No More PT3, What's Next?

Recently during a live press conference, Education Minister Datuk Dr. Mohd. Radzi bin Md. Jidin announced the abolishment of PT3 with effect from 2022. That announcement was made in a few minutes and he spent the next close to an hour explaining what parents should expect in terms of their children's assessments going forth. 

Here's what parents should expect in terms of their children's assessment starting from the year 2022 onwards. Before that, here are some terms you should know.

PBS = Pentaksiran Berasaskan Sekolah (School Based Assessment)
PBD = Pentaksiran Bilik Darjah (Classroom Based Assessment)
PAJSK = Pentaksiran Aktiviti Jasmani Sukan & Kokurikulum (Physical Activity, Sports and Co-curricular Assessment) *It includes the Physical Fitness Standards National (SEGAK) and Body Mass Index (BMI).  SEGAK = Standard Kecergasan Fizikal Kebangsaan
PPsi = Pentaksiran Psikometrik (Psychometric Assessment) 
TP = Tahap Penguasaan (Level of Mastery)
PKSK = Pentaksiran Kemasukan Sekolah Khusus (this is an entrance exam for special interest schools)
KPM = Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia (Ministry of Education)

No more PT3, what about primary and secondary school students' assessment?

How will my children be assessed now that UPSR and PT3 has been abolished?

Now that UPSR and PT3 has been abolished, school based assessment (PBS) will be carried out. PBS consist of 3 components 

1. PBD (classroom assessment)
2. PAJSK (physcical activity, sports and co-curricular assessment)
3. PPsi (pyschometric assessment) ie Aptitude, Personality and Career Interest Assessments

Two methods of PBD will be carried out. They are:

1. Formative (continuous assessment)
2. Summative (end of unit assessment eg. half year or year end assessment) 

In short, now that UPSR and PT3 has been abolished, students will be assessed in school through their classroom work, physical activity, sports and extra curricular activities as well as psychometric assessments. These assessments will be carried out throughout the year as well as at the end of term or end of year. 

Unlike PT3 which assesses students from Form 1 to Form 3 in its entirety, assessment will be done on a yearly basis.

Decentralized but with Standardized Questions via Question Bank prepared by KPM 

In order to ensure standardization so that an equivalent standard is achieved throughout the country, KPM will prepare a question bank for year end summative assessments. 

These question bank will be for the following levels:

• Std 4, 5 & 6 - BM, BI, Math, Sains, Sejarah  (Other subjects to be prepared by the school)
• Secondary School - All subjects

Teachers and schools will be given flexibility to conduct the assessments at their preferred time and manner. However, they will be able to access the question bank within a given time frame. 

Reporting of PBS to parents. What to expect?

- Twice a year reporting will be done ie during mid term and at the end of year.

- New format for reporting. Whereas previously parents were confused with the TP (Tahap Penguasaan) reporting, better explanation will be provided for the TP1 to TP6 ranges to help parents understand. Instead of lumping in the assessment in terms of TP, the new format will include other segments encompassing effort based assessment and teacher reviews as well as intervention proposals or recommendations

• Apart from TP or Level of Mastery of subjects, students will also be assessed based on the effort they have put in for their work ie Penilaian Tahap Usaha Murid.
• Class teacher and subject teachers are to provide reviews (ulasan) and intervention proposals for parents and teachers in the following year
• The report will cover PBD, PAJSK and PPsi * 

* (PPsi will now be also included for Std 4 & 5 and Form 2)

- Year end reporting will commence in 2022/2023 academic year

- Half year reporting will commence in 2023/3024 academic year

No more PT3, what about entrance to special interest schools and boarding schools?

Placement of students to special interest schools will no longer be based on PT3 results or the new year end assessments, instead there will be separate entrance exams ie PKSK.

Read this year 2020 article to have a better idea about the PKSK entrance exams: New system to tap creative, critical thinking among students.

No more PT3, what about streaming for Form 4?

Streaming will be based on PBD as well as teacher's discussion with student and parents.

With this it is hoped that there will no longer be any comparisons between kids, schools, PPD or at JPN level. Assessments will no longer be high stakes examinations testing on academics only. Instead a more all-rounded education is encouraged with yearly interventions if kids are falling behind academically. Benchmarks will be maintained through a centralized question bank. "Let's Build The Kids Together", said the minister. 

PPD = Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah (District Education Department)
JPN = Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri (State Education Department)

Watch the press conference here:

  

View the slides for the press conference here.