Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education Discovers 13 Violations During 2026 Academic Ability Test for Junior High

Head of the Education Assessment Centre at the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen), Rahmawati, stated that a total of 13 violations occurred during the implementation of the 2026 Academic Ability Test (TKA) by supervisors and students alike. “The violations involved 12 supervisors and one student. We found instances of live streaming on social media. However, unlike the high school level, the live stream did not point at the computer screen but merely showed the person supervising and other activities without displaying the questions or taking photos,” she explained during a media briefing on the TKA implementation in Bekasi on Tuesday (7/4). Further, Head of the Basic and Secondary Education Policy Agency at Kemendikdasmen, Toni Toharudin, added that his team always records all events in every classroom, ensuring that violations—whether minor, moderate, or severe—are followed up based on the reports submitted from each exam room. “The same applies to students; we will assess the level of violation as detailed in the reports from each classroom. Of course, when deciding on violations, we involve the general inspectorate to analyse, review, and determine the sanctions. In line with our SOP, it depends on the nature and severity of the issue,” Toni stressed. He also outlined several types of violations that took place during the TKA. “On days one and two, the most common were smoking and making videos, but for personal use, not to view questions. I believe the previous TKA implementation serves as a lesson for all parties, minimising violations this time due to lessons learned from last year,” he said. Toni also highlighted field observations where many students complained about the difficulty of the questions, particularly in mathematics. “We fully understand that some students have raised this issue. However, the TKA is designed not merely to test memorisation but to measure thinking and reasoning abilities. Thus, it is natural for some students to find the mathematics questions challenging. The TKA questions are not intended to trap students but to reveal their deeper thinking capabilities,” Toni stated.