In Malaysia, it is usual for SPM graduates to decide whether to further their studies in college or STPM. Some parents would have send their children away for college and some for Malaysian Matriculation Programme. And some... Form 6.
People asked this question a lot: "Should I go to Form 6 or college for Diploma?"
There are of course big differences between Form 6 and Diploma. Although Form 6 is on par with Foundation or A-Level, but differs in educational standard.
Why? I'll explain in a moment.
If you’ve always been unsure whether you should choose this path, here is a detailed guide to STPM to help you make a more informed decision. Understand everything you need to know — from its exam structure and the subjects offered, to how you can apply for STPM — and see if becoming a Sixth Former is the right choice for you!
Once you had finished your Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, you will have a plenty of time to think about what you want to do or where are you going next. Talking from experience, I was a Form 6 student five years ago. You are always allowed to leave STPM at any time you want, but in doing so you had wasted your time in Form 6 if you suddenly decided to go for college.
Firstly, what are the differences between STPM, Foundation and A-Levels?
Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (in English, Malaysian Higher School Certificate or commonly known as STPM) is a Malaysian pre-university programme. STPM is run by the Malaysian Examination Council, which introduced a new modular STPM format in 2012. Under this new modular system, your results will be monitored and endorsed by a representative from the Cambridge Assessment from the UK to uphold the standard and quality of this programme.
Fees
STPM has always been the option for cost-conscious students who want to pursue competitive degrees in public universities, or for those who will like to keep their options open. The entire programme runs for one and a half years and it only cost not more than RM1,000 or maybe lesser.
Compare to Foundation or A-Level which cost around RM10,000 (one-year programme) and RM23,000 (1.5-year programme) respectively. Of course A-Level is also a well-known pre-university programme recognized by Cambridge, but in terms of fees, it is much more expensive than of STPM.
Duration
How long is STPM? Similar to A-Level, STPM is an 18-month programme with only one intake each year in May. The programme will last until November of the following year, and you will usually receive your STPM result in March.
If you are like most of the STPM students and plan to pursue your degree in public universities, you will need to wait for around 5 to 6 months for your public university applications to be processed, as their intakes are usually in September.
Structure
The new STPM curriculum is now separated into three parts, and each part will be independently taught in each term. Examination will be held in each term and results will be released by the end of each term respectively.
There are two courses in STPM - Art and Science. For Art stream, the course will mainly be separated into History, Geography, Literature and Business; whilst in Science stream, the course will be separated into Biology-Chemistry and Physic-Chemistry. Different high schools offer different courses, so make sure that you look carefully for which courses you are going to pursue.
The major difference between these two courses is the language used. Bahasa Malaysia will most likely being used in Art stream and English will most likely being used in Science stream.
There is an advantage in persevering in Science streams as you can still choose to switch over to Art streams later during your university applications. Unfortunately if you were persevering in Art streams, you cannot make that switch over to Science.
Under this new format, you will be assessed based on:
School-based assessment (*weightage of 20 – 40% of the final score)
Centralised examination (*weightage of 60 – 80% of the final score)
Weightage differs based on subject
As part of your school-based assessment, you will need to carry out a project work, field study and practical work. On the other hand, the centralised examination will consist of multiple choice, structured, and essay questions. Each grade carries a specific Subject Grade Point (SGP), with 4.00 (Grade A) as the highest. Your overall SGP will be aggregated by taking into account your four highest SGPs.
If you are planning to apply for public universities, make sure you participate actively in extracurricular activities as 10% will be taken into account in your total score for your public university admission. You can apply for public universities through Unit Pusat University (UPU) online once you have obtained your STPM results.
Not only that, you will also be required to take the supplementary Malaysia University English Test (MUET) during your time in Form 6. MUET is an English language proficiency test that is compulsory for admission into public or private universities. Depends on the courses offered by universities, the minimum MUET requirement is at least Band 3.
Why should you take STPM?
There are plenty of pre-university options that you can consider such as Foundation in Arts or Science, A-Level, Malaysian Matriculation, Asasi and Diploma. Compare to them, STPM may not be the most favourable pre-university choice for most SPM graduates due to its higher standards and difficulty. But there are also some strong reasons why it is worth considering.
1. STPM is extremely affordable
In general, the basic fee for the examination, each subject and re-sit paper would not cost you more than RM300. Even if you included expenses for school uniform or any other tuition fees, it would not cost you more than RM1,000. Coupled with the usual costs typically incurred in secondary school year, STPM is considered the cheapest routes to tertiary education.
2. STPM is widely recognised globally
STPM is generally considered equivalent to a variety of pre-university programmes, including A-Level. It is also recognised by many international universities particular those within the Commonwealth nations as well as the United States regarding of its standard and quality.
3. STPM keeps your options wide open
If you cannot make decision on what course to further study after completing your SPM, STPM is the best option for you since it allows you to pursue a wide range of degree courses upon successful completion. You can use your STPM results to apply for both public and private universities, as well as universities abroad which recognise STPM.
4. Re-sit papers to improve grades
You grades matter if you are aiming to get into degrees like Engineering, Medical, Law and Architecture. At public institutions, it can be very competitive. If you are aiming for private universities, you are required to at least obtain a CGPA of 2.0 (depends on the courses offered).
You should NOT consider taking STPM if:
You want to be able to obtain a university degree as soon as possible. Instead, you can go for Foundation which only takes you about a year in order to complete and proceed to degrees in universities.
You do not want to risk not being able to get the university course of your choice. Spots for public universities can be highly competitive, especially with popular courses. If you don't think you can score high grades in STPM, public universities would be kind of difficult choice for you.
How can you apply to study STPM in Malaysia?
There is no application process to study STPM.
Generally, you will have no problem securing a place in Form 6 if you did not get Matriculation, when you meet these minimum requirements in SPM:
Compulsory credit in Bahasa Malaysia and a pass in History.
For science stream, you should at least get credit for all pure science subjects including, Biology, Chemistry, Physic, Additional Mathematics and Mathematics.
If you have achieved the above requirements, you will be offered a place to take STPM. You can check if you have been offered online through the Ministry of Education's website. For those who did not get a place in Form 6, you can submit an appeal.
Do remember to print out your offer letter and bring it along with you on registration day at your offered school.
Another important website that you need to know is the Majlis Peperiksaan Malaysia (MPM), where you will need to access this in order to register for STPM exams. But you should not have to worry about this since most of the procedure will be guided by your school teachers.
Alternative Ways?
Of course STPM is only one of the options for you to pursue your degrees. You can also go for Foundation programme, which most of the colleges would have offer. Foundation only takes you about a year. Once you had completed your Foundation in either Arts or Science, you can apply to proceed with a degree. This can also be one of the fastest ways for you to pursue your degrees after SPM.
If you had already decided which course are you pursuing, you can go for Diploma programme which at least takes you two-year to finish. Once you had graduated from Diploma, you can decide if you wanted to proceed to degree or just stop right there. Choices are yours.
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