PETALING JAYA: Parents and educators have raised concern over claims that the passing grade for school assessments has been lowered to 20% under the Ujian Akhir Sesi Akademik (Uasa), with some warning that such a threshold could affect students’ motivation and learning habits.
Introduced in 2022, Uasa is the year-end assessment for pupils in Standards Four to Six and students in Forms One to Three. It replaced centralised exams such as the Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) and Pentaksiran Tingkatan 3 (PT3), which were abolished to ease exam-centred learning. But recent claims that the passing threshold has been slashed from 40% to 20% have rattled parents.
A mother who wished to be known only as Lina said she was stunned to hear of the change during a chat with her son’s teachers. Her concern deepened when her son proudly declared that scoring 43% put him well above the “new” passing line.
“They don’t feel the need to study harder, nor do they see scoring below 50% as alarming. My biggest fear is that when they step into the real world, my son won’t be able to cope or compete with others who learnt early on the value of hard work.”
Another parent with two children described the policy as “deeply troubling”.
“It sends the wrong message, one that undermines the purpose of education and sets our children up for mediocrity.”
She argued that learning should be about striving for excellence, not coasting on the bare minimum.
“When you tell a child they only need 20% to pass, you’re essentially giving them a licence to be lazy. Why study hard when you can scrape by, by answering a few questions?”
She urged the Education Ministry to restore the 40% benchmark.
“Our children deserve better. Parents have a right to demand a system that truly prepares them for success.”
Educators are also uneasy. A young teacher who began his career this year said casual chats with students revealed a worrying lack of urgency.
“Their answer was simple: because there are no exams,” he said, noting that without UPSR or PT3, pressure only arrives with SPM in Form Five.
He said automatic progression combined with a lower pass mark had eroded the sense of competition that once motivated students.
“Previously, ‘D’ meant ‘satisfactory’. Now there’s an E for ‘minimum achievement’. That means even those who score 20% feel safe because they’ve technically passed.”
The teacher warned this redefinition risks giving children a false sense of security.
“Exams are not just about passing or failing – they provide milestones that push students to aim higher. If students keep settling for an E, what’s the point of studying?”
He added that the absence of challenge could damage mindsets in the long run.
“If that’s missing for too long, it affects how they view effort and discipline. And in the end, that hurts them not only in school, but in life as well.”
