Year 4 & Form 3 Exams

The Class 4 & Class 3 exams (Fourth Class Learning Measurement in 2026 and Third Class Learning Measurement in 2027) which will be held starting this year are part of the 2026-2035 National Education Plan (RPN). Visit the official portal of the Ministry of Education Malaysia (KPM), for more information.

This initiative aims to identify early levels of student mastery of misguided interventions. At the same time, it allows teachers and schools to plan appropriate steps to strengthen the curriculum.

For Class 4 students, this measurement starts in 2026 and involves four core subjects namely Malay, English, Mathematics and Science.

Meanwhile, for grade 3 students, measurements will be carried out starting in 2027 and involve five main subjects, namely Malay, English, Mathematics, Science and History.

See more info below.

Malaysian Learning Matrix for Class 4 & Form 3

The Malaysian Ministry of Education (KPM) officially introduced the Malaysian Learning Matrix, a new approach to assess student mastery in a more systematic and centralized manner.

This announcement was made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on 20 January 2026, in the context of the launch of the National Education Plan (RPN) 2026-2035.

This system is designed not to replace Class Assessment (CBD), but rather to strengthen the national education assessment ecosystem to be more holistic and focused on early intervention.

For Class 4 students, this measurement starts in 2026 and involves four core subjects namely Malay, English, Mathematics and Science.

This centralized assessment is carried out by the Examinations Board to ensure transparency and national standards, enabling the identification of early learning gaps for follow-up action in Years 5 and 6. It aims to provide room for improvement before students move on to secondary school.

Meanwhile, for grade 3 students, measurements will be carried out starting in 2027 and involve five main subjects, namely Malay, English, Mathematics, Science and History.

This assessment is also centralized by the Examination Body, with a focus on basic mastery of SPM preparation while supporting misguided interventions.

The learning matrix acts as a mechanism for intervention and reinforcement of learning in addition to supporting the implementation of the new curriculum.

Implementation Schedule & Student Targets

The implementation of this matrix will be carried out in stages according to year and school level:

• Year 4 (Starting 2026): Implementation starts this year (October 2026). The main focus is to identify students’ mastery levels in the early stages of elementary school.
• Tier 3 (From 2027): For secondary schools, this centralized assessment will begin to be fully implemented next year.

Subjects Involved

Here is a list of subjects involved in Year 4 and Form 3 exams:

Implementation

According to the Minister of Education, Fadhlina Sidek, the implementation of Class 4 and Class 3 exams is centralized.

It means:

• Organized by the Examination Body (LP): Even though it is carried out in each school, the collection of questions and assessment standards are coordinated centrally by the Board of Examiners. This is to ensure that the quality and integrity of student achievement data is equal throughout the country.

KPM emphasized that this is not a high-risk test. The results obtained are intended for diagnostic purposes, not for labeling or comparing students.

Importance

Year 4 and Form 3 exams allow for intervention.

By assessing students in Grade 4, teachers have two more years (Grades 5 and 6) to strengthen students’ weaknesses before they move on to high school.

For Form 3 students, it is a good idea for schools to identify students’ tendencies and level of readiness before entering a particular pathway in Form 4 (Science, Literature, Engineering, etc.).

This learning matrix will also indirectly prepare students for three international assessments, namely the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics (SEA-PLM).

Parents don’t need to panic or over-school their children. This matrix is ​​a tool to help your child learn better, not just a test load.

Further information

For further information and the latest information regarding the Malaysian Education Plan (RPM) 2026–2035, please visit the official portal of the Ministry of Education at the following link:

Also follow the Malaysian Ministry of Education’s Facebook and KPM’s Instagram for the latest information on the world of education.

Malaysian Education Plan 2026-2035 Executive Summary Document. Download by scanning the QR Code below.

Frequently Asked Questions for Year 4 & Form 3 Exams