Malaysia’s SPM 2025 results show best national performance in five years with 366,435 candidates qualifying for certificates.
PUTRAJAYA: More than 413,000 Malaysian students received their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) results today, with the Education Ministry announcing the country’s best overall examination performance in five years — a milestone made more significant by the fact that this cohort sat the high-stakes exam without ever having taken the UPSR or PT3 standardised assessments that previous generations relied on.
Education Ministry Director-General Datuk Dr Mohd Azam Ahmad presented the performance analysis this morning ahead of the official results release at 10am, outlining improvements across most key indicators compared to 2024.
A total of 366,435 candidates — representing 94.29% of all who sat — qualified for the SPM certificate in 2025, up from 355,933 (94.01%) the year before.
Among students from schools under the Education Ministry, 329,272 or 94.51% qualified, compared to 319,016 (94.20%) in 2024.
The number of candidates absent from the examination also fell, dropping to 7,099 (1.79%) from 8,108 (2.10%) in 2024 — a reduction of 1,009 candidates, suggesting improved student commitment and reduced logistical disruptions during the exam period.
Among the highest achievers, 376 candidates secured A+ in every subject they sat — 24 more than the 352 who achieved the same feat in 2024.
However, the number of candidates in the top tier of overall excellence — those earning A+, A, or A- across their subjects — edged down slightly to 13,779 (3.55%) from 13,827 (3.65%) the previous year.
In contrast, the credit band (grade C) saw a significant jump, with 92,347 candidates (23.76%) attaining credits — an increase of 6,307 candidates from 2024.
The number passing with at least a grade E also rose to 141,728 (36.47%) compared to 136,791 (36.13%) previously, reflecting a broader improvement at the mid and lower performance bands.
National Average Grade Improves to 4.42
The most telling headline figure is the national average grade, or Gred Purata Kebangsaan (GPK).
In Malaysia’s grading system, a lower GPK reflects stronger performance.
The 2025 cohort recorded a GPK of 4.42 — an improvement from 4.49 in 2024 and the best result since 2021, when the GPK stood at 4.86.
The gap between urban and rural students also narrowed by 0.04 points. Urban candidates improved to a GPK of 4.40 from 4.47, while rural candidates moved from 4.92 to 4.81 — a small but encouraging sign that the performance divide between city and countryside schools is slowly closing.
Students with special educational needs posted improved outcomes, with 1,516 out of 1,878 candidates (80.72%) qualifying for the certificate — up from 1,377 (78.37%) in 2024.
Among Orang Asli candidates, 1,769 (83.13%) qualified, compared to 1,527 (79.04%) the previous year — an increase of 242 students and a notable rise in inclusion.
Five Orang Asli candidates achieved straight A’s, while 133 obtained credits and 609 recorded passing grades.
Students from integrity schools and Henry Gurney institutions also fared better, with 99 qualifying for the certificate compared to 94 in 2024. One of these candidates achieved straight A’s.
Ten candidates from Sekolah Bimbingan Jalinan Kasih qualified for the SPM certificate — a significant jump from just two in 2024.
The one group to record a decline was students from Tunas Bakti schools, where 35 candidates (79.55%) qualified — down from 50 in the previous year.
The SPM 2025 cohort is the first group of Form Five students to have sat the examination without previously taking either the UPSR primary school assessment or the PT3 lower secondary evaluation — both having been abolished in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic.
That this cohort still managed to record the best national performance in five years has been seen as a validation of the curriculum adjustments made in the interim.
The examination period itself was not without difficulties — parts of the country experienced flooding during the exam season, and concerns were raised over alleged SPM question leaks being sold online.
The Malaysian Examinations Council reviewed the matter, with the director-general assuring that established procedures were in place to address the issue.
Among the 413,299 candidates collecting results today is the daughter of Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, who faces the same milestone as hundreds of thousands of other Malaysian families this morning.
Results can be checked online at myresultspm.moe.gov.my from 10am today until April 6, or via SMS by typing SPM followed by the candidate’s MyKad number and index number, sent to 15888.