The national Cumulative Grade Points Average (CGPA) for the Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) 2015 examination rose to 2.65 from 2.62 in 2014, it was revealed in Putrajaya today.

Malaysian Examinations Council chairperson Prof Dr Mohamed Mustafa Ishak said the number of candidates who achieved a CGPA of 4.00 in the examination dropped 0.11 percent to 0.80 percent or 335 candidates compared to 0.91 percent (390 candidates) in the 2014 examination.

The percentage of candidates who achieved a CGPA of 3.50 and above rose to 11.22 percent or 4,711 candidates compared to 10 percent or 4,285 candidates in the 2014 examination, he said when announcing the 2015 STPM results in Putrajaya.

He said the percentage of candidates who received a CGPA of 3.0 and higher, CGPA of 2.50 and higher and CGPA of 2.00 and higher and full passes in five or four subjects also showed an increase in the 2015 STPM examination.

"Such results provide a better chance for the students to apply to enter local and foreign universities because more achieved a good CGPA, namely, 2.50 and higher compared to the 2014 examination," he said.

He said the percentage increase in passes of 1.91 percent in five and four subjects also showed that the achievement of Form Six students in government schools was improving as a result of the Form Six transformation programme of the Education Ministry.

Slight drop for private, individual candidates

He said the overall percentage of full pass achievement of the candidates in one to five subjects was found to have dropped slightly, namely, from 97.81 percent or 41,915 candidates to 97.64 percent or 40,995 candidates at STPM 2015, a drop of 0.17 percent which could be regarded as negligible.

"The drop is due to a decline in the achievement of candidates who took one to three subjects, the candidates being mostly private and individual candidates," he said.

Mohamed Mustafa said 10 candidates scored As in all five subjects they sat for in the STPM 2015 examination, the same as in 2014.

Meanwhile, those candidates who sat for five subjects but received 4As were found to have increased to 27 from 14.

He said that based on the full pass achievement according to subjects, all the 22 subjects offered in STPM 2015 saw a full pass exceeding 60 percent, that is Grade C and higher, the same as in STPM 2014.

"In the STPM 2015 examination, there was improvement in four subjects in excess of 3.00 percent in the full pass achievement compared to the performance in STPM 2014, that is in Chinese Language, Literature in English, History and Economics," he said.

However, Mohamed Mustafa said, two subjects, namely Information and Communication Technology and Arabic showed a drop in full pass achievement compared to the previous year.

"Meanwhile, there was no change in the achievement in 16 other subjects," he said.

- Bernama