STPM

Overview

Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM), also known as the Malaysian Higher School Certificate, is Malaysia's main pre-university qualification, broadly equivalent to A-Levels. It is set and administered centrally by the Malaysian Examinations Council (Majlis Peperiksaan Malaysia, MPM). STPM is taken after SPM, usually during Form 6, and its results are the main route into Malaysia's public universities (IPTA) through a cumulative grade point average (CGPA). It sits alongside other post-SPM pathways such as Matriculation and private-college pre-university programmes, covered separately from SPM itself (see the SPM programme page for the school-leaving exam that precedes it).

Who can apply

Candidates must generally have passed SPM (or an equivalent qualification) and hold a credit in Bahasa Melayu. Entry into the Science stream typically requires at least a C grade in three science-related SPM subjects with a combined grade value within a set limit, while entry into the Arts/Humanities stream requires at least a C grade in any three SPM subjects within a separate, more lenient limit; schools and the Ministry of Education set the exact subject and grade-value conditions each cycle. Form 6 is run as part of normal government secondary schooling, so SPM leavers who qualify are typically placed into a Form 6 class automatically after their SPM results are released, rather than through a separate application. MUET (Malaysian University English Test) is compulsory for every STPM candidate, alongside their academic subjects. People who are not going through a school's Form 6 programme - including adults and repeat candidates - can also register with MPM as a private candidate.

Exam pattern

STPM uses a modular system spread across three semesters (locally called Penggal 1, 2 and 3), each covering part of the syllabus and ending in its own centralised examination. Every candidate takes Pengajian Am (General Studies), the one subject compulsory for all STPM candidates regardless of stream, alongside MUET and a set of elective subjects chosen according to their stream (Science, Arts/Humanities, Accounting and others). Many subjects combine a centralised written paper with School-Based Assessment (coursework marked in school and moderated by MPM) rather than a single end-of-course exam.

Subject offerings and syllabuses are set by MPM and revised periodically (a refined Pengajian Am syllabus took effect from Semester 1 of the 2026 cohort), so candidates should check the current syllabus for each subject they register for.

Marking and results

STPM grades range from A down to F across eleven grade bands (A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, F), each carrying a grade point on a 4.00 scale. A candidate's overall result is reported as a cumulative grade point average (CGPA), calculated across all subjects taken over the three semesters, including Pengajian Am. This CGPA is the main figure public universities use for admission, alongside individual subject grades and the candidate's MUET band.

Grades from A to C are generally treated as a full pass in a subject, grades from C- to D as a partial pass, and F as a fail. Requirements for a full STPM certificate, and the minimum CGPA or subject grades needed for a particular university course, are set separately by MPM and by each university, so candidates should confirm current requirements with their target institutions.

Important dates

STPM runs across three semesters over about a year and a half. Each semester has its own centralised examination sitting at the end of its teaching period, with the exact dates for every subject published on MPM's official examination timetable ahead of each cycle. As one example, for the 2026 cycle MPM scheduled the Semester 3 Pengajian Am paper over 17-19 November and 24-26 November 2026. Dates for Semester 1 and Semester 2 papers, and for every other subject, are set separately each cycle. Because the timetable shifts from year to year, candidates should always check the current cycle's published timetable on the MPM portal rather than relying on a past year's dates.

How to apply

Form 6 candidates are generally placed into their STPM semester automatically as part of their school enrolment, and register for their subjects through their school once a place is confirmed. Private candidates - those not going through a school's Form 6 programme - register directly with MPM through its official registration channel, providing identity details and choosing their subjects, and pay a registration fee plus a per-subject fee. Reported figures for recent cycles have been in the range of roughly RM120 for the base registration fee plus about RM90 per subject for private candidates, but MPM sets the exact fee schedule for each cycle, so candidates should confirm current-year figures on the official MPM portal before registering.

After the exam

STPM results, expressed as a CGPA alongside individual subject grades, are the main qualification used for admission into Malaysia's public universities (IPTA), typically processed through the centralised Unit Pusat Universiti (UPU) application system. Admission to a specific degree programme generally depends on the candidate's CGPA, relevant subject grades, and their MUET band, with each university and programme setting its own minimum requirements. STPM results are also accepted by private universities and colleges in Malaysia, and are recognised by a number of universities outside Malaysia as an entry qualification broadly comparable to A-Levels.

Preparation tips

• Confirm the current syllabus for each registered subject, especially Pengajian Am, since MPM periodically refines its syllabuses between cohorts.

• Treat each semester's exam as a real sitting in its own right - grades from all three semesters feed into the final CGPA, so an early semester's results still count.

• Register for MUET early and prepare for it separately from academic subjects, since it is compulsory and most public-university programmes set a minimum band requirement.

• Keep track of School-Based Assessment coursework deadlines through the semester, not only the centralised written papers, since coursework contributes to the final grade in many subjects.

• Plan subject choices around the entry requirements of the specific university course being targeted, since CGPA and subject-grade thresholds vary by programme.

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