SPM Study Guide

Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) is the national examination at the end of Form 5. It is set and administered by Lembaga Peperiksaan (LP), the Malaysian Examinations Syndicate, which sits inside the Ministry of Education (Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia, KPM). For SPM 2025, KPM reported more than 413,000 registered candidates at 3,350 examination centres, so this is the exam almost every Malaysian secondary student sits.

SPM is not just written papers

SPM is more than written exams in November and December. LP runs four kinds of assessment over about two months:

1. Ujian Bertutur (speaking tests) for Bahasa Melayu (1103/3) and English (1119/3).
2. Ujian Amali Sains (science practical tests) for Physics (4531/3), Chemistry (4541/3), Biology (4551/3) and Additional Science (4561/3).
3. Ujian Mendengar (listening tests) for Bahasa Melayu (1103/4) and English (1119/4).
4. Peperiksaan Bertulis (written papers) for every subject.

LP's timetable is explicit that missing any of these counts against you: a candidate who does not sit any written paper, or does not do a speaking, listening, oral or practical test or the coursework for a subject, is recorded as TIDAK HADIR (absent) for that subject. If you are ill, you need supporting documents such as a government hospital doctor's letter, handed in before the SPM period ends.

The SPM 2026 calendar

These dates come from LP's official Jadual Waktu Peperiksaan SPM 2026. Always check your own copy from school in case LP issues an errata.

• 26 to 29 October 2026: Bahasa Melayu speaking test (1103/3).
• 2 to 5 November 2026: English speaking test (1119/3).
• 16 to 18 November 2026: science practicals (Physics on 16, Chemistry on 17, Biology and Additional Science on 18 November).
• 23 November to 17 December 2026: written papers, starting with the Bahasa Melayu listening test and Papers 1 and 2 on 23 November.

Results

Results come out the following year. For SPM 2024, results were released on 24 April 2025; for SPM 2025, on 31 March 2026. School candidates collect them from school, and both school and private candidates can also check online at myresultspm.moe.gov.my or by SMS during a set window. No date for SPM 2026 results has been announced yet, so watch KPM's media statements.

The compulsory core

Every SPM candidate sits a common core. KPM's page for private candidates lists the core subjects a first-time private candidate must register for:

• Bahasa Melayu (1103)
• English (Bahasa Inggeris, 1119)
• Sejarah (History, 1249)
• Mathematics (Matematik, 1449)
• Pendidikan Islam (1223) for Muslim candidates, or Pendidikan Moral (1225) for non-Muslim candidates
• Sains (Science, 1511) is also on that private-candidate list

In school, which science paper you sit depends on your subject package. On the SPM 2026 timetable, Sains Paper 1 and Physics Paper 1 run in the same session, so a candidate sits one route or the other. Check your package with your school rather than guessing.

Electives

On top of the core, you sit the electives in your package. The SPM 2026 timetable lists dozens, from Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Additional Mathematics and Computer Science (Sains Komputer) to Economics, Principles of Accounting, Geography, Visual Arts, Bahasa Arab, Bahasa Cina, Bahasa Tamil and many vocational subjects.

The grading scale

SPM uses ten grades. The descriptors below are the ones used since 2009 in the official grading table that the Public Service Department (JPA) publishes, which states that the grades are set by LP:

Grade	Descriptor	Band
A+	Cemerlang Tertinggi	Cemerlang (distinction)
A	Cemerlang Tinggi
A-	Cemerlang
B+	Kepujian Tertinggi	Kepujian (credit)
B	Kepujian Tinggi
C+	Kepujian Atas
C	Kepujian
D	Lulus Atas	Lulus (pass)
E	Lulus
G	Gagal	Fail

A T (Tidak Hadir) means absent. None of the official LP or KPM material we reviewed gives fixed mark ranges for each grade, so be wary of any website that claims to know the exact cut-off for an A+.

The Bahasa Melayu and Sejarah rule

To be awarded the SPM certificate you must pass both Bahasa Melayu and Sejarah, which means at least grade E in each. The Sejarah requirement applies to SPM taken from 2013 onwards; before that only Bahasa Melayu was required. In June 2023 the Education Minister confirmed that both subjects remain conditions for passing SPM.

This is why KPM reports a separate figure for candidates "layak menerima sijil" (eligible for the certificate). For SPM 2023 it was 93.5%, and for SPM 2025 it was 94.29% (366,435 candidates).

A pass is the floor, a credit is the target

The certificate only needs E in Bahasa Melayu and Sejarah, but the next step usually asks for more. KPM's pre-university page lists, for example:

• Matrikulasi: sat SPM and passed Bahasa Melayu and Sejarah, plus programme-specific grades.
• Asasi programmes: at least five credits including Bahasa Melayu, and a pass in Sejarah.
• Form 6: a pass in SPM with a credit in Bahasa Melayu.

So the realistic target for Bahasa Melayu is a C or better, not just an E.

Bahasa Melayu (1103)

• Kertas 1 (1103/1), 2 hours, 100 marks: essay writing. Bahagian A is one compulsory question worth 30 marks. Bahagian B offers four questions, you answer one, worth 70 marks.
• Kertas 2 (1103/2), 2 hours 30 minutes, 100 marks: all questions compulsory. Bahagian A (35 marks) covers morphology, syntax, editing, standard Bahasa Melayu and peribahasa. Bahagian B (35 marks) covers comprehension of a general passage, a literary passage, the novel and higher-order (KBAT) questions on the novel. Bahagian C (30 marks) is the rumusan (summary).
• Kertas 3 (1103/3): Ujian Bertutur, the speaking test, with individual and group parts.
• Kertas 4 (1103/4), 30 minutes: Ujian Mendengar, the listening test, played from audio.

Paper structures come from LP's Kupasan Mutu Jawapan (KMJ) reports for SPM 2021; the durations match the SPM 2026 timetable.

English (1119)

• Paper 1 (1119/1), 1 hour 30 minutes: answered on an objective answer sheet.
• Paper 2 (1119/2), 1 hour 30 minutes, 60 marks: writing. Part 1 is a short communicative message (20 marks), Part 2 is guided writing (20 marks), and Part 3 is extended writing where you choose from three questions (20 marks).
• Paper 3 (1119/3): speaking test.
• Paper 4 (1119/4), 40 minutes: listening test.

LP's English report notes that Part 1 of Paper 2 is pitched at lower-proficiency (CEFR A2) candidates, so even weaker writers can pick up marks there. In SPM 2021 the Part 1 task was a reply to an email from a cousin, suggesting a sports club and explaining why.

What the examiners actually say

The KMJ reports are LP's own commentary on real scripts, and their advice is very consistent:

• Read every kata tugas (task word) before choosing a question. Many weak essays answered a different question from the one set.
• Make a quick outline (rangka jawapan) before writing. LP says it helps you manage time.
• Read widely: magazines, newspapers, journals, novels and short stories, to have mature content for Bahasa Melayu essays.
• For English, number the tasks in the stimulus, identify the target reader so your tone fits, and use a range of cohesive devices.

The two papers

• Kertas 1 (1249/1), 1 hour: multiple choice (aneka pilihan).
• Kertas 2 (1249/2), 2 hours 30 minutes, 100 marks: Bahagian A has four structured questions, all compulsory, 10 marks each (40 marks). Bahagian B has five essay questions and you answer three, 20 marks each (60 marks).

What Paper 2 questions look like

In the SPM 2021 paper, the structured questions moved from recall to judgement within the same question. For example, Question 4 asked candidates to state the three territories that joined to form Malaysia in 1963, then explain Brunei's reaction, then prove the statement that the formation of Malaysia brought benefits to the country. Questions on the 1956 Education Committee and the Malacca Sultanate followed the same pattern: state, then explain, then evaluate.

So revise accurate facts for the "nyatakan" (state) parts and developed explanation with examples for the "jelaskan" and KBAT parts.

LP's diagnosis of weak answers

• Many candidates lacked accurate historical facts, so their answers stayed general.
• Many did not know key concepts and terms for events.
• Middle-band candidates answered from common sense without linking to historical facts.
• Middle-band essays gave facts without elaboration (tanpa huraian).

LP's advice for candidates

• Master every theme and topic in the syllabus. The Form 4 and Form 5 KSSM textbooks are the main reference.
• Use the QR codes, infographics and exercises in the textbooks.
• Practise with state trial papers (soalan percubaan negeri) to build answering skills.
• Understand every task word before choosing which Bahagian B essays to attempt.
• List brief points or plan your answer before writing, to keep to time.

Matematik (1449)

• Kertas 1 (1449/1), 1 hour 30 minutes: multiple choice.
• Kertas 2 (1449/2), 2 hours 30 minutes, 100 marks: Bahagian A has 10 compulsory questions (40 marks), Bahagian B has 5 compulsory questions (45 marks), and Bahagian C has 2 questions of which you answer 1 (15 marks).

Matematik Tambahan (3472)

Paper 1 (3472/1) is 2 hours and Paper 2 (3472/2) is 2 hours 30 minutes on the SPM 2026 timetable. Additional Mathematics is the last paper of SPM 2026, on 17 December, so plan your revision so it is not squeezed out by earlier subjects.

The sciences

Physics, Chemistry and Biology each have a multiple-choice Paper 1 (1 hour 15 minutes), a written Paper 2 (2 hours 30 minutes), and a practical Paper 3 (Ujian Amali Sains) held in November before the written papers. Sains (1511) has a 1 hour 15 minute Paper 1 and a 2 hour 30 minute Paper 2.

LP's rules for mathematical working

The KMJ report for Mathematics Paper 2 lists what LP expects from candidates. The most useful points:

• Show your working neatly in the answer space.
• Round only your final answer, to two decimal places or four significant figures. In working, keep four significant figures.
• For angles in degrees, use two decimal places in working and one decimal place in the final answer.
• Give final answers in their simplest form.
• Use the formula list printed in the paper and substitute the correct values.
• Answer in Bahasa Melayu only or English only, not a mixture of both.
• Revise all topics from Form 1 to Form 5, not just upper-secondary content.
• Answer the easier questions first, and leave time to check every step.

Pendidikan Islam or Pendidikan Moral

Muslim candidates sit Pendidikan Islam; non-Muslim candidates sit Pendidikan Moral. On the SPM 2026 timetable, Pendidikan Islam Paper 1 (1223/1) is a 2 hour 30 minute written paper, and Pendidikan Moral (1225) is written in the same session. Pendidikan Islam also has a second component (1223/2) that LP runs as a centre-based assessment under its own operating manual, so ask your teacher when yours takes place.

Spreading revision across electives

The written papers run over almost four weeks, and the order matters. On the SPM 2026 timetable:

• The languages come first (Bahasa Melayu on 23 November, English on 24 November).
• Mathematics is on 26 November.
• The sciences are spread through early and mid-December.
• Additional Mathematics closes the exam on 17 December.

Build revision around the timetable: languages and Sejarah need steady weekly practice from early in Form 5, while late papers can be pushed hard in the gaps between exams.

Using KMJ reports for any elective

Each LP Kupasan Mutu Jawapan report opens with the paper's design (sections, questions, marks, time), shows what high and middle performers wrote, and ends with advice for candidates. It is the paper format and the examiners' checklist in one document.

Official material: what exists

LP does not publish a full open set of past SPM papers with mark schemes the way some international boards do, and we could not find an official LP or KPM page of downloadable SPM sample papers. What LP does publish is the Kupasan Mutu Jawapan (KMJ) series: reports on real SPM papers that quote the questions and describe high and middle-level answers. Combine those with your school's past-year and state trial papers.

A plan built around how SPM is assessed

1. Secure the certificate first. Make sure you are comfortably passing Bahasa Melayu and Sejarah in school tests. Then aim for a credit (C or better) in Bahasa Melayu, which most next steps require.
2. Start oral practice early. The speaking tests are in late October and early November, before the written papers.
3. Revise Sejarah from the textbooks. LP names the Form 4 and Form 5 KSSM textbooks as the main reference. Make a fact sheet per chapter, then practise turning facts into explained paragraphs.
4. Do Mathematics with full working. Practise rounding only at the end, and revise Form 1 to Form 3 topics too.
5. Read one KMJ report per subject and turn its advice section into a checklist for marking your own practice papers.