If you think you're able, and you want to study overseas (it's also possible to win scholarships from a variety of sources with A Level), I recommend a very fair, widely used, and highly recognised exam -> A Level. Not easy, even good students can struggle. But if you're good enough or work hard enough, you could end up with really good results.

Form 6- Where poor students who couldn't afford A-levels take this. Some takes up as a challenge. People said that F6 is wasting time because the duration a little longer than A-level and there's no guarantee you can succeed. Form 6 is a very hard exam and if you are success, you can use it to apply overseas.

Matriculation is one year program. You don't have to waste much time. Hard to get in if you are non-bumi (but it's not impossible).

My friend who got into matrics told me she's fed up when someone always told her "waah matrics easy life lo". Matrics is not hard as A-level or F6 but if you didn't do well in it, you won't get into IPTA either. F6 is a little harder than A-level. Well, the point is doesn't matter which pre-u you going to take, just do well in it.

Just don't lose hope for matrics! If I remember correctly, three of my friends (non-bumi) accepted into matrics.

Form 6's syllabus are much deeper than Matrics's syllabus. Hence the duration of Form 6 much longer than Matrics. People said that when you take Form 6, you will suffered and when you get into university, you will be just fine. Matrics life easy at first but get harder when you enter university.

Do you feel like studying in overseas? If yes, get scholarship(or you can get it after A Level), take A Level, do well and tadaaa. Try KYUEM.

Walao .. Thought of omitting Matriculation if I were chosen .. and going to form 6 for sure ..

But now .. I don't know .. I think I've a high chance to enter Matriculation(I'm non bumi) but my dad is a government-retiree and I'm financially challenged .. I'm not very competitive as well (just 7A)

i was from matriculation, doing fine now in uni. i think perhaps it depends on the courses .

TS, if u do not plan to go overseas, i recommend u to go for matric. it's easier to score and easier for u to get into local uni. matric is faster(duration) than STPM and u'll learn to be independent as well as to socialize with people of different races.

it's pretty simple really...

if you want (or can only afford) to go to ipta, do matrik...it's the easiest, and the best chance of getting good results....and will get preference into ipta....

if you want and can afford to do private education, do a levels....it is also the easiest to get good grades, and most ipts are pretty lax on what they want from a levels....you will almost be guaranteed the course you want....even critical ones....

if no money, and not a malay and did not get a place in matrik, then do stpm, but be prepared for poorer results, and not getting the course that you want....

Form 6 is a waste of time (ok too lazy to talk about the dis/advantages of this)

with 10As, you could try applying for scholarships to further your studies... To my understanding A-Levels/Matrics like OSSD, AusMat, SAMs/ADTP are all world recognised. But most would say that A-Levels give the widest platform to continue from to further your studies.

No doubt A-Levels is the best option, but it's also the hardest as it's all theoretical. Matrics like OSSD or AusMats tend to be slightly easier as they split their course to half assignment based and half final exams, so it focus on both theory and the application of theory.

The choice is up to you, you have to see whether are you a book person or assignment based person. Try going around Open Days or Edu fair to ask for more details about their courses

LOL . not really, for my course, i dont deal with physics(only a little), chemistry, biology, math(only simple one).

if i'm not mistaken, there were around 100 non bumis.

u MUST stay in the hostel, last time was 4 person in one room, 3 bumis + 1 non bumi. thats why u will learn lots of stuff there.

I'm a quantity surveying student.

If you get matriks, by all means, go for it!

You'll have to stay in hostel, you'll learn to manage your time well (classes from 8am-5pm, plus night class from 8pm til 11pm if your lecturer is hardworking!), you learn to handle your studies in a short period of time (no such thing as the infamous matrik exam spot questions, lecturers will tell you to read everything), and you'll meet some of the best friends you'll ever have

As for that thing about matrik students having to work harder to survive in university, that all comes down to yourself. In my course, and from what I've seen from my friends in other courses, the matrik students are definitely on par with the STPM students. Yeah, it may come down to the type of course, but my matrik friends in chem eng and actuarial science courses are among the top students of their batch as well...

From what i have heard now, they made form six only 3 semester (one year), that means there are no lower six or upper six for the 2011 spm candidates. I am not sure, you can consult your school teacher.

if your results are good enough, you can apply taylor's, sunway or KBU a levels, coz there are tuition fee waiver, kbu has http://www.kbu.edu.my/scholarships-2012/

Hi there , in the same situation with you . 9As1B in my SPM . Non-bumi . Hoping for matrix .

@TS, here my opinion on the three systems. I'm previously a Form 6(Physics Stream) students and now currently studying Economics in Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. So my view might be biased and also, a bit of my background, I also got selected into Matriculation programme at Changlun, Kedah right after my SPM. And below are the differences between the three :-

A-Level
- If you are financially sound, I highly suggest you take A-Level as the duration is shorter than STPM and also widely recognized like most people in the topic had mentioned.
- I also believe the syllabus in A-Level are slightly easier than STPM because I compare with my Form 5 classmates(who are not my class top 20) whom most of them entered A-Level actually managed to score all As easily compared to the top 10 students in my form 5 who entered STPM due to financial problems and only 2 only them score CGPA 4.0 while the rest not really doing it well in STPM. So my conclusion is that A-Level is easier than STPM(But that's my conclusion only, might not be true considering my sample size is quite small)
- But then again, who care whether is hard or easy, in the end, STPM and A-Level are both widely accepted, so if you are financially sound, go for A-Level as it is easier for you to score(which in a way increases your chance to apply for scholarships upon the completion of your A-Level) and also the duration is shorter.

STPM(Form 6)
- 1st, it is darn cheap ! But having said that, cheap doesn't mean good, there's always a trade off, it is tough and some of my form 6 classmates actually did badly in STPM and now some of them give up and start to work while some of them restart their Pre-U at foundation/diploma. So can you take the risk? Of course the usual rule, higher risk, higher return apply.
- Obviously the duration is longer than A-Level and tougher, but that is during my time cause starting this year, the STPM system had been revised into Modular System so I can't really comment on this "new" STPM much and I guess telling you about the STPM i had will be quite irrelevant now.
- But same as A-Level, it is internationally recognized, but not sure if this system will affect its reputation a not.
- But then, STPM can give you a wider choice cause you can also enter local uni with that which A-level cant. Cause some might have sufficient money to study A-Level but later to continue degree in private uni, its another huge lump sum to pay but on the other hand, studying degree in local uni is a lot cheaper comparatively.

Matriculation
- Actually, after I got selected into Matriculation, I went to my campus for a week but then later I left and joined Form 6 due to several reasons, but before I go to my reasons, let me explain some on Matriculation
- Matriculation is a special programme created by the government for students to enter LOCAL university in an expressway. However, the Matriculation Certificates are not recognized anywhere(someone plz verify this with me, but i think few private uni in Msia actually recognized it) and it is definitely not internationally recognized. One of the important reason you should join Matriculation is that you want to enter LOCAL university for certain courses that is super expensive if you don't do it in local uni such as medicine, dentistry and etc. As for the content, I gotta tell you, it is definitely easier and really easier compared to STPM and A-Level, by seeing how many ppl can get CGPA 4.0 easily in EACH matriculation campus you will know how easy it is to score and also my Form 6 Mathematics T teacher who was a head marker for Matriculation maths paper and she disclosed some info to my class tat to score a grade A in maths paper for matric is extremely low mark until around 50 marks.
- As for the facilities in Matriculation campus, i went there once and it was huge, lots of basketball courts, squash court, running track and etc.
- But then again, it is quite tough for non-Bumi to get selected into this programme. During my time in Kedah Matriculation's orientation, I was told that there's a total of 4K new intake and only 100 Non-Bumi and 1 Indian guy only(which i can verify is true cause during their prayer session, we non-bumi actually gather at one lecture theatre by the seniors and yes, there's only one indian guy)
- As for the reason I quit Matriculation,
1. I find it not suitable for me to have that kind of lifestyle[maybe for me living outside of city in KL making me feel the life there kinda boring + my room got no internet]
2. I wasn't really know where I was heading during that time, but finally I realised my ultimate goal is not to enter local uni, but I want to try my luck again in getting admission into overseas uni.
3. Taking courses like medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, engineering are definitely not what I want, so I guess i don't really find a reason to enter local uni since the courses i want are just business, finance, ecnomics and etc which deemed "not-so-prestigious and competitive" courses for uni courses application and therefore i think i can risk it with Form 6.
So yeah, that's my opinion on the three programmes. Just to conclude :-
1. Got money, go A-Level, save time, save effort and who cares if it is not as challenging as STPM, in the end, both are internationally recognized.
2. Having financial problem? Go STPM, but can you take the risk? Remember, higher the risk, higher the return. Somemore you have more choice, continue degree at private uni, overseas or local u
3. Matriculation, this is a one way express to local uni. Much much much easier and faster, but the downside is only local uni.

I got B+ in my Chinese >< while I got 5A+ , 3A- , 1A

And also, just to add on, besides these 3 courses, you can also opt for Diploma and Foundation programmes. But for you to choose these programmes, make sure you know what you want to do for your degree as these programmes are quite specialised and not as general as STPM, A-Level and Matriculation. But in a way, if you know what you gonna do, it is very fast and easy for you to graduate with degree. A real life example is that my best friend, who used to be my classmate during Form 5, he knows that we want to do something with designing and specifically Interior Designing, so right after Form 5, he went on continue in Foundation for Art and then continue his degree in Interior Designing at KBU and now, I'm still a Year 1 students at NTU but he's graduating with his DEGREE with June....

My STPM CGPA is 3.84
Pengajian Am : A-
Mathematics T : A-
Chemistry : A
Physics : A

But I gotta warn you though, the risk you want to take with STPM is very high, cause if you really want to get the course you wish to study in Local uni, your results need to be extremely good cause you will compete in the uni intake with the matriculation students which they are being prioritized 1st.

In my science stream class, only 1 got 4A but it's 2A 2A-. A few got 2As 2Bs, some only 1A, some all B. The brainy will score straight As while us, the not so Einstein like will score less than that.