Abd Ghafar said this year’s SPM results have so far been the best in four years.

He attributed it to the move to cap the number of subjects that a student is allowed to take in the SPM from last
year.

“This can be clearly seen from their encouraging results based on the grading system where 363 candidates
from government schools and another 40 students from private schools or private candidates obtained A+ in all
subjects compared to 214 in 2009,” he said.

He said 9,239 candidates obtained distinctions, which was a combination of A+, A and A- last year compared
to 7,987 candidates in 2009. Abd Ghafar said this was the second year the ministry had used the new grading
system with students graded according to A+, A, A-, B+, B, C+, C, D, E and G as compared to previously
where the grades were from 1A to 9G.

This, he said would provide a detailed breakdown of excellent candidates who obtained grade A’s in the
examination.

The National Average Grade had also improved from 5.34 in 2009 to 5.19 last year, he added.

Abd Ghafar said students had taken between eight to 12 subjects last year with most opting to take 10.

The maximum number of subjects that students are allowed to take for SPM was capped at 12 — the six core
subjects of Bahasa Melayu, English, Islamic Education or Moral Studies, History, Mathematics and Science
and the rest elective subjects.

On the improvement in results, Parents Action Group for Education chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim
said the capping of subjects would allow students to be more focused.

“I am sure not everyone is interested in taking so many subjects,” she added.

Abd Ghafar said the Education Minister would hold a special ceremony to announce a list of top students and
schools this Friday.

For the overall results, he said 368,559 students obtained the SPM certificate this year compared to 364,046
students in 2009.

Meanwhile, Mara director-general Ibrahim Ahmad said 1,249 out of 6,833 students in the 38 Mara Junior
Science Colleges (MRSM) who sat for the SPM last year obtained all A’s.

MRSM Pengkalan Chepa obtained the best results followed by MRSM Tun Ghafar Baba, MRSM Taiping,
MRSM Langkawi, MRSM Kuala Kubu Bharu, MRSM Kubang Pasu and MRSM Kuala Berang.