SPM 2022 sees 10,109 candidates achieve top grades, best results since 2013

A total of 10,109 students achieved excellent grades in the 2022 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations, with the National Average Grade (GPN) score improving to 4.74 from 4.86 in the previous year, according to Education director-general Pkharuddin Ghazali. He revealed that 373,974 candidates sat for the SPM 2022, and 75,322 students obtained average results with at least a grade C for all subjects.

Pkharuddin also announced that 342,742 or 91.6% of the 2022 candidates were eligible to receive certificates, compared to 88.1% or 336,630 candidates in the previous year. He stated that this is the best achievement since the certification requirement was introduced in 2013, which requires students to obtain at least a pass in Malay Language and History subjects.

The achievement gap between urban and rural areas has also narrowed by 0.03 points to 0.43 in 2022 compared to 0.46 in 2021. Pkharuddin highlighted that religious secondary schools showed marked improvement, with their GPN score dropping to 5.71 from 6.10 in 2021, and state religious secondary schools achieving a GPN of 4.60 in 2022, compared to 4.80 the previous year.

When asked about the factors contributing to the improvement in the SPM 2022 results, Pkharuddin cited the candidates’ preparedness with the Standard Secondary School Curriculum (KSSM) introduced by the Ministry of Education (MoE). He explained, “This is the second year of the new KSSM format, so the teachers and students would probably have the past year’s references to be better prepared.”

He also linked the improvement in the SPM 2022 results to the inclusion of History as a core subject, which recorded improved performance. Since the SPM 2021 examination, all subjects tested are based on the KSSM introduced in 2017. Through the new format, the MoE also included the results of students’ oral skills achievement through Speaking and Listening Tests for Malay Language and English Language subjects.