Examinations Syndicate defends the 'reuse' of Bahasa Melayu listening test for both sessions

KUALA LUMPUR: The Examinations Syndicate has defended its decision to 'reuse' the same sets of questions for the Bahasa Melayu listening test for both sessions of the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2021.

It said the examination paper for the subject was categorised as a "closed paper" which the candidates were not allowed to take out of the hall.

It said that if there was information of the paper being shared with another party, it would only be in the form of "a discourse summary".

It also said the format of the paper was a mix of multiple choice questions (MCQ), multiple form objectives, and limited subjective response.

The format required candidates to listen, analyse the context of the situation and understand the overall meaning of the audio material being played.

"If the candidate receives information from one party to another related to the audio, the candidate still needs to have their respective understanding and interpretation to answer accurately.

"The Examinations Syndicate is confident that the integrity of the audio material and the question paper remains intact.

"The Examinations Syndicate will ensure that the interests and fairness of candidates who sat for the SPM 2021 examination are guaranteed," it said today.

The Education Ministry came under fire for using the same set of SPM 2021 Bahasa Melayu listening test questions for the second session of the examination.

The first session of SPM 2021 was conducted between Feb 8 and March 29.

The ministry announced the second session of the examination to cater for those who missed the original tests due to Covid-19 and floods.

The second session of SPM 2021 examination started on April 5 and scheduled to end on May 19.