KUCHING (June 11): Phoebe Ting and Michelle Soh the two students from Chung Hua Middle School (CHMS) No.1 here who scored straight As in Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) are not sitting on their laurels as they are now setting their sights on As in the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) in November this year
Both Ting and Soh are aware that the UEC, the public examination for the students of Chinese independent schools which is the equivalent of Sijil Tinggi Pelajaran Malaysia (STPM), will be sterner test than SPM.
To Soh, the UEC will be twice as challenging as SPM.
“I will definitely put in more hours for the UEC in order to achieve my set target of straight As, if not straight A1s,” she said.
Michelle Soh
Like the As in SPM that come with A+, A and A-, the same grade in UEC comes with A1 and A2.
On her excellent SPM result, Ting said she did not expect to pass the public examinations with such flying colours.
She said she was more than surprised to have scored an A for Physics, Advanced Mathematics and Biology, subjects which she found to be difficult at the time of the examinations early this year.
“When I sat for the papers, I felt that the questions were more difficult than those printed in the past year papers. I was surprised that I did well,” she said when contacted by The Borneo Post.
Ting recalled that candidates from her school missed the once-a-week SPM lessons for a couple of months, since the Movement Control Order was enforced in March last year.
She said when they picked up the SPM lessons in June or July, their teachers gave them intensive classes to compensate for the loss of time.
Phoebe Ting
Ting attributed her success to self-discipline especially during this pandemic when students had to continue schooling through home-based learning.
“I spent a lot of time focusing on my studies although we did not go to school. For me, early preparation helps. Do not do revision at the eleventh hour,” she added.
Soh, who is her classmate said she had set a straight As target prior to sitting for the SPM.
“I was not confident to score an A for the Chinese, Moral Studies and Bahasa Malaysia subjects but I did a lot of trial papers before the exams.”
According to her, self initiative is key, especially now students are learning from home.
Apart from trial papers, Soh said she also spent time on YouTube for tutorials which helped a lot in her revision.
When asked for advice for her juniors who will be sitting for the SPM this year, she said: “Make full use of the resources made available online, spend more time working on the trial papers.”
A statement issued by CHMS No.1 said 132 or 86 per cent of the 154 students who sat for the 2020 SPM were eligible to sit for the certificate.
The school said four subjects namely Chinese, Additional Mathematics, Physics and Art recorded a 100 per cent pass rate.
Other high SPM achievers from the school were Tay Ai Jia scored 9As followed by Sandra Lo Yii Shin, Tsai Xing En and Tan Ling En (8As), Tio Shao Wei, Valentina Tie Yian Jiun, Sean Wong Yieng Shuo, Cynthia Oh Hui Joo, Sandy Lau Xin Tong and Abraham Siaw Jun Jie (7As).
Luis Chin Yenn Hao, Huang Shin Ran, Joanne Wong Min Min, Bailey Tan Zi Qi, Wong Rui Bin, Melody Lim Chia Chia, Joycelin Liew Yien Tze (6As) as well as Chloe Tiong Qian Yan, Ngu Jia Li, Jong Hui Ru, Alden Chai Qing Yi, Goh Yue, Li Shen Yaw and Lo Mei Qee (5As).