i've been on this forums for a while, but recently just registered. i'm a lecturing architect in UTM, been here for almost 5 years now. i've been involved in several accreditation processes especially on private institutions in malaysia, and i would like to share what i've come to know. topic owner/moderators, u guys can edit this post as u see fit, for the benefits of all. i might be repeating a few points already made, but i'm just putting it down to preserve a little structure to my post.

AFTER SPM

assuming u're going for tertiary education, here are ur options (applies for both public or private institutions):

i. study for STPM
ii. study at A-level (or equivalent)
iii. study in a matriculation programme
iv. study for a diploma
v. study for certificate level (last choice, my fren)

remember, the objective here is to get ur degree as soon as possible, coz there's no point of settling for anything less. here are the details:

i. study for STPM

STPM is accepted as an A-level qualification. some places regard this paper as even higher than A-level, but lets not touch on that. STPM is cheap. it's quite broad, covers a variety of subjects, and open for all. u can study/sit for STPM almost everywhere in malaysia. and it's quite easy to get in (compared to my time...)

STPM is also internationally recognized, so if u passed ur STPM, u can apply anywhere u want. be advised that u might need an IELTS or TOEFL to prove ur english proficiency (costs around RM400-RM550)

ii. study at A-level

a lot of institutions now offer A-level papers. i cant really say which institution offers the best. A-level is easier to pass than STPM, covers a variety of subject. the only catch is it can be a little expensive (for those who cant afford to pay by themselves). rate varies to institutions.

iii. matriculation

this is one of the more popular choice these days. the reason being, once u're in the programme, u just need to pass all exams to be admitted to a degree programme. but this applies only to the university offering the programme. for example: u cant use ur matriculation results from UM to apply for UPM.

this programme is not recognized outside of malaysia. so only apply if u're really sure that's the degree u r after. they offer limited subjects, and mostly are tuned/focused to the area of ur degree course.

iv. diploma

most universities and institutions in malaysia still offer diploma programme. u can enrol using ur SPM results. this is one of the most common choice amongst those who couldnt get through to STPM or matriculation programmes. the overall costs would be higher too, but with SPM results slightly lower than everybody, this is the best bet.

after ur diploma, u can immediately enrol to 2nd year degree programme, and sometimes if u excell, they'll let u skip 2nd year altogether (very special case lah).

v. certificate

this is ur last choice. certificate usually offers very, very generic skill, and usually does not involve manipulation or implementation of knowledge. (which i forgot to mention: skill and knowledge is two very different things). but due to its short duration, some of u might opt to take a certificate to boost ur application.

these can be very basic certs, for example: "cert of basic PC assembly and repair"; "cert of ledger management"; or "cert of autoCAD" (just to name a few). usually the course range between 3 days to 6 months, depending on the depth. but this will seriously BOOST ur applications.




so that's about all the options u have after SPM in malaysia. i'd be happy to answer any questions or queries.

which foundation?

in certain courses in IPTAs in malaysia, foundation courses are offered. this is very specific course that is tuned to the degree course they're applying after. foundation courses does not give u a certificate. yet it's different from matriculation courses, bcoz u can use matriculation results to apply for other courses in the same university.

foundation is very course specific. if u applied a foundation course for architecture, when u pass, u'll join 1st year architecture. u cant use it to apply for engineering course even from the same university.

the advantage of such course is simple. all u need is a pass on all subjects to get into 1st year, and whatever results u get will not be counted in ur degree CGPA.

NO! absolutely NOT!

it's a common misconception. foundation is the fastest route to get into a degree course, not the degree itself. u'll face the same syllabus as any other students from A-level or STPM.

feynman have answered ur other questions.

dear thread starter, use this diagram as u fit in explaining the course of study after SPM. explanation:

this diagram below explains what u can do after SPM, if ur considering tertiery studies. the red dotted lines indicate choices that u can make, and the path that u need to take. but it doesnt explain how big a choice u do have.

but i've arranged the diagram so that the option with the biggest choice sits on the top most part. this means that A-level has the biggest option of choice, and foundation is the least. note that foundation is attached to the degree, compared to matriculation. this is due to the nature of the foundation programme itself, that serves as a feeder programme for the degree courses. not all courses offer foundation programmes. most still require u to take matrics or other qualifications.

foundation courses does not usually offer a break. immediately after u finish foundation, u will start ur degree course (if u pass, that is). u cant choose to change the programme. once ur in foundation, it's either finish it, or start another course all over again.

anywhere in this diagram, u can opt to take a certificate qualification programme. u can take this in between or during studies. it's up to u.




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feynman, does that mean A-level students still have to take english test to go oversea? can u confirm this? is english at SPM or STPM considered O-level? i might have missed the english requirement in my explanations.

will correct them if it is confirmed.

okay... here we go.

i. matriculation and any foundation courses cannot be used to apply for oversea universities. they are strictly for malaysian universities ONLY.

ii. JPA or any other bodies awarding scholarship will only offer u IF, and only IF u have received an unconditional offer letter from the oversea university that u have applied. actually, u can only apply IF u have the offer letter. if dont have, then cannot lah. (this supports darkages' statement).

iii. so to apply to oversea universities, they will require A-level or STPM or equivalent for a degree course. and mind u, malaysian scholarships only offer to a degree programme and above. so no diploma or a-levels overseas.


so to put it simply:

after spm, get ur a-levels/STPM.
with that result, apply to the oversea university.
with the offer letter, apply for sponsorship.
with that sponsorship, pegi berambus and belajar and make everybody proudlah!

This post has been edited by azarimy: Dec 16 2005, 05:13 PM

jdreamer: yes. apart from the compulsory english test that u'd have to take (IELTS or TOEFL), STPM is internationally recognized as an A-level equivalent certificate.

na21m: maybe. first, with that high-scoring diploma of urs, u apply for a place in a good, certified course in a recognized university. then only we could say u have a chance of being awarded the scholarship.

things that they consider for scholarship award (typical for JPA):

i. unconditional offer from the university
ii. an offer from a recognized university in LAN's list
iii. the course u're applying is important/critical to the country
iv. the course u're applying is recognized by JPA.
v. ur potentials of completing the course in time
vi. ur potentials of scoring in ur studies (this refers to ur past grades), we're talking atleast 3.0 for loans, and 3.6 for scholarship.
vii. ur co-curricular activities (the more active u are, the more inclined they are to award u scholarship)
viii. u MUST BE SINGLE (either not married, or divorced with no children). this applies for undergrads only.


that should about all.

actually, all the processing will be done by, guess what, human beings!

write a letter while applying using ur trial results. tell them u will send in ur official results as soon as u get them, or atleast, get someone from ur family to send the results to them. better yet, go there now or atleast call them and tell them the situation.

here's what i know.

u can get a scholarship for A-levels, and later, another one for degree. i have not heard of anyone getting a single scholarship for both studies. and i think it's more realistic for JPA, coz top students in SPM doesnt always score during A-levels.

so basically, whether u pay for ur own or get a scholarship for A-levels, u will still need to apply for scholarships from JPA. but i will try and check this matter. i mean, if didnt hear it happening, doesnt mean it couldnt .



actually, u could. this was made available as an option to malaysian IPTAs i think since several years back, but wasnt very popular, since it's generally easier to take foundation or matriculation. virtually all students take A-levels to further studies abroad, and did not realize that they could use it to apply for local universities as well.

u could clarify this matter by going to the local university websites, under admission or prospectus. sometimes they only indicate this under "international students admissions", which is weird.

but i've had several students in UTM who got into the course using A-levels. so i can confirm this matter. atleast for UTM.

dude, u dont need a good result to become a good engineer. it's all about attitude.





but u DO NEED a good result to join any engineering course! anyways, u wont be joining any engineering courses with SPM results. go get ur STPM or A-levels!

u should share ur experience exactly, preferably in chronological order, coz it would be easier for us to refer the matter for other SPM leavers. u know, like a precedence or something.

did TARC write their own STPM questions?

if it's the same STPM as the others, there is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON why they cannot accept the certificate. as far as I'm concerned, u can take STPM without attending a single class, eg homeschooling, repeat students etc.

jeremy3232, i think u should go to JPA directly in putrajaya. it is easier for them to entertain u when u go there in person, and ofcourse, u can bring someone like ur parents to "persuade" them to get everything ur way.

for the past few months, JPA has been quite helpful to my friends and i, and they really try to help u, IF U GO THERE lah .

which part of "meritocracy" didnt u guys understand? it's been published in the newspapers sometime ago. u can go back and check at JPA if u want. the criterias nowadays DOES NOT INCLUDE RACE. there're no quotas anymore.

but be aware that most chinese come from well-funded family, with usually about 1-2 siblings. u list that down and compare with the other applicants, u'll see that majority of malays who applied for scholarships earns about RM2000 a month per family with 4-5 children.

and later u'll compare the results laa.

do note, this is application for scholarship/loan, not application for the studies itself.

that's true ofcourse.

i'm writing that out of my "malas-nak-layan" attitude. haha.

until u graduate with a degree, SPM will always haunt u wherever u go, whatever u apply. my suggestion is to retake SPM.

if u've just failed ur matriculation, u wouldnt be able to join any degree course. but u can still apply for diploma, although the competition of enrolling into the courses might be a little stiff, based on ur results.

in order to have better chance at applying to any local universities for design/architecture, focus on these subjects: BM, BI, MATH, AddMATH, FIZIK, REKACIPTA. if u're good in arts (although u didnt take it for SPM), u should start ur folio (a collection of artworks), preferrably one that illustrates a wide range of skills that u have.


applying to local public univs, u will need either matriks or STPM or A-levels. the choice is up to u. u can also opt for diploma right after SPM before continuing with ur degree. it's a matter of choice, really. with a diploma, u will skip the STPM/a-levels exam as well as going straight to 2nd year degree. u might only waste a year, but with a better chance of getting into the degree as u have spent longer doing design/architecture rather than STPM or a-levels.


applying to local private colleges, it's either STPM, A-levels or their own pre-degree foundation courses. these courses take about a year, and usually conducted by the college offering the degree. however, these foundation courses arent interchangeable. meaning, u cant use LUCT's foundation to apply for taylor's degree.


design wise, each school has its own strengths and weaknesses. u need to do a little bit of homework. for architecture specifically, public universities fare way better than private schools, and they are better equipped and internationally recognized.

if u have the money. sure.

i'm not sure how it goes now, but some private colleges still require u to pay for atleast half of the fees even if u decide to quit after a week or two. do check first.

diploma is definitely NOT lower than STPM or A-levels. the intake requirement is the same (SPM/0-levels), but spans typically 3 years.

diploma is another way to skip STPM/A-levels while focusing directly to the course of ur preference. however, u cant use ur diploma to apply for a different course. for example, if u take diploma in computer engineering, u cant use it to apply for degree in accountancy. in such case, YES, diploma IS LOWER than STPM/A-levels.