Education Ministry: Academic Ability Test scores do not rank students or schools
The Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) has emphasised that the results of the Academic Ability Test (TKA) are not intended to label or rank students or educational institutions participating in the test, but rather to map improvements in the quality of education services.
Secretary of the Agency for Primary and Secondary Education Policy (BKPDM) at Kemendikdasmen, Muhammad Yusro, said that TKA scores are not designed to label students or schools.
“Assessment results are used not to label students or schools, but to map learning strengths and needs,” Yusro said in Central Jakarta on Friday.
For students who take the test, he said, the TKA results serve as a national standard assessment that can validate students’ academic achievement in certain subjects, both compulsory and elective, in accordance with the curriculum.
The TKA results, he said, are designed to provide information on individual achievement more objectively and to allow fair comparison, particularly when learning outcomes are used in selection processes.
“The TKA is here to provide information on individual achievement that is more objective and can be compared fairly, especially when learning outcomes are used in selection processes,” he said.
The TKA results, he continued, can also be used as a validator of report card grades in the Achievement-Based National Selection (SNBP) as well as material for consideration in independent selection according to university policy, and for other academic selection needs.
Therefore, he urged that the decision to take the TKA be made consciously by considering each student’s needs and educational plans.
“Thus, the decision to take the TKA needs to be made consciously based on the student’s educational needs and plans,” he said.
He stressed that the TKA is not compulsory, is free of charge, and is not a determinant of student graduation.
Graduation remains the authority of the educational institution, while TKA results can be used for various academic selection purposes.