First Wave of Junior Secondary Academic Ability Test Runs Smoothly, Nearly 2 Million Participants Join
The implementation of the Academic Ability Test (TKA) for junior secondary level in the first wave on 6-7 April 2026 ran smoothly throughout Indonesia. Based on monitoring from the Central Command Post (Command Center) for TKA, the central system and infrastructure operated stably with traffic remaining within safe capacity.
Head of the Agency for Basic and Secondary Education Policy (BKPDM), Toni Toharudin, stated that the execution over the first two days was under control with very high participation levels.
“Overall, for the first and second days of TKA, the system ran very stably and controllably. Participation was very high, support from stakeholders was strong, and the control mechanisms we implemented also ran effectively,” said Toni during a media briefing in Bekasi on Tuesday (7/4).
In the first wave, 1,935,778 participants were recorded taking the TKA. This number consisted of 1,777,571 participants in online mode and 158,207 in semi-online mode. The participants came from 33,349 online mode implementing schools and 2,451 semi-online mode implementing schools.
The implementation of this assessment was also supported by 24,195 supervisors, 2,345 supervisors from provincial Education Offices and Regional Offices of the Ministry of Religious Affairs, as well as 42,852 online mode proctors and 3,188 semi-online mode proctors. This support became a key factor in maintaining the smooth running of the implementation in every educational unit.
To maintain the integrity of the assessment, TKA uses a regional-based question scheme with far greater variation compared to the centralised question model. This scheme is designed to minimise the potential for leaks while increasing the reliability of the assessment results.
“The involvement of various parties is a key factor in ensuring that the TKA implementation runs orderly, maintains its integrity, and complies with the established standards,” added Toni.
The TKA for junior secondary level is scheduled to take place from 6-16 April 2026. Its implementation is divided into four waves for formal educational units and one wave for equivalence education. According to Toni, the wave system is applied to maintain the same implementation standards across Indonesia while providing flexibility for the readiness of each educational unit.
“This approach ensures the same implementation standards across all regions of Indonesia, while providing flexibility for educational units in their preparations,” he said.
In its execution, TKA is designed to run for two days in each wave. On the first day, participants undergo 10 minutes of practice, 75 minutes of Mathematics and Numeracy test, and 20 minutes of character survey. On the second day, participants complete 10 minutes of practice, 75 minutes of Indonesian Language and Literacy test, and 20 minutes of learning environment survey.
To support the smooth implementation, the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education operates a central monitoring post (command centre) and regional support posts. These posts function to provide quick and coordinated technical and non-technical support for educational units and students.
Toni emphasised that the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education will continue monitoring and improvements during the TKA implementation.
“We are very optimistic about the synergy of all parties. This year’s Academic Ability Test will be an important instrument in building a better education system in line with the policy direction of Quality Education for All,” he concluded.