Calculating your academic points - what you need to know before applying to an IPTA

by StudyMalaysia.com on June 24, 2020 | Top Stories, Useful Topics

Calculating your academic points - what you need to know before applying to an IPTA - StudyMalaysia.com

If you're a student in Form 4, 5 or 6, it's important that you know how to calculate your academic points if you're considering applying to study at a public institution of higher learning in Malaysia or also known as Institusi Pengajian Tinggi Awam (IPTA).

Candidates with SPM Qualification

For SPM candidates, the calculation of points for entry into Diploma programmes at IPTA is on a 120-point scale that is based on 8 subjects, that is, 5 out of 6 core subjects (90 points) plus three of the remaining best subjects (30 points). Extra-curricular activities will only be used as a tiebreaker in an event where 2 or more students’ graders for their papers are the same.

Allocation of Academic Points to SPM subjects

Grade	Points allocated
1A	18
2A	16
3B	14
4B	12
5C	10
6C	8
7D	6
8E	4
9G	0

The 5 core subjects for Science Stream

Mathematics
Additional Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry and
Biology or any of the following subjects:
Civil/Electrical/Mechanical Engineering Studies, Invention, Engineering Drawing, Home Science, Agricultural Science, Information Technology, Principles of Accounts, Commerce and Basic Economics.

The 5 core subjects for Arts Stream

Bahasa Malaysia
Mathematics
Science
History and
Islamic Studies / Moral Studies / Al-Quran and As-Sunnah Studies and Syariah Islamic Studies.

Example of Academic Point Calculation (Science Stream) 1) Science Stream with 9 subjects
No.	Subjects	Grade
1.	Mathematics	1A
2.	Additional Mathematics	1A
3.	Physics	1A
4.	Chemistry	1A
5.	Biology	1A
6.	Bahasa Malaysia	1A
7.	English	1A
8.	Islamic Studies	1A
9.	History	1A

Allocation of Academic Points for 5 core subjects
No.	Subjects	Grade	Marks Allocated
1.	Mathematics	1A	18
2.	Additional Mathematics	1A	18
3.	Physics	1A	18
4.	Chemistry	1A	18
5.	Biology	1A	18

Allocation of Academic Points for 3 best subjects
No.	Subjects	Grade	Marks Allocated
1.	Bahasa Malaysia	1A	18
2.	Islamic Studies	1A	18
3.	History	1A	18

Method of Merit Calculation

Points from (a)	Marks of 5 core subjects X 90 90	= 90 X 90 90	= 90
Points from (b)	Marks of 3 other subjects X 30 54	= 54 X 30 54	= 30
Total Points (a) + (b) = 90 + 30 = 120

Note: Candidates who sit for fewer than 8 subjects will not be able to achieve the maximum points possible.

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Candidates with STPM Qualification

The calculation of total academic points by BPKP for entry into public universities is based on the STPM candidates’ performance in four of their best subjects including the Pengajian Am (General Paper).

An average of the student’s four best grades (including General Paper) is determined using a calculation based on the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA), which is similar to the points system of matriculation programmes. Extra-curricular activities will be used as a tiebreaker only in the event where two or more students’ grades for their papers are the same.

STPM Grades	Points
A	4.00
A-	3.67
B+	3.33
B	3.00
B-	2.67
C+	2.33
C	2.00
C-	1.67
D+	1.33
D	1.00
F	0.00

Calculation of CGPA: Example 1
No.	Subjects	Grade	Points
1	General Paper	A	4.00
2	Physics	A	4.00
3	Chemistry	A	4.00
4	Biology	A	4.00
Total Point Value = 4.00 + 4.00 + 4.00 + 4.00 CGPA = 16.00 / 4 = 4.00			16.00

Calculation of CGPA: Example 2
No.	Subjects	Grade	Points
1	General Paper	B+	3.33
2	Physics	B	3.00
3	Chemistry	A-	3.67
4	Biology	A	4.00
Total Point Value = 3.33 + 3.00 + 3.67 + 4.00 CGPA = 114.00 / 4 = 3.50			14.00

Calculation of Co-Curriculum Points

To determine your co-curriculum points, the average of the best two out of three areas of co-curricular activities is calculated. The three co-curricular fields are: Sports/ Games, Uniformed Units and Clubs/ Associations. The maximum points possible for each activity is 10 points.

Allocation of Academic Points for 3 best subjects
No.	Area	Position held	Level of involvement	Subject grade value
1.	Sports/ Games	4	5	9
2.	Uniformed Unit	3	4	7
3.	Club/ Association	4	4	8
Total co-curriculum points = (9+8)/2 = 8.5