STPM: 53,422 pass, eight obtain 5As

A total of 53,422 or 96.75 per cent of the candidates scored a full pass in at least one subject in last year's Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) examination, compared to 47,910 or 92.67 per

cent in 2012.

Malaysian Examination Council (MEC) chairman Prof Datuk Dr Mohd Noh Dalimin said, of the total, 1,898 candidates or 3.44 percent passed all five subjects, 32,763 candidates (59.34 percent) passed four subjects, 9,717 candidates (17.60 percent) passed three subjects, 5,234 candidates (9.48 percent) passed two subjects and 3,810 candidates (6.90 percent) passed only one subject.

"The number of candidates who scored full passes in five and four subjects increased by 10,155 to 34,661 last year from only 24,506 in the previous year," he said when announcing the 2013 STPM results here on Wednesday.

He said, in general, the performance of candidates last year was better compared to the previous year, in which the national Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) rose to 2.55 from 2.24 in 2012.

A total of 492 candidates obtained a CGPA of 4.00 last year compared to 442 candidates in 2012.

Mohd Noh said the number of candidates who obtained A in all subjects had increased to 497 from 450 candidates the year before, but only eight obtained 5As last year compared to 18 in 2012.

From the aspect of school performance, he said the number of candidates in government schools who obtained full passes in five and four subjects had also increased to 34,318 from 23,698 in 2012.

Ten subjects recorded better pass rate, namely Communicative Malay Literature (19.87 percent), Usuluddin (18.53 percent), Sport Sciences (17.45 percent), Business Studies (16.87 percent), Arabic Language (16.89 percent), History (15.69 percent), Mathematics M (15.27 percent), Accounting (13.32 percent), Syariah (12.36 percent) and Bahasa Malaysia (12.04 percent).

Meanwhile, two subjects recorded relatively small changes in their pass rates, namely Literature in English (+1.04 percent) and Physics (-0.59 percent), compared to SPTM 2012.

The performance of candidates in Further Mathematics showed the lowest decline at -28.57 percent as only seven candidates sat for the paper last year, despite the fact that 11 candidates registered.

Mohd Noh said the gap between the performance of urban and rural candidates remained significant as with 1,189 urban candidates obtained 5As, 4As and 3As compared to only 156 rural candidates.

"A total of 473 or 12.23 per cent urban science stream candidates scored 5As, 4As and 3As compared with only 14 (0.51 per cent) for rural candidates, while for the urban art stream, 716 candidates (10.02 per cent) obtained 3As and above compared to 142 (1.99 per cent) rural candidates," he said.

A total of 55,214 candidates sat for the examination last year, compared to 51,697 candidates in 2012.

On the performance of 72,101 students in the November 2013 session of the Malaysian University English Test (MUET), Mohd Noh said 33.15 per cent of the candidates had obtained Band 3 or better, as compared to 28.52 per cent recorded in the July session last year.

In SEREMBAN, State Education Director Datuk Kalsom Khalid said 20 students obtained a CGPA of 4.00 in their STPM examination last year.

She said they comprised five science stream candidates and 15 art stream candidates.

In KUALA TERENGGANU, State Education deputy director Hashim Mohd Zin said, overall, the last year's STPM result for candidates in Terengganu was better than the year before.

"The number of candidates who scored full passes in four subjects last year had also increased by 17.07 per cent to 1,757 candidates or 58.53 per cent compared to 1,236 candidates in the previous year," he told reporters.

In MELAKA, 940 or 61.56 per cent of the candidates in the state managed to score full passes in four subjects last year, an increase of 9.5 per cent from the previous year's result.

State Education director Md Rashid Hussin said 1,505 candidates scored a full pass in at least one subject last year, compared to 1,198 candidates in 2012.

In KUANTAN, the performance of candidates in last year's STPM examination in Pahang also saw an improvement in terms of the pass rate.

State Education director Rosdi Ismail said a total of 2,893 or 97.97 per cent of the candidates obtained full passes in at least one subject.

In PENANG, 61 out of 3,208 candidates in government schools in the state obtained a CGPA of 4.00.

Penang Education director Datuk Ahmad Tarmizi Kamaruddin said the number was an increase of 0.06 per cent from the previous year's result, which saw 42 candidates obtained a CGPA of 4.00.

"Fourteen schools in the state also achieved a 100 per cent pas rate as all of their candidates obtained full passes in all subjects," he told a press conference.

In KOTA BAHARU, 23 schools scored a 100 per cent pass rate, with 15 candidates named as Best Students for STPM 2013, compared to only four candidates in 2012.

Each of the 15 students scored an A in all subjects and obtained a CGPA of 4.00, said the State Education director Hussain Awang.

In IPOH, 69 out of 5,276 candidates in government schools in Perak managed to get full passes in at least one subject in last year's STPM examination.

Acting State Education director Mohd Idris Mohd Ramli said it was an increase of 0.09 per cent from the previous year's result of 51 candidates.

In JOHOR BAHARU, State Education deputy director Hasidin Zaini said 70 candidates in the state obtained a CGPA of 4.00 in last year's STPM examination.

Thirty-eight of them were science stream candidates, while the remaining were art stream candidates.

In KANGAR, Perlis Education director Dun Kasa said the performance of candidates in last year's STPM examination had improved compared to 2012.

He said 618 or 96.71 per cent of the candidates scored full passes in at least one subject, a 0.89 per cent increase from the previous year's percentage of 95.82 per cent.

In ALOR SETAR, 3,983 or 98.22 per cent of candidates in the state scored full passes in at least one subject in the STPM examination last year compared to 3,431 candidates or 93.79 per cent in 2012.

State Education director Datuk Mansor Lat said 33 schools also obtained 100 per cent pass rate, including 17 schools in rural areas.

In KUCHING, 39 out of 6,142 candidates in government schools excelled in last year's STPM examination as they obtained a CGPA of 4.00, compared to only 20 candidates in 2012's examination.

State Education director Datuk Abdillah Adam said a total of 1,360 candidates obtained a CGPA of 3.00 and above compared to 981 candidates in the previous year.

In KOTA KINABALU, 35 schools in Sabah achieved a 100 per cent pass rate with 15 of the candidates obtained a CGPA of 4.00.

Sabah Education director Datuk Jame Alip said 7,213 or 95.98 per cent of last year's candidates also obtained full passes in at least one subject.

Meanwhile, Labuan Education director Mistirine Radin said of the 199 candidates who sat for the examination in Labuan last year, 155 obtained full passes in at least one subject, compared to only 84 candidates in the year before.

In SHAH ALAM, Selangor Education director Datuk Mahmud Karim said 96.53 per cent of the 5,749 candidates in the state scored full passes in at least one subject in last year's STPM.

He said it was an increase of 1.68 per cent from the previous year's result.

Ninety-nine of the candidates obtained full passes in all five subjects.

"For 2013 STPM, there is one candidate who scored 5As, while 59 others scored 4As with a CGPA of 4.00," he told Bernama here.

The said the state CGPA was also increased to 2.52 from 2.35 recorded in the year before.

Mahmud said five schools were also named Best Schools for STPM 2013, namely Kolej Islam Sultan Alam Shah; Sekolah Menengah Jenis Kebangsaan (SMJK) Katholik, Petaling Jaya; SMJK Yoke Kuan, Sekinchan; SMK Kepong; and SMK Batu 8, Puchong.