KUALA LUMPUR — The decision on the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Pentaksiran Tingkatan Tiga (PT3) will be announced tomorrow, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said in an interview with Media Prima’s Hot FM radio station earlier this morning.
However, she stressed that the examinations would not return in the same form as before they were abolished.
“It is not the UPSR from 30 years ago,” she said.
Fadhlina was responding to a question posed by former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin regarding the government’s decision on the examinations.
She explained that the issue was not about reinstating examinations per se, but about how the education system should move forward.
“It also takes into account the need to prepare our children for more comprehensive forms of assessment,” she added.
Fadhlina said the Education Ministry would improve and refine the examinations while carefully observing how the overall learning framework impacts students.
She added that the initiative aims to close gaps within the education system.
“What we are announcing tomorrow concerns the quality and standards of education, and these will be improved,” she said.
Earlier this month, Fadhlina announced that the Ministry of Education had reactivated the National Education Advisory Council to examine whether Malaysia should revive two major public examinations — UPSR and PT3, which were abolished in 2021 and 2023, respectively.
The matter has also raised concerns among educationists over the ministry’s confidence in the current education system and whether reintroducing examinations is necessary. — January 19, 2026