Kuala Lumpur: The 2024 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination results have marked a significant milestone, recording the best achievement in over a decade with a National Average Grade (GPK) of 4.49 points, compared to 4.60 points in 2023.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Education Director-General Datuk Azman Adnan announced that 355,933 candidates, or 94 percent, were eligible for the SPM certificate, showing an increase of 6,636 candidates from the previous year. This reflects the best achievement since the certification requirements were introduced in 2013, which mandate passing Bahasa Melayu and History to obtain the SPM certificate.

Azman highlighted that the improved results demonstrate the effectiveness of the Ministry of Education’s (MOE) continuous efforts to provide inclusive and quality education. Of the 402,918 candidates registered for the 2024 SPM examination, 386,714 were new candidates who registered for at least six subjects. Notably, the number of absent candidates decreased by 2,430 compared to 2023, suggesting the success of MOE’s initiatives.

The percentage of candidates achieving distinctions in all subjects rose from 11,713 in 2023 to 14,179 in 2024, while those obtaining at least a credit increased to 86,040. Additionally, 136,791 candidates managed to pass all subjects taken in 2024.

Improvements were observed in both urban and rural areas, with urban candidates improving by 0.11 points and rural candidates by 0.09 points. Regarding subject performance, 59 out of 95 subjects showed improvement, while six core subjects improved, except for Moral Education, which declined slightly.

Azman noted that STEM elective subjects, such as Chemistry and Engineering Drawing, showed significant performance increases, although Mechanical Engineering Studies saw a decline. Among vocational subjects, 17 out of 22 showed improvement, and five humanities subjects also demonstrated better performance.