KUALA LUMPUR – The Education Ministry has reactivated the National Education Advisory Council to examine whether Malaysia should revive two major public examinations – the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and the Pentaksiran Tingkatan Tiga (PT3) – scrapped just a few years ago.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the council’s findings will be presented to the Cabinet before any decision is made.
“We will review the examinations as they remain a key concern among parents,” she said, adding that survey reports and recommendations would also be submitted for Cabinet deliberation.
The move comes amid growing debate over the abolition of UPSR in 2021 and PT3 in 2022, which were replaced by school-based assessments. UPSR had long been seen as a benchmark for primary school achievement after six years of study, while PT3 was used to gauge Form Three students before they moved into upper secondary streams.
Critics of the abolition argued that school-based assessments lacked uniformity and placed uneven burdens on teachers and students, while supporters said the old exam system encouraged rote learning and excessive pressure at a young age.
The revival study is expected to reignite discussions on the balance between academic performance, holistic education, and parental expectations.
Fadhlina stressed that the council’s work will begin soon, with the aim of ensuring Malaysia’s education system remains competitive and responsive to public concerns.
The debate over UPSR and PT3 has been one of the most contentious education issues in recent years, with parents, teachers and policymakers divided over whether national examinations should return as a measure of student achievement. – January 9, 2026