KUALA LUMPUR, June 10 — Continuing a positive trend which has been recorded since 2016, the 2020 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) results achieved a better National Average Grade (GPN) of 4.80 from 4.86 in 2019 amid challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Education Ministry has announced today.

Education Minister Datuk Mohd Radzi Md Jidin said roughly 88.68 per cent of 401,105 candidates nationwide were eligible to receive their certificate, an increase of 1.96 per cent from the previous year (86.72 per cent).

“Core subjects which showed improvement in the 2020 results were Mathematics, Science, History, Moral Studies and Islamic Studies, whereas core subjects which recorded a decline were Bahasa Malaysia and English.

“The GPN of 4.80 is the best we have achieved since 2016,” he told reporters during a special virtual briefing held earlier.

Radzi also said the results showed that 43 out of 83 subjects recorded an improvement in performance, while 39 subjects recorded a decline; and one maintained the status quo.

He also said candidates’ performance in both urban and rural areas has improved with the GPN in urban areas at 4.68 (compared to 4.70 last year), and rural areas at 5.06, compared to 5.14 in 2018.

The 2020 SPM was held between February 22 and March 25 this year after it was postponed twice from its original scheduled dates last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to an overall analysis report provided by the ministry, a total of 9,411 candidates or 2.46 per cent achieved straight As, which was an increase of 535 candidates from the previous year.

Those who achieved straight fails have also slightly increased at 4,416 candidates or 1.16 per cent, an increase of 0.05 per cent or 95 candidates from the previous year.

On High-Level Thinking Skills (KBAT), 88.17 per cent of the candidates were able to master the minimum skills to evaluate, analyse, apply and innovate based on examination answers provided as compared to 86.7 per cent of candidates last year.

The 2020 SPM candidates can check their SPM examination results, which will be released today, via two websites: myresult1.moe.gov.my and myresult2.moe.gov.my.

This marks the first time in the country’s history where the SPM results have been released entirely online instead of requiring students to be present at their respective schools to collect them due to ongoing Covid-19 movement restriction measures.