STPM - Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia

The Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) is Malaysian Higher School Certificate. STPM is a pre-university examination taken by students in Malaysia. STPM was formerly known as the Higher School Certificate (HSC). The HSC was the precursor to the GCE A levels in the UK, and is still the name of the pre-university examination in some states in Australia.

The STPM is set and run by the Malaysian Examinations Council (Majlis Peperiksaan Malaysia), which also runs the Malaysian University English Test (MUET).

STPM is one of the two major pre-university systems for admission to Malaysian public universities. The other is a one-year matriculation programme conducted by the Ministry of Education. Contrary to popular belief, STPM is not the only qualification accepted besides the matriculation programme and Sijil Tinggi Agama Malaysia (STAM, English: Malaysian Higher Religious Certificate; taken by religious schools´ students). Candidates technically may apply for admission to degree-level courses with a variety of pre-university examinations considered equivalent with STPM, including A-Level. All those applying for universities, however, must have taken the MUET.

STPM is internationally recognised by many universities, especially those within the Commonwealth of Nations as well as the United States and the Republic of Ireland. Most universities consider STPM results equivalent to GCE A-Level results.

STPM uses a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) system. There are 11 grades, which are A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+ and D, with F as the failing grade. The grade points for each of these grades are between 4.0 and 1.0, A being 4.0 and D- being 1.0. The F grade gives a grade point of 0.

Updated On: 15.05.09