SHAH ALAM, July 8 — The Year Four Learning Matrix, which will be introduced for the first time in October, should serve as a tool to identify learning gaps among pupils rather than just an assessment of academic achievement, said the Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE).
Its chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said the assessment is a positive step towards improving understanding of pupils’ learning levels and addressing longstanding issues such as learning loss and uneven school-based assessments
"PAGE welcomes an assessment that provides a national benchmark of students' learning, especially after years of concerns over learning loss, uneven school-based assessments, and varying academic standards.
“However, its success should not be judged by the number of students achieving high scores, but by how effectively the results are translated into targeted interventions," she told Media Selangor yesterday.
On Sunday (July 5), Examinations Board (LP) director Ab Aziz Mamat said some 400,000 Year Four students are expected to sit for the first cohort of the Year Four Learning Matrix, which will be conducted simultaneously nationwide from October 6 to October 8.
It involves four core subjects: Bahasa Melayu, English, Mathematics, and Science, as well as Chinese or Tamil for national-type schools.
He said the assessment instruments are developed by the LP with classroom teachers, based on the Curriculum and Assessment Standard Document covering Years One to Four, and that answer scripts will be marked by the pupils' own subject teachers using LP marking schemes.
Meanwhile, Azimah said the Learning Matrix should not be viewed as a replacement for the former Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR), which was abolished in 2021, as both assessments serve different purposes.
"UPSR was a selection and certification examination. Its results often influenced school placement and became a major benchmark for students, parents, and schools.
“The Learning Matrix, as currently designed, is intended to be a diagnostic assessment that provides system-wide information on students' mastery and helps guide intervention programmes,” she said.
Azimah urged parents and schools to present the assessment as a "learning check-up" rather than an examination that determines a child's future, with a focus on identifying strengths and areas for improvement rather than comparing scores.
She noted that while regular monitoring of students' progress is important, this does not necessitate a full national examination every year.
"What matters most is not how often students are tested, but how quickly schools receive the results and how effectively they are used to support struggling learners,” Azimah said.
To ensure the assessment achieves its intended purpose, she recommended that results be returned promptly, with practical guidance for teachers and parents, and that teachers be trained to interpret assessment data meaningfully.
Azimah also called for additional support in literacy, numeracy, and professional development where needed, while students' well-being should be monitored alongside academic performance to prevent unnecessary stress.
