What you need to know about the UASA

Students in Std 4, 5, 6 and Forms 1, 2 & 3 sit for the UASA for the first time this month (January 2023) and there has been a number of questions on this on our Facebook group. This post hopes to answer some of those questions.

FAQ on UASA

1. What is UASA?

UASA stands for Ujian Akhir Semester Akademik. As the name suggest this exam or evaluation is held at the end of the academic session. 

2. Why is the UASA held in January?

As the name suggests, the UASA is an end of academic session test. It is not to be confused with end of the year test. Currently the academic year ends in February, which is why the UASA is being held in January.

3. Is the UASA something new that is recently introduced?

No, the UASA is not recently introduced. In fact, it was announced in June 2022 by the former Minister of Education.

Read more about it here: https://www.bharian.com.my/berita/nasional/2022/06/961988/ada-ujian-akhir-sesi-sekolah-rendah-menengah-rendah

Later on in November, the Lembaga Peperiksaan uploaded a video on the introduction to the UASA and explained how it was going to be implemented starting from 2023.

4. Are students in Std 1 - 3 required to sit for the UASA?

No, the UASA is only for students in the following categories

Primary school - Std 4, 5 & 6
Secondary school - Form 1, 2 & 3

5. Is the UASA supposed to replace UPSR and PT3?

No. After UPSR and PT3 were abolished, schools conducted School Based Assessments or PBS (Pentaksiran Berasaskan Sekolah) where students are assessed regularly not only in academics but also in non-academics through PAJSK (Pentaksiran Psikometrik dan Pentaksiran Aktiviti Jasmani Sukan Kokurikulum)

The UASA is to further strengthen the PBS by having written examinations at the end of an academic session.

6. How is the UASA different from UPSR and PT3?

The UASA is not a centralized examination. However, the MOE will prepare a question bank for schools to generate their own testpapers. Schools also have the autonomy to choose their own dates to hold the examintions, within a given time frame. The UASA exam is not centralized because the exams will be held at different times and the papers will not be exactly the same. However, the exam is a unified exam because all schools will use the same pool of questions to generate their exam papers.

Another difference is students will only be tested for the academic year alone. For example, in PT3, students will be tested for what they have learned from Forms 1 until Form 3 whereas in UASA, students will only be tested for that year alone. eg Form 2 only or Form 3 only etc.

7. Who prepares the test papers? School or MOE?

Schools will generate their own test papers by selecting from a question bank prepared by the MOE. The MOE will prepare a question bank for 5 subjects in primary school. 

• Bahasa Malaysia
  
• Bahasa Inggeris
  
• Matematk
• Sains
• Sejarah

As for Secondary school, MOE will prepare a question bank for 20 subjects. Schools will then choose and prepare papers on those subjects that they are offering.

8. Is it true that a pass in Sejarah is required to advance to Form 1?

There has been some rumors that a pass in Sejarah is now required or at least a TP4-TP6. We do not know the answer to this but like all other rumours, common sense should prevail. There is no confirmation for now. However, there is no harm to err on the caution side because Sejarah is a required pass subject in SPM. Wouldn't it be better to start preparing and building a student's foundation from young ie during the primary school years? Sejarah should not be ignored since it is a required pass subject in SPM.

9. Will there be marks given for the papers?

Students will be graded in a similar fashion as PBD (Pentaksiran Bilik Darjah) ie within a score range from TP1 to TP6 (TP = Tahap Penguasaan or Mastery Level). 

10. Will the UASA be used to decide if a student will be required to attend remove class?

In the past, SJKC and SJKT students were required to get a minimum of Grade D in UPSR to advance to Form 1 directly.

After the abolishment of UPSR and before UASA began, students were required to achieve Mastery Level TP4 to TP6 in their school assessment for Bahasa Melayu (BM) language subject in order to move up to Form 1. Pupils who attained TP1 to TP3 in the assessment will be further assessed in the Bahasa Melayu Assessment Literacy Test (UPLBM). Those failing the UPLBM are required to take a one-year transition class (Kelas Peralihan) to improve their knowledge of Bahasa Melayu before entering secondary school.

We believe that it will be the same for UASA in that students must achieve at least TP4 in order to advance to Form 1.

Whatever it may be, the most important thing is to prepare your child well in Bahasa Malaysia. Bahasa Malaysia is another required pass subject in SPM. Don't put it in the back burner just because they are studying in SJKC or SJKT. It is very important to make sure that they have a certain mastery of the language especially if you intend to send them to SMK so that they can have a smooth transition from and all Chinese/Tamil speaking environment to all BM speaking environement in secondary school. Do not neglect BM and you won't have to worry about this aspect at all.

11. Where can I get  more details on the UASA?

You can go to the Lembaga Peperiksaan website to download the Administrative Guidelines for UASA.

12. What is the new format for the exam papers?

Below are the formats for the UASA papers, You can view the videos from DidikTV by KPM or see the attached formats by Lembaga Peperiksaan.

Format for the UASA BM paper Std 4,5,6

Format for the UASA Bahasa Inggeris paper Std 4,5,6

Format for the UASA Matematik Paper for Std 4,5,6

Format for the UASA Sains paper for Std 4,5,6

Format for the UASA Sejarah paper for Std 4,5,6

Please go here to download the full explanation of the format for the UASA Std 1, 2, 3 primary school papers including the Tahap Penguasaan TP1 to TP6 definitions.
Buku Format Instrumen Pentaksiran Dan Pelaporan Ujian Akhir Sesi Akademik Sekolah Rendah (Tahun 4,5 dan 6)

As for secondary schools, the MOE will prepare the question bank for the following 20 papers.

Format for the secondary school UASA Form 1, 2 ,3 papers can be found here:
Buku Format Instrumen Pentaksiran Dan Pelaporan Ujian Akhir Sesi Akademik Sekolah Menengah (Tingkatan 1,2 dan 3)

Where can I buy UASA workbooks?

A check on a couple of physical bookstores shows it is not available. However, we found it in a few online bookstores

UASA Workbooks for Primary Std 1, Std 2, Std 3

Go to Funbooks On Shopee to view these UASA workbooks from Penerbitan Ilmu Didik

Go to Bookstation on Shopee to view these UASA books from Penerbitan Pelangi

UASA workbooks for SJKC Std 4, Std 5, Std 6

Go to bookstation to view these UASA workbooks for SJKC Std 4, Std 5, Std 6 from Tunas Pelangi Sdn Bhd

UASA Workbooks for Form 1, Form 2, Form 3

Go to Bookstation to view these UASA Secondary Form 1, Form 2, Form 3 workbooks  from Penerbitan Pelangi

Go to Sasbadi Official Store on Shopee to view these UASA model papers for secondary school Form 1, Form 2 and Form 3

For those who prefer Lazada, you can also search for UASA books on Lazada.
Tip: Try searching for the keywords using the publisher names like  "Sasbadi" or "Pelangi" may yield better results than "UASA workbooks".

Boost your child’s reading skills in our English class for Early Years

This post is brought to you by British Council Malaysia.

Our aim is to help your child succeed at every stage of their academic journey. In kindergarten, that means preparing little ones to develop a love for reading and be confident communicators from an early age.

Reading is a foundational skill for learning; early support will help children to enjoy a positive start in all subjects, while contributing to their all-round, holistic development. Through reading, children discover their creativity – demonstrating an increasingly imaginative and inquisitive understanding of the world around them. We also see benefits like improved concentration, critical thinking, and emotional growth, readying them to become independent learners.

Let’s take a look at what parents can expect from our Phonics course.

Phonemic awareness

Children will develop a grasp of phonics and will be provided extra support to progress to reading fluency. Our friendly and dedicated teachers will focus on blending phonics – the building blocks of early literacy.

Letter formation and handwriting skills

Your child will become more familiar with sight words and letter formation. In a step up from pencil grip and letter formation activities, they will practise writing sentences of what they say to develop their language ability.

About our Phonics course for Early Years

This enrichment course is designed to give your child the tools they need to develop their love for reading and writing and eventually meet the new challenges of their first school year. The 10-week course consists of 15 hours of learning. Find out more about our courses for kids and teens.

About The British Council in Malaysia

The British Council in Malaysia offers a wide range of English classes for young children - including group courses and customised one-to-one courses. Your child will learn more than just language, they will develop skills such as critical thinking, problem solving, leadership, and making connections. Our aim is to nurture our students to become creative thinkers and confident communicators, so that they may thrive both inside and outside of the classroom. To find out more about our courses for kids and teens, visit our website or book a free consultation with our friendly consultant.

Helping your daughter to handle getting periods in school

 This post was brought to you by Lady K House.

Preparing your child for first period

Many girls are getting their period at a younger age, some as young as 8 years old. As parents, we should prepare our girls as early as possible. The best way to prepare them is to chat with our daughters about puberty and the changes their body will be going through. This is important so that they will be prepared and not get caught by surprise or fear. 

It is never too young to start these kinds of conversations matter of factly. There is nothing to be shy about. Even dads can do this, especially single dads. You don't have to leave this to mom. Any parent can help to prepare their child to expect their first period. Let them ask questions and be clear and straight forward with your answers. 

Next, you can prepare a First Period Kit consisting of:

• Cute pouch
• Sanitary Pad
  
• Extra set of panties
• Hand wipes
• A small diary to record period dates
• A small gift

How to handle getting period in school, teasing, stains and cramps

Most primary school children would already have gotten their periods by the time they reach the age of 12 before they advance to secondary school. This means that they will have to handle getting periods while they are at school from a very young age. They may have to handle getting periods while school is in session along with any teasing, staining or cramping.

Here's how we can prepare them to handle getting periods in school

• Prepare a pouch with extra pads, panties and wipes for their school bags
• Educate them on the proper and hygenic way to dispose of a pad
• Teach them to inform teacher if they need to rest due to bad cramps
• Ask them to ignore teasing and it will cease. Bullies like to tease only if they get a reaction. If the teasing is bad, tell them to inform the teacher
• Wear a comfortable leak free pad and safety pants during period days to prevent stains 

Lady K recommends

As parents we want the  best for our children. Similarly we want the best pads available for our daughters. Pads that are comfortable, leak free and formulated without harsh chemicals. This is important to prevent rash or uncomfortable itching on sensitive skin during period days. 

Lady K recommends Korea Rael Organic Cotton Cover Sanitary Pads. RAEL is a number 1 best seller in Amazon. It is designed for women by women. It is crafted with a plush organic cotton cover and a super absorbant core to protect the most sensitive skin and prevent allergies. Inpsired by a rising trend in Korea, this unique hybrid between an overnight pad and a period underwear provides the ultimate period protection for day and night.

A good starter pad for kids, preteens, teenagers and including mom!

We are currently having a giveaway for readers. Hop over to our page for a chance to try out this number 1 best seller in Amazon and win prizes too!