	Subject (English Name)	Examination Language
1103	Bahasa Melayu Malay language Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...	Malay language	Malay
1119	Bahasa Inggeris English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...	English language	English
1223	Pendidikan Islam Islamic studies In a Muslim context, Islamic studies can be an umbrella term for all virtually all of academia, both originally researched and as defined by the Islamization of knowledge...	Islamic Studies	Malay
1225	Pendidikan Moral Pendidikan Moral In Malaysia, Pendidikan Moral is one of the core subjects in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination. It is a required subject for all non-Muslim students in the public education system in Malaysia. Muslim students are required to take the Islamic Studies course...	Moral	Malay
1249	Sejarah History History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...	History	Malay
1449	Mathematics Mathematics Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...	Mathematics	English and Malay
1511	Science Science Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...	Science	English and Malay

Compulsory for all Muslim Muslim A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...  students except for students in Religious Science stream, who are required to take their respective electives in lieu of this subject.

Compulsory for all non-Muslim students.

Compulsory for students in the Commerce, and Literature and Arts streams only. Students in the Pure Science, Religious Science, and Humanities Science streams are required to take their respective Science electives in lieu of this subject (see below).

Arts and Health

Code	Subject (Official Name)	Subject (English Name)	Examination Language
2611	Pendidikan Seni Visual Visual arts The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...	Visual Arts Education	Malay
2621	Pendidikan Muzik Musicology Musicology is the scholarly study of music. The word is used in narrow, broad and intermediate senses. In the narrow sense, musicology is confined to the music history of Western culture...	Music Education	Malay
4571	Pengetahuan Sains Sukan Sports science Sport science is a discipline that studies the application of scientific principles and techniques with the aim of improving sporting performance...	Sports Science Knowledge	Malay

Information Technology

Code	Subject (Official Name)	Subject (English Name)	Examination Language
3765	Information and Communications Technology	Information and Communications Technology	English and Malay
8401	Fundamentals of Programming Computer programming Computer programming is the process of designing, writing, testing, debugging, and maintaining the source code of computer programs. This source code is written in one or more programming languages. The purpose of programming is to create a program that performs specific operations or exhibits a...	Fundamentals of Programming	English
8402	Programming and Development Tools Computer programming Computer programming is the process of designing, writing, testing, debugging, and maintaining the source code of computer programs. This source code is written in one or more programming languages. The purpose of programming is to create a program that performs specific operations or exhibits a...	Programming and Development Tools	English
8701	Aplikasi Komputer Dalam Perniagaan	Computer Applications in Business	Malay
8703	Teknologi Pejabat Perniagaan Office Automation Office automation refers to the varied computer machinery and software used to digitally create, collect, store, manipulate, and relay office information needed for accomplishing basic tasks. Raw data storage, electronic transfer, and the management of electronic business information comprise the...	Business Office Technology	Malay

Languages and Literature

Code	Subject (Official Name)	Subject (English Name)	Examination Language
2205	Literature in English English literature English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....	Literature in English	English
2215	Kesusasteraan Melayu	Malay Literature	Malay
2361	Bahasa Arab Tinggi Arabic language Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...	Higher Arabic	Arabic
6351	Bahasa Cina Chinese language The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...	Chinese Language	Chinese (Mandarin)
6354	Bahasa Tamil Tamil language Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...	Tamil Language	Tamil
6355	English for Science and Technology English language English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...	English for Science and Technology	English
6356	Bahasa Iban Iban language The Iban language is spoken by the Iban, a branch of the Dayak ethnic group formerly known as "Sea Dayak" who live in Sarawak, the Indonesian province of Kalimantan Barat and in Brunei. It belongs to the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family, and is related to Malay, more...	Iban Language	Iban
6362	Bahasa Arab Komunikasi Arabic language Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...	Arabic Language For Communication	Arabic
9216	Kesusasteraan Cina Chinese literature Chinese literature extends thousands of years, from the earliest recorded dynastic court archives to the mature fictional novels that arose during the Ming Dynasty to entertain the masses of literate Chinese...	Chinese Literature	Chinese
9217	Kesusasteraan Tamil Tamil literature Tamil literature refers to the literature in the Tamil language. Tamil literature has a rich and long literary tradition spanning more than two thousand years. The oldest extant works show signs of maturity indicating an even longer period of evolution...	Tamil Literature	Tamil
9303	Bahasa Perancis French language French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...	French Language	French
9378	Bahasa Punjabi Punjabi language Punjabi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by inhabitants of the historical Punjab region . For Sikhs, the Punjabi language stands as the official language in which all ceremonies take place. In Pakistan, Punjabi is the most widely spoken language...	Punjabi Language	Punjabi

Technical and Vocational

Code	Subject (Official Name)	Subject (English Name)	Examination Language
3528	Sains Pertanian Agricultural science Agricultural science is a broad multidisciplinary field that encompasses the parts of exact, natural, economic and social sciences that are used in the practice and understanding of agriculture. -Agriculture and agricultural science:The two terms are often confused...	Agricultural Science	Malay
3529	Pengajian Agroteknologi	Agrotechnology Studies	Malay
3758	Ekonomi Rumahtangga Home Economics Home economics is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of the home and community...	Home Economics	Malay
3759	Engineering drawing Engineering drawing An engineering drawing, a type of technical drawing, is used to fully and clearly define requirements for engineered items.Engineering drawing produces engineering drawings . More than just the drawing of pictures, it is also a language—a graphical language that communicates ideas and information...	Engineering Drawing	English
3760	Pengajian Kejuruteraan Mekanikal Mechanical engineering Mechanical engineering is a discipline of engineering that applies the principles of physics and materials science for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. It is the branch of engineering that involves the production and usage of heat and mechanical power for the...	Mechanical Engineering Studies	English
3761	Pengajian Kejuruteraan Awam Civil engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...	Civil Engineering Studies	English
3762	Pengajian Kejuruteraan Elektrik dan Elektronik	Electrical and Electronic Engineering Studies	English
3763	Rekacipta Invention An invention is a novel composition, device, or process. An invention may be derived from a pre-existing model or idea, or it could be independently conceived, in which case it may be a radical breakthrough. In addition, there is cultural invention, which is an innovative set of useful social...	Invention	Malay
3764	Engineering technology	Engineering Technology	English
3766	Pengurusan Makanan Catering Catering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, public house , or other location.-Mobile catering:A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose...	Food Management	Malay
3767	Pola Pakaian Fashion Fashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...	Fashion Design	Malay
7101	Pembinaan Domestik Construction In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...	Domestic Construction	Malay
7102	Membuat Perabot Furniture Furniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...	Furniture Making	Malay
7103	Kerja Paip Domestik Plumbing Plumbing is the system of pipes and drains installed in a building for the distribution of potable drinking water and the removal of waterborne wastes, and the skilled trade of working with pipes, tubing and plumbing fixtures in such systems. A plumber is someone who installs or repairs piping...	Domestic Plumbing	Malay
7104	Pendawaian Domestik Electrical wiring Electrical wiring in general refers to insulated conductors used to carry electricity, and associated devices. This article describes general aspects of electrical wiring as used to provide power in buildings and structures, commonly referred to as building wiring. This article is intended to...	Domestic Wiring	Malay
7105	Kimpalan Arka dan Gas Welding Welding is a fabrication or sculptural process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by causing coalescence. This is often done by melting the workpieces and adding a filler material to form a pool of molten material that cools to become a strong joint, with pressure sometimes...	Arc and Gas Welding	Malay
7106	Menservis Automobil Automotive engineering Modern automotive engineering, along with aerospace engineering and marine engineering, is a branch of vehicle engineering, incorporating elements of mechanical, electrical, electronic, software and safety engineering as applied to the design, manufacture and operation of motorcycles, automobiles,...	Automobile Servicing	Malay
7107	Menservis Motosikal Automotive engineering Modern automotive engineering, along with aerospace engineering and marine engineering, is a branch of vehicle engineering, incorporating elements of mechanical, electrical, electronic, software and safety engineering as applied to the design, manufacture and operation of motorcycles, automobiles,...	Motorcycle Servicing	Malay
7107	Menservis Motosikal Automotive engineering Modern automotive engineering, along with aerospace engineering and marine engineering, is a branch of vehicle engineering, incorporating elements of mechanical, electrical, electronic, software and safety engineering as applied to the design, manufacture and operation of motorcycles, automobiles,...	Motorcycle Servicing	Malay
7108	Menservis Peralatan Penyejukan dan Penyamanan Udara Air conditioning An air conditioner is a home appliance, system, or mechanism designed to dehumidify and extract heat from an area. The cooling is done using a simple refrigeration cycle...	Air-Conditioning Servicing	Malay
7109	Menservis Peralatan Elektrik Domestik	Domestic Electrical Appliances Servicing	Malay
7201	Rekaan dan Jahitan Pakaian Tailor A tailor is a person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally, especially suits and men's clothing.Although the term dates to the thirteenth century, tailor took on its modern sense in the late eighteenth century, and now refers to makers of men's and women's suits, coats, trousers,...	Design and Tailoring	Malay
7202	Katering dan Penyajian Catering Catering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, public house , or other location.-Mobile catering:A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose...	Catering Service	Malay
7203	Pemprosesan Makanan Food processing Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by humans or animals either in the home or by the food processing industry...	Food Processing	Malay
7204	Penjagaan Muka dan Dandanan Rambut	Facial and Hair Care	Malay
7205	Asuhan dan Pendidikan Awal Kanak-Kanak Early childhood education Early childhood education is the formal teaching and care of young children by people other than their family or in settings outside of the home. 'Early childhood' is usually defined as before the age of normal schooling - five years in most nations, though the U.S...	Infant Care and Early Childhood Education	Malay
7206	Gerontologi Asas dan Perkhidmatan Geriatrik Gerontology Gerontology is the study of the social, psychological and biological aspects of aging...	Geriatic Services	Malay
7301	Landskap dan Nurseri Landscaping Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including:# living elements, such as flora or fauna; or what is commonly referred to as gardening, the art and craft of growing plants with a goal of creating a beautiful environment within the landscape.#...	Nursery and Landscape	Malay
7302	Akuakultur dan Haiwan Rekreasi Aquaculture Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...	Aquaculture and Pets	Malay
7303	Tanaman Makanan	Food and Crop Cultivation	Malay
7401	Seni Reka Tanda Signage Signage is any kind of visual graphics created to display information to a particular audience. This is typically manifested in the form of wayfinding information in places such as streets or inside/outside of buildings.-History:...	Signage Design	Malay
7402	Hiasan Dalaman Asas	Basic Interior Decoration	Malay
7403	Produksi Multimedia Multimedia Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...	Multimedia Production	Malay
7404	Grafik Berkomputer Computer graphics Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....	Computer Graphics	Malay
8501	Membuat Pakaian Tailor A tailor is a person who makes, repairs, or alters clothing professionally, especially suits and men's clothing.Although the term dates to the thirteenth century, tailor took on its modern sense in the late eighteenth century, and now refers to makers of men's and women's suits, coats, trousers,...	Dress Making	Malay
8502	Menservis TV Fashion design Fashion design is the art of the application of design and aesthetics or natural beauty to clothing and accessories. Fashion design is influenced by cultural and social latitudes, and has varied over time and place. Fashion designers work in a number of ways in designing clothing and accessories....	Television Servicing	Malay
8511	Roti Dan Masakan Yis Bread Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...	Bread and Yeast Food	Malay
8512	Patisserie Pâtisserie A pâtisserie is the type of French or Belgian bakery that specializes in pastries and sweets. In both countries it is a legally controlled title that may only be used by bakeries that employ a licensed maître pâtissier ....	Patisserie	Malay
8521	Persolekan Cosmetology Cosmetology is the study and application of beauty treatment. Branches of specialty including hairstyling, skin care, cosmetics, manicures/pedicures, and electrology....	Make Up	Malay
8522	Dandanan Rambut Hairstyle A hairstyle, hairdo, or haircut refers to the styling of hair, usually on the human head. The fashioning of hair can be considered an aspect of personal grooming, fashion, and cosmetics, although practical, cultural, and popular considerations also influence some hairstyles.-History of...	Hair Dressing	Malay
8531	Pengajian Perkembangan Kanak-Kanak Child development Child development stages describe theoretical milestones of child development. Many stage models of development have been proposed, used as working concepts and in some cases asserted as nativist theories....	Child Development Studies	Malay
8532	Perkhidmatan Awal Kanak-Kanak Early Childhood Intervention Early childhood intervention is a support system for children with developmental disabilities or delays and their families.The mission of Early Childhood Intervention is to assure that families who have children ages birth to three, with diagnosed disabilities, developmental delays or substantial...	Early Childhood Service	Malay
8541	Penyediaan Masakan Barat dan Timur	Western & Eastern Food Preparation	Malay
8542	Penyajian Makanan dan Minuman Catering Catering is the business of providing foodservice at a remote site or a site such as a hotel, public house , or other location.-Mobile catering:A mobile caterer serves food directly from a vehicle or cart that is designed for the purpose...	Food and Beverage Catering	Malay
8811	Teknologi Bengkel Mesin	Machine Workshop Technology	Malay
8812/1	Kerja Menggegas Maintenance, Repair and Operations Maintenance, repair, and operations or maintenance, repair, and overhaul involves fixing any sort of mechanical or electrical device should it become out of order or broken...	Maintenance Work	Malay
8812/3	Kerja Melarik Lathe A lathe is a machine tool which rotates the workpiece on its axis to perform various operations such as cutting, sanding, knurling, drilling, or deformation with tools that are applied to the workpiece to create an object which has symmetry about an axis of rotation.Lathes are used in woodturning,...	Lathe Working	Malay
8813	Lukisan Geometri dan Mesin Technical drawing Technical drawing, also known as drafting or draughting, is the act and discipline of composing plans that visually communicate how something functions or has to be constructed.Drafting is the language of industry....	Geometric Drawing and Machines	Malay
8813	Teknologi Binaan Bangunan	Building Technology	Malay
8815/1	Kerja Kayu Woodworking Woodworking is the process of building, making or carving something using wood.-History:Along with stone, mud, and animal parts, wood was one of the first materials worked by early humans. Microwear analysis of the Mousterian stone tools used by the Neanderthals show that many were used to work wood...	Woodworking	Malay
8815/3	Kerja Bata Brickwork Brickwork is masonry produced by a bricklayer, using bricks and mortar to build up brick structures such as walls. Brickwork is also used to finish corners, door, and window openings, etc...	Brickwork	Malay
8816	Lukisan Geometri dan Pembinaan Bangunan Technical drawing Technical drawing, also known as drafting or draughting, is the act and discipline of composing plans that visually communicate how something functions or has to be constructed.Drafting is the language of industry....	Geometric Drawing and Building Construction	Malay
8817	Teknologi Elektrik Electrical Engineering Technology Electrical engineering technology is an engineering technology field that implements and applies the principles of electrical engineering...	Electrical Engineering Technology	Malay
8818/1	Pemasangan Elektrik Electrician An electrician is a tradesman specializing in electrical wiring of buildings, stationary machines and related equipment. Electricians may be employed in the installation of new electrical components or the maintenance and repair of existing electrical infrastructure. Electricians may also...	Electrical Installation	Malay
8818/3	Kawalan Elektrik Electric power control Power Control deals with routing electric power, controlling its quality, and controlling the devices attached to a power line.A number of technologies have evolved for using the power wiring to turn devices attached to the power line on and off, monitoring attached devices, and similar...	Electric Control	Malay
8819	Lukisan Geometri dan Elektrik Technical drawing Technical drawing, also known as drafting or draughting, is the act and discipline of composing plans that visually communicate how something functions or has to be constructed.Drafting is the language of industry....	Geometric Drawing and Electricity	Malay
8820	Teknologi Elektronik	Electronic Technology	Malay
8821/1	Menservis Radio Radio Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...	Radio Servicing	Malay
8821/3	Menservis TV Television Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...	Television Servicing	Malay
8822	Lukisan Geometri dan Elektronik Technical drawing Technical drawing, also known as drafting or draughting, is the act and discipline of composing plans that visually communicate how something functions or has to be constructed.Drafting is the language of industry....	Geometric Drawing and Electronics	Malay
8823	Teknologi Kimpalan dan Fabrikasi Logam Metallurgy Metallurgy is a domain of materials science that studies the physical and chemical behavior of metallic elements, their intermetallic compounds, and their mixtures, which are called alloys. It is also the technology of metals: the way in which science is applied to their practical use...	Welding and Metal Fabrication Technology	Malay
8824/1	Kerja Kimpalan Arka Arc welding Arc welding is a type of welding that uses a welding power supply to create an electric arc between an electrode and the base material to melt the metals at the welding point. They can use either direct or alternating current, and consumable or non-consumable electrodes...	Arc Welding	Malay
8824/3	Kerja Kimpalan Gas	Gas Welding	Malay
8825	Lukisan Geometri dan Fabrikasi Logam Technical drawing Technical drawing, also known as drafting or draughting, is the act and discipline of composing plans that visually communicate how something functions or has to be constructed.Drafting is the language of industry....	Geometric Drawing and Metal Fabrication	Malay
8826	Teknologi Automotif Automotive engineering Modern automotive engineering, along with aerospace engineering and marine engineering, is a branch of vehicle engineering, incorporating elements of mechanical, electrical, electronic, software and safety engineering as applied to the design, manufacture and operation of motorcycles, automobiles,...	Automotive Technology	Malay
8827/1	Auto Asas Automotive engineering Modern automotive engineering, along with aerospace engineering and marine engineering, is a branch of vehicle engineering, incorporating elements of mechanical, electrical, electronic, software and safety engineering as applied to the design, manufacture and operation of motorcycles, automobiles,...	Basic Automotive	Malay
8827/2	Kerja Elektrik dan Diesel Diesel engine A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...	Electrical & Diesel Work	Malay
8828	Lukisan Geometri dan Automotif Technical drawing Technical drawing, also known as drafting or draughting, is the act and discipline of composing plans that visually communicate how something functions or has to be constructed.Drafting is the language of industry....	Geometric Drawing and Automotives	Malay
8829	Teknologi Penyejukan dan Penyamanan Udara Refrigeration Refrigeration is a process in which work is done to move heat from one location to another. This work is traditionally done by mechanical work, but can also be done by magnetism, laser or other means...	Refrigeration Technology	Malay
8830	Memasang dan Menservis Penyejuk dan Penyaman Udara Refrigeration Refrigeration is a process in which work is done to move heat from one location to another. This work is traditionally done by mechanical work, but can also be done by magnetism, laser or other means...	Installation and Servicing of Refrigeration and Air-conditioning	Malay
8831	Lukisan Geometri dan Penyaman Udara Technical drawing Technical drawing, also known as drafting or draughting, is the act and discipline of composing plans that visually communicate how something functions or has to be constructed.Drafting is the language of industry....	Geometric Drawing and Air-conditioning	Malay
8881	Pengeluaran Tanaman Horticulture Horticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...	Crop Production	Malay
8882	Pengeluaran Ternakan Animal husbandry Animal husbandry is the agricultural practice of breeding and raising livestock.- History :Animal husbandry has been practiced for thousands of years, since the first domestication of animals....	Stockbreeding	Malay
8883	Hortikultur Hiasan dan Landskap Landscaping Landscaping refers to any activity that modifies the visible features of an area of land, including:# living elements, such as flora or fauna; or what is commonly referred to as gardening, the art and craft of growing plants with a goal of creating a beautiful environment within the landscape.#...	Decorative Horticulture and Landscaping	Malay
8884	Kejenteraan Ladang Agricultural engineering Agricultural engineering is the engineering discipline that applies engineering science and technology to agricultural production and processing...	Plantation Engineering	Malay
8885	Pengurusan Ladang	Plantation Management	Malay

Science and Mathematics

Code	Subject (Official Name)	Subject (English Name)	Examination Language
3472	Additional Mathematics Mathematics Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...	Additional Mathematics	English and Malay
4531	Physics Physics Physics is a natural science that involves the study of matter and its motion through spacetime, along with related concepts such as energy and force. More broadly, it is the general analysis of nature, conducted in order to understand how the universe behaves.Physics is one of the oldest academic...	Physics	English and Malay
4541	Chemistry Chemistry Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....	Chemistry	English and Malay
4551	Biology Biology Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...	Biology	English and Malay
4561	Additional Science Science Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...	Additional Science	English and Malay
4581	Applied Science Science Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...	Applied Science	English and Malay

In 2003, the medium of instruction for the science and mathematics subjects was switched

Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik Dalam Bahasa Inggeris

Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik Dalam Bahasa Inggeris is a government policy aimed at improving the command of the English language among pupils at primary and secondary schools in Malaysia...

 from Malay

Malay language

Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...

 to English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

. Due to this transition, students taking science and mathematics subjects can choose to respond in the examinations in either English or Malay. The Ministry of Education has since announced a reversal of this policy, set to take effect in 2021.

Social Sciences & Religion

Code	Subject (Official Name)	Subject (English Name)	Examination Language
2280	Geografi Geography Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...	Geography	Malay
3754	Pengajian Keusahawanan	Entrepreneurial Studies	Malay
3755	Perdagangan Business education Business education involves teaching students the fundamentals, theories, and processes of business. Education in this field occurs at several levels, including secondary education and higher education or university education. Approximately 38% of student enroll in one or more business courses...	Business	Malay
3756	Prinsip Perakaunan Accountancy Accountancy is the process of communicating financial information about a business entity to users such as shareholders and managers. The communication is generally in the form of financial statements that show in money terms the economic resources under the control of management; the art lies in...	Principles of Accounting	Malay
3757	Ekonomi Asas Economics education Economics education or economic education is a field within economics that focuses on two main themes: 1) the current state of, and efforts to improve, the economics curriculum, materials and pedagogical techniques used to teach economics at all educational levels; and 2) research into the...	Basic Economics	Malay
5226	Tasawwur Islam	Islamic Worldviews	Malay
5227	Pendidikan Al-Quran dan As-Sunnah Sunnah The word literally means a clear, well trodden, busy and plain surfaced road. In the discussion of the sources of religion, Sunnah denotes the practice of Prophet Muhammad that he taught and practically instituted as a teacher of the sharī‘ah and the best exemplar...	Al-Quran and As-Sunnah Education	Malay
5228	Pendidikan Syariah Islamiah	Syariah Islamiah Education	Malay
8702	Perakaunan Perniagaan	Business Accounting	Malay
9221	Bible Knowledge Biblical studies Biblical studies is the academic study of the Judeo-Christian Bible and related texts. For Christianity, the Bible traditionally comprises the New Testament and Old Testament, which together are sometimes called the "Scriptures." Judaism recognizes as scripture only the Hebrew Bible, also known as...	Bible Knowledge	English

Results

The evaluation scheme is fully exam-based. The examination for SPM usually takes place around November and lasts for more than 3 weeks. Papers are also scheduled in June for students who wish to resit for examinations they failed the previous year, but only for the compulsory subjects.

When releasing the results, only the letter grades (and not the actual scores) are made known to the candidates. Candidates may request a remarking (regrading) if they suspect errors in the original marking. Although no list of rankings is released to the public, the names of the top ranked students in the country and in each state are released to the press. These students may achieve the level of temporary celebrities, and may even be approached by companies to advertise their products. Politicians usually visit some of these top ranked students a day before the official results in order to congratulate them. Because the SPM examination is the final nationally standardised examination taken by the majority of Malaysians, many scholarship

Scholarship

A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...

s are awarded based on SPM results.

Since 2010, however, the Ministry of Education has imposed a 10-subject limit on every candidate, while lowering the minimum number of subjects from 8 to 6. Students are allowed to take 2 additional subjects (comprising Arabic

Arabic language

Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...

, Chinese

Chinese language

The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...

, Tamil

Tamil language

Tamil is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamil people of the Indian subcontinent. It has official status in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and in the Indian union territory of Pondicherry. Tamil is also an official language of Sri Lanka and Singapore...

, Iban

Iban language

The Iban language is spoken by the Iban, a branch of the Dayak ethnic group formerly known as "Sea Dayak" who live in Sarawak, the Indonesian province of Kalimantan Barat and in Brunei. It belongs to the Malayo-Polynesian branch of the Austronesian language family, and is related to Malay, more...

, Kada­zandusun

Coastal Kadazan language

Coastal Kadazan is a Austronesian language primarily spoken in Sabah, Malaysia. It is the primary language spoken by the Kadazan ethnic group.The language has adopted many loanwords, particularly from other North Borneo indigenous languages and also Malay....

 languages and Bible Knowledge

Biblical studies

Biblical studies is the academic study of the Judeo-Christian Bible and related texts. For Christianity, the Bible traditionally comprises the New Testament and Old Testament, which together are sometimes called the "Scriptures." Judaism recognizes as scripture only the Hebrew Bible, also known as...

) but they will not be taken into consideration for government scholarships.

Grade system

Candidates are assigned grades

Grade (education)

Grades are standardized measurements of varying levels of comprehension within a subject area. Grades can be assigned in letters , as a range , as a number out of a possible total , as descriptors , in percentages, or, as is common in some post-secondary...

based on their scores in each subject. The exact grading scale used every year has never been made public.

Since 2009, grading system used has a range from A+ (the highest grade) to G (for "gagal" or fail). The previous system assigned a grade point and a letter to each range, with 1A ("1" being the grade point and "A" the letter grade) as highest range and 9G the lowest.

The table below shows the comparison between previous grade system and the current one. Note that A+ is a higher grade than 1A.

2000 - 2008	From 2009	Grade Value
	A+	0
1A	A	1
2A	A-	2
3B	B+	3
4B	B	4
5C	C+	5
6C	C	6
7D	D	7
8E	E	8
9G	G	9