It's end of the road for PMR

KUALA LUMPUR: After two decades, it was the end of the road for the Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) examination.

The last paper yesterday was the Chinese Language Paper One, marking the end of the PMR which was introduced in 1993 to replace the Sijil Penilaian Rendah (SRP) examination.

SMK Sri Sentosa Form Three student Chan Li-Ann described the PMR exam this year as quite tough – apart from English Language and Mathematics.

“I plan to treat myself to a good meal with my classmates and spend time at Sunway Lagoon,’’ the 15-year-old said after submitting her last paper.

Another PMR candidate Nicholas Wong, 15, heaved a big sigh of relief, saying he planned to go on a holiday with his family.

But it will not be long before he gets back to the grind.

“I will start going for tuition classes in November. Form Four is going to be tougher so it is better to get prepared,’’ he added.

Cheah Xiao Wen, 15, who also sat for Chinese Language Paper One, said it was right to abolish the PMR.

“It is good to have only one major exam in Form Five as there are already many internal exams in schools,” she said.

Perak student Najmi Taufiq, 15, said he felt emotional after the PMR ended.

“I did my best, now I’m hoping for the best,” he quipped.

The PMR will be replaced by a school-based assessment system next year.

A total of 462,940 candidates sat for PMR this year in 3,530 examination centres across the country.