400,000 Students To Sit For Year Four Learning Matrix This October

PUTRAJAYA: Approximately 400,000 Year Four students are expected to sit for the Year Four Learning Matrix, the first cohort of its implementation, simultaneously nationwide from 6 to 8 October this year.

Examination Director from the Examination Board (LP) of the Ministry of Education, Ab Aziz Mamat, said that it involves four core subjects, namely Bahasa Melayu, English, Mathematics, and Science, as well as Chinese or Tamil language for National-Type Schools.

“Each subject is tested in written form for one hour and 15 minutes, while for students with special learning needs in the mainstream, additional time of between 30 to 60 minutes is given,” he told BERNAMA.

Ab Aziz said that schools are responsible for ensuring all Year Four students are registered to sit for the Year Four Learning Matrix, as well as ensuring the provision of sufficient question papers so that no candidate is left out.

To ensure a uniform assessment standard nationwide, the assessment instruments or question papers are developed by the LP with the involvement of teachers who are engaged in the Teaching and Learning process in the classroom.

The assessment instruments are developed based on the Curriculum and Assessment Standard Document covering learning content from Year One to Year Four with objective and subjective items, various forms and difficulty levels that measure knowledge, application, problem-solving, reasoning, and Higher Order Thinking Skills.

The construction of items or questions also takes into account international assessment practices such as the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics, Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study, and the Programme for International Student Assessment to familiarise students with international assessment standards.

“We have decided to ensure public confidence in this assessment, so it will be conducted centrally by the LP.

“Like other central examinations or central assessments, the LP will coordinate the printing of question papers, which after being printed, will be sent to secure storage facilities nationwide. This means all students and schools will receive the same question papers,” he said.

Ab Aziz said that students following the Dual Language Programme receive question papers in bilingual form for Science and Mathematics subjects, while other students are provided with question papers in Bahasa Melayu.

Marking Scheme Prepared By Examination Board

Regarding marking, he said that students’ answer scripts are checked by the subject teachers themselves based on the marking scheme prepared by the LP, in addition to undergoing moderation and verification processes to ensure that marking standards are maintained.

“For the Year Four Learning Matrix, we want the teachers themselves to know the position, strengths, and weaknesses of their respective students when marking the papers. That is why we have determined that the answer scripts will be checked by the teacher who teaches that student,” he said.

Ab Aziz said that the assessment results use the same grading and score system as the End of Academic Session Examination, but are not used as a condition for entry into Fully Residential Schools, MRSM, or other specialised schools, which continue to use the Special School Admission Assessment.

In January, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that the government would introduce a new approach to learning assessment in primary and secondary schools through the Malaysia Learning Matrix, beginning with the Year Four Learning Measurement in 2026 and the Form Three Learning Measurement in 2027.

Bernama