PUTRAJAYA: More students scored straight A's in last year's Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) despite a dip in overall performance.

A total of 15,793 - or 3.44% - out of 459,118 students scored straight A's in the examination, a slight increase from 15,079 candidates in 2011.

However, the number of top scorers who received A+ for all their subjects dropped to 481 from 559 previously, while the National Average Grade (GPN) also decreased from 5.04 in 2011 to 5.08.

The GPN measures the overall performance of students in the examination, with a lower score indicating better achievement.

Education director-general Tan Sri Abd Ghafar Mahmud said differences in GPN scores were only statistically significant if these were 0.05 points or more.

“I have already instructed the ministry's staff to look into the results of the examination to see how we can further improve,” he told reporters after announcing the results here yesterday.

High achievers: Students at SMK Datuk Ahmad Maher jumping for joy after getting their SPM results in Kota Baru.

Of the seven core subjects, only Mathematics and Moral Studies show an improvement in students' achievement.

The core subject that saw the largest decline in passes was History, in which 19.7% of candidates failed the subject compared to 16.7% in 2011.

Abd Ghafar said the average subject grade (GPMP) for Mathematics improved from 5.21 in 2011 to 4.91 last year while that for Moral Studies improved by 0.21 points. A lower score indicates a better result.

“Performances for Bahasa Melayu, Islamic Studies, History, Science and English declined,” he added.

Related Stories:
Farhan does well despite life-threatening injuries

• Travel Picks: Top 10 golf resorts around the world
• Chinese premier criticizes EU move on trade measures
• Justice Department opposes AMR's $20 million severance for CEO Horton
• News Corp to take charge of up to $1.4 billion this quarter
• Wall Street Week Ahead: Investors look for signs in the rally's break
• Unhappy with how your fave series is faring? Amazon gives you a say
• Visa, Mastercard ask U.S. court to declare card fees are lawful
• Wall Street posts first weekly loss since mid-April on Fed angst
• IMF's Lagarde escapes formal investigation in court
• Politics of development pays dividend
• A thematic play seen
• Sarawak counters hogging the limelight
• Getting GST acceptance will be tough
• A yen for the unloved dollar standard
• Bitten by the music bug

• French soldier stabbed on patrol in Paris
• Thousands run final mile of Boston Marathon as memorial
• Trio arrested over London soldier murder

• Pandelela-Mun Yee and Yan Yee-Jun Hoong bag bronze medals in Mexico
• World No. 1 Nicol sinks Waters to reach British Open final
• China confident of sweeping aside their final opponents
• Koreans in the final despite Dong-keun’s loss
• Macdonald and Marques share the lead
• McIlroy among big names who miss the cut as Molinari leads
• Kuchar leads in weather-hit second round
• Two tied at the top as rain stops play in the Bahamas
• Nico Rosberg revels in the rain as Mercedes stamp their mark
• Whitmarsh: McLaren’s hopes were too high this season
• Affendi brushes off hand injury to win CP130 race in Terengganu
• Hafizh needs to step up a gear after coming in fifth
• Vignesa right on track to retain GT Open title
• Dragons’ Melton confident of getting the better of Pringle in Game 2
• Indiana bounce back against Miami to level series

• Please wait.

• Too blessed to be stressed
• DAP’s Ngeh in hot water over subservient tweet
• ‘Harry Potter Wong’ casts his spell
• Rela man in coma after being rammed by biker
• It takes nearly 72 hours to get a new polycarbonate passport now
• Give birth naturally, women urged
• King launches ‘Colours of 1Malaysia’ at Dataran Merdeka
• Tribal violence on campus
• Punching their way to fitness
• Graduating is not the end Talking points