Should I choose to Study Form 6 or take the Foundation Course in Malaysia?
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After SPM, there are many different pathways for you to choose from and sometimes it can be confusing. Because of this confusion, some students just take the easy way out of by choosing to study Form 6. This is actually a very bad decision as you must take the time to understand the system and how Form 6 works to see if you are able to handle the material to pass. Scoring high in STPM is possible but it takes immense amount of focus and hard work. If you are not prepared for that, then you are already doomed from the start.
Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) is Malaysia’s version of the UK’s GCE A-Levels and is a Pre-University course recognised for entry into public universities (IPTA) in Malaysia. Choosing the right Pre-University course that fits you would mean that you have to ask yourself which methods of assessment best suit you? Exams, coursework, practicals, group projects and presentations could all be in the mix in differing quantities. Every Pre-University course in Malaysia will include a percentage of the breakdown of assessment for the subjects. You need to understand yourself and capabilities in order to decide which Pre-University course would best suit you. Students who are not sure of what to study after SPM can contact EduSpiral Consultant Services to help guide you to choose the right course and university.
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List of the Best Private Universities Offering Top-Rate Foundation Programmes in Malaysia
- Heriot-Watt University Malaysia
- Asia Pacific University
- Taylor’s University
- Curtin University Sarawak
- UCSI University
Asia Pacific University new campus at Technology Park Malaysia, Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur - Foundation in Arts
- Foundation in Science
- Foundation in Music
- KDU University College Utropolis Glenmarie
- HELP University
- First City University College
- Berjaya University College of Hospitality
Taylors University offers a conducive environment for students to excel in their studies - Foundation in Commerce
- Foundation in Hospitality
- KDU Penang University College
- Foundation in Business
- HELP College of Arts & Technology
- Foundation in Arts
- Foundation in Science
- KDU College Damansara Jaya
- Foundation in Arts
- Foundation Studies (Science)
- Nilai University
- Foundation in Business
- Foundation in Science
Study Foundation at Top Private Universities & Colleges in Malaysia
Malaysian private universities have been preparing students for study in top universities worldwide since the 1970s therefore they have the necessary experience to ensure quality for the Foundation programmes are adhered to.
Students after SPM or O-Levels should choose the foundation programme in Malaysia that best fits their career goals and needs. Students will take about 10-12 subjects in 3 semesters (1 year) for the Foundation programme at private universities in Malaysia.
If you are still not sure of what to study for your degree, the Foundation programme is a good choice and is
shorter in duration than the STPM and less difficult.
- Duration: 1 year
- Entry Requirements: Min. 5 credits, inclusive of Maths and 2 pure Science subjects for Foundation in Science or Engineering. For IT, you must have a credit in Maths. Other courses just require 5 credits. For Medicine and Pharmacy, Min. 5B in Maths, Additional Maths, Chemistry, Biology and Physics but will vary from university to university.
- Recognition: Mostly in Malaysia and some overseas. As long as the Foundation course is accredited by MQA, it will be accepted by another private university for entry into the relevant degree programme.
- Cost: Generally cheaper than overseas Pre-University courses and A-Levels
Assessment for Foundation programmes in Malaysia will vary from university to university. It will contain
Justin Moo, Mechanical Engineering graduate from Taylor’s University
a mix of coursework, assignments, quizzes and exams. The coursework could cover different assessment tasks such as projects, assignments, laboratory work, presentations, tests, and others as assigned throughout each semester. The final examination is conducted at the end of each semester. The assessments are subject to quality assurance procedures to maintain high standards and ensuring fair assessment.
Unlike the external pre-university programmes in Malaysia which focus on more general Science and Art-based subjects, the Foundation programmes for private universities provide specialisation in specific areas of study such as business, computer & IT, or engineering, and hence, cater to the specific needs of different students.
However, there are also general Foundation programmes such as Foundation in Arts and Foundation in Science offered by the private universities. Foundation in Science programmes can lead to engineering, pharmacy, medicine, applied sciences, health sciences and other arts related degree programmes. The Foundation in Arts programme can lead to accounting, business, computing, architecture, design, and other arts related courses. After completing the Foundation in Science students have the choice to choose sciences or arts related degree programmes.
The Foundation programmes at HELP University and UCSI University are recognised by some top universities in Australia, UK and New Zealand for entry into their degree programmes. Asia Pacific University is the only private university in Malaysia where all students will study the same subjects for the first semester and then when they figure out which course suits them, they choose the stream for their second and final semester.
What is the STPM?
Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) is Malaysia’s version of the UK’s GCE A-Levels and is a Pre-University course
Jia Loon, Biotechnology at UCSI University
recognised for entry into public universities (IPTA) in Malaysia. The STPM is also accepted for entry into private universities in Malaysia and overseas universities.
The STPM is acknowledged as one of the toughest exams in the world.
The other way to enter public university (IPTA) is the Matriculation course where only 10% of the seats are set aside for Non-bumis therefore the competition will be extremely high for the spots.
The STPM is set and run by the Malaysian Examinations Council since 1982, which also runs the Malaysian University English Test (MUET) since 1999.
All students who have passed the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) are eligible to enter into Form 6 to take the STPM, and will be automatically assigned a place in a government secondary school after the release of the SPM results.
The examination body, Majlis Peperiksaan Malaysia (www.mpm.edu.my), allows students to enroll for the examination with a minimum of one (1) subject and a maximum of five (5) subjects (including General Studies). The intake for Form 6 is in May of each year.
Most students take STPM after attending two years of Form 6 (Lower 6 and Upper 6) at a government or private secondary school.
Should I study Form Six and take the STPM In Malaysia?
In order to consider studying Form 6, students should take the time to understand the system and how Form 6 works.
Foo Hong, Business at HELP College of Arts and Technology
Kuo Qiat, Marketing at UCSI University
Let’s look at the statistics below to help you decide whether you should take Form 6 or not.
There were 58,355 students who took STPM in 2013 and in 2014 it dropped to 48,615 students. It is a drop of 16.69% (9,740 candidates)
48,615 candidates registered for the STPM examinations in 2014 but only 42,854 sat for it. Only 390 out of 48,615 STPM 2014 obtained a 4.0 CGPA. 57 candidates failed the exam.
The national CGPA was 2.62 but for non-bumis to get their courses of choice, you will need higher CGPA. Ten students scored 5As, and a total of 398 students scored 4As. To obtain scholarships from private universities or overseas, you need to score 4As or 5As, so based on this, you can calculate the chances of you scoring in the STPM and obtaining a scholarship.
27,342 (63.80%), passed in four subjects, 7,130 in three subjects, 3,563 in two subjects and 2,410 passed just one subject. Pass here includes D and E. You need at least 2 Cs to join a degree course in private universities.
The number of candidates achieving 4 Principals (C) in STPM 2014 is 60.14 per cent. You need at least 2 Principals to join a degree course in private universities.
If you had scored high is SPM, you are eligible for scholarships for Foundation programmes at top private universities. The Foundation programmes are easier and so if you score for Foundation, you can get more scholarships to cover part or all of your degree studies.
Problem is if you take the STPM which is so much tougher than the Foundation course, although Form 6 is free, but if you don’t score in STPM, you have no scholarship for your degree studies and in the end have to pay all of the fees for your degree studies in private university. Are you willing to take that risk?
Advantages of the STPM
With School Based Assessment, teaching and learning are integrated with assessment.
SBA humanises assessment making schooling a cooperative enterprise between teachers and students.
Through the new examination system, students will also have more opportunities to obtain better results. Students are allowed to improve on their first term and second term results by retaking these term examinations at the end of the third term. Students who do not obtain satisfactory results for the third term may also re-sit it.
Disadvantages of the STPM
Lower 6 used to be called the honeymoon year, but now, as soon as you enter Lower 6 you will have to hit the books because
your first exam will be in December and you will have not much time to study and the teachers do no have enough time to cover the material as well. There is no rest as you will need to keep studying the exams every 6 months.
To enter into most private universities, students must achieve at least a CGPA of 2.00 or at least 2 Principal Cs in the relevant subjects. A C- is not a principal and some universities do not accept the Pengajian Am as entry into the university.
STPM requires you to take in too much information in 1.5 years. That in itself shows the inadequacies of a system which doesn’t give enough time for students to consume the information required. Furthermore, STPM needs a lot of study time in order to score well. If you are not ready to commit the time and effort, you should consider other options.
From the time you enter Form 6 till the exam and getting into IPTA would be 2 years. If you had taken a diploma, you would have already completed it. There are 180,000 graduates each year and competition for jobs are high therefore the faster you graduate, the faster you get a job and start your savings.
English is very important to secure a job as well as getting a higher salary and faster promotions. This is
Foo Hong, Business at HELP College of Arts and Technology
Kuo Qiat, Marketing at UCSI University
reported in the Star and from research conducted by the Ministry of Higher Education in Malaysia.
The medium of instruction in IPTA is in BM and most of the Chinese there communicate in Mandarin. In 2011, 70,000 IPTA graduates were unemployed.
Personally, I only recommend the STPM if students do not have the finances to study in private universities but with the PTPN Loan, studying in the private colleges or universities are more accessible.
A lot students and parents want to save money by going for the STPM but do not realise that for some, in the end, they are wasting time and eventually have to spend more money.
The STPM is extremely tough and if you do not do well, you would have wasted 2 years of your life and time is money. The earlier you graduate and join the work force, the more work experience you can gain and add this to your resume where it translates into higher salary.
If you take a diploma at a private university in Malaysia, you would have finished it at the same time you would have taken to complete Form 6.
You can choose an easier way through the 1-year Foundation offered at the Private Universities.
You need a lot of discipline and good teachers in order to do well in the STPM. If you have alright results for your SPM, don’t expect a miracle in the STPM as it is 20 times tougher than the SPM.
| Advantage | Disadvantage |
| Free | The toughest Pre-University course around |
| Modular system | Take 1.5 years but if you include the 6 months taken to enter Form 6 and the 6 months waiting to enter Public university, it will be 2.5 years |
| If you fail, then you would have wasted 2.5 years | |
| English language not emphasized so you do not gain the all important language and communication skills needed to succeed in the workforce | |
| You do not get to choose the course you want to enter Public University |
Modular System for the STPM
The new modular STPM format began in 2012, will combine two forms of assessments, and will be similar to the A levels format
Gan Wei Cheng, 3A* in A-Levels at KDU College Penang and now JPA Scholarship at U. of Sydney for Pharmacy
except that it will be in BM.
Students will go through a school-based assessment with a weighting of 20-40% of the final score and a centralised examination with a weighting of 60-80% of the final score (The weighting varies according to subjects).
Nevertheless, School Based Assessment (SBA) cannot be repeated and repeaters are required to sit for an alternative written paper in place with SBA.
The curriculum is divided into three parts based on topic areas. Each part will be taught and studied in either the first, second or third term.
You will take the examinations at the end of each term (3 in total). One term is 6 months. Students who are not satisfied with their
results for the first two terms can retake the examinations at the end of the third term.
Students’ assessment will be carried out each term with the results being released at the end of each respective term. The overall STPM results will be based on the best combined results of the three terms.
Soft skill such as communication skills, teamwork, leadership, critical thinking, problem solving,information management and ethics are included in the new curriculum.
School-Based Assessment (SBA) for the STPM
The introduction of SBA in this system is in line with the aspiration of the Education
Ministry to develop human capital who embrace intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and physical values in line with the National Educational Philosophy.
The SBA consists of project work, field study and practical work. The coursework question/task is prepared by the Council and will be conducted either over three terms or as determined by the individual subject requirements.
Examination
A centralised written examination is administered at the end of each term. Question
types consist of multiple choice, structed and essay questions. Question papers are prepared and provided by the Council, and the marking of answer scripts will be carried out by Council-appointed examiners.
Ask a Knowledgeable & Experienced Education Consultant to Help you Make the Right Choice
Choosing a course to study after SPM, UEC, STPM, O-Levels or A-Levels is not a science, it is a process
in finding out who you are and what you are good at. An experienced Education Advisor would be invaluable in assisting you to choose the right course. Students need to talk to the right education counselors so that you get the right information to help you in making this life-changing decision.
Ask the right Education Counselors. Would you ask a Doctor on how to repair your car? Or would you ask a mechanic for medical advise? Although this sounds ridiculous, but many students do listen to advise from young and inexperienced counselors from universities, colleges or agents’ offices. Talking to an experienced education advisor would help you to navigate through this confusing time of choosing the best course that fits you.
Experienced education counselors are able to analyse your interests, personality and exam results to help you make a list of possible courses for consideration. EduSpiral Consultant Services staff have more than 15 years experience in counseling students. Having worked in the private education industry, we have in-depth knowledge of each private university and college in what they are good at.
EduSpiral Consultant Services has worked with our partner universities and colleges for many years while the counselors at the private universities or agents’ offices change every few years therefore they would not have the in-depth knowledge of the courses and the university that they are working at.
If you are not sure what to study, do ask a trained counselor and always make decisions based on evidence and facts. The decisions that you make now, can change your life forever.
You can contact us for a free career test to help you understand yourself better so that you are able to make the right decision.
How to Choose the Right Course to Study after SPM?
Ye Lun, Actuarial Science at Asia Pacific University
It can be confusing to choose the right course after SPM or O-Levels. You should carefully think about what are the options available to you. To choose the best course that fits you, you need to consider the following:
- Look at your results – what are your best & worst subjects, and which subjects are your favourite?
- What are your interests & hobbies?
- What is your passion?
- Job demand for the career of choice. There is no point in choosing a course out of passion and then graduate to find out that you cannot get a job in that field.
- Salary of the career of choice
- Discuss the budget for your studies with your parents. There is no point in choosing a course like Pharmacy or Medicine, if you cannot afford it.
What to Study After SPM?
Students who are not sure of what to study after SPM can contact EduSpiral Consultant Services to help guide you to choose the right course and university. There are many Pre-University or Diploma programmes that you can go for after SPM so it can be confusing for you to choose the right one.
Choosing the right university can be confusing and depends on a lot of factors like your budget, results, passion, skills and career goals. Students interested on how to choose the best universities in Malaysia for the particular courses like the ones below can contact me for more information:
Some of the Best Pre-University & Degree Programmes to Study in Malaysia
Best Pre-University Programmes in Malaysia
- A-Levels
- AUSMAT
- Foundation in Engineering
- Foundation in Arts
- Foundation in Science
- Foundation in Business
- Foundation (General)
- Foundation in Design
- Pre-University Programmes
Top Engineering and Built Environment Courses in Malaysia
Darren Fong, Engineering at Asia Pacific University
- Engineering
- Mechatronic engineering
- Civil engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Telecommunication Engineering
- Chemical Engineering
- Petroleum Engineering
- Aerospace Engineering or Aeronautical Engineering
- Aircraft Maintenance Engineering
- Materials engineering
- Applied Geology
- Architecture
- Quantity Survey
Outstanding Computing and Information Technology Courses in Malaysia
Li Jian, IT at Asia Pacific University
- Computer Science
- Computing
- IT
- Information Technology
- Information Technology with Database Administration
- Software Engineering
- Computer science or computer engineering
- Information systems security
- Mobile Computing
- Games Development
- Intelligent Systems
- Computer System Engineering
- Business Information Systems
- Business Computing with E-Commerce
First Rate Applied and Health Sciences in Malaysia
- Food science
- Biotechnology
- Optometry
- Nutrition
- Nutrition with Wellness
- Biomedical Science
- Pharmacy
- Aquatic Science
- Aquaculture
The Best Business & Accounting Courses in Malaysia
Weng Hang, Heriot-Watt University Malaysia
- Accounting
- Accounting & Finance
- Accounting & Finance with Internal Audit
- Accounting & Finance with Forensic Accounting
- Accounting & Finance with Taxation
- Management & Marketing
- Actuarial Science
- Business
- Business Administration
- Business Management
- Business Administration
- Banking & Finance
- Finance & Investment
- Finance & Investment
- FOREX & Investment
- Investment & Risk Management
- International Business
- International Business Management
EduSpiral provided me with in-depth advise on choosing the right course for my career.
Terence Wong, Business at Taylor’s University - Entrepreneurship
- Entrepreneurship & Marketing
- Economics
- Marketing
- Finance & Marketing
- Public Relations & Marketing
- Human Resource Management
- Logistics Management
- Supply Chain Management
- Media Marketing
- Advertising & Brand Management
- Branding & Advertising
Excellent Social Science Courses in Malaysia
- Psychology
- Mass Communication
- Marketing Communications
- Film Studies
- Journalism
- Media Studies
- Public Relations
- Entertainment Arts
- Social Media Marketing
Top Design Courses in Malaysia
Hoh Ching, Diploma in Creative Media at KDU Penang University College
- Design
- Multimedia Design
- Interactive Design
- 3D Animation
- Fashion design with marketing
- Textile & Fashion Design
- Product design
- Transport Design
- CGI & Digital Effects
- Visual Effects
- Entrepreneurial design
- Interior Design
- Interior Architecture
- Graphic Design
- Fashion Design
First Rate Hospitality and Culinary Arts Courses in Malaysia
Education and Music Courses in Malaysia
Top Scholarships Available from the Best Private Universities in Malaysia
- Heriot-Watt University Malaysia Scholarships
- Curtin University Sarawak Scholarships
- Asia Pacific University Scholarships
- UCSI University Scholarships
- KDU University College Petaling Jaya Campus Scholarships
- KDU University College Penang Campus Scholarships
- First City University College (KBU International College) Scholarships
- HELP University Scholarships
- HELP Academy Scholarships
- HELP College of Arts and Technology Scholarships
Study at the Best Private Universities and Colleges in Malaysia & Singapore
Danny Chan studying IT at MDIS Singapore
Singapore
Switzerland
Malaysia
- Heriot-Watt University Malaysia
- Curtin University, Sarawak campus
- Asia Pacific University (APU)
- APIIT
- UCSI University
- Taylor’s University
- HELP University
- HELP Academy
- HELP College of Arts & Technology
- KDU University College Utropolis Glenmarie
- KDU College Damansara Jaya
- KDU University College Penang
- YTL International College of Hotel Management
- IACT College
- Point College
- Saito College
- Malaysian Institute of Art (MIA)
- Nilai University
- Reliance College
- UCSI University Sarawak Campus
EduSpiral Consultant Services- Your Personal Online Education Advisor
Established since 2009, EduSpiral Consultant Services helps provide information and counselling on courses and universities in Malaysia & Singapore.
EduSpiral Consultant Services represents the best colleges and universities in Malaysia offering a wide range of choices for students to choose from. These colleges and universities offer value for money in the quality of education and excellent facilities that you get. These universities and colleges are chosen by EduSpiral because they represent the best in their fields in Malaysia and affordable.
EduSpiral Consultant Services represents the best colleges and universities in Malaysia offering a wide range of choices for students to choose from. These colleges and universities offer value for money in the quality of education and excellent facilities that you get.
These universities and colleges are chosen by EduSpiral because they represent the best in their fields in Malaysia and affordable. EduSpiral provides in-depth information and counseling on their courses so that students are able to make the right choice.
If you are still not sure what to study, please contact us and we will send you a free EduSpiral Career Assessment Form.
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Top Private Universities & Colleges in Malaysia 