Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education revises 2026 high school TKA scheme
The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) has revised the scheme for the 2026 Academic Ability Test (TKA) for high school, vocational high school, and madrasah levels. Previously, multiple subjects were tested in a single day; from this year, candidates will only sit for one subject per day.
Head of the Education Assessment Centre, Rahmawati, stated the changes followed an evaluation of last year’s TKA implementation and student feedback.
‘Based on 2025 feedback and evaluation, mandatory subjects will no longer be tested in a single day but one subject per day,’ Rahmawati said during a press conference on the revised TKA scheme for 2026 on Tuesday (26 May).
‘Last year’s three-subject-per-day format drew many complaints, so we’ve split them into one subject per day,’ she added.
Under the new scheme, Day 1 will feature Indonesian language and character surveys; Day 2 for English and learning environment surveys; Day 3 exclusively for mathematics and numeracy; and Day 4 for two elective subjects based on student interests.
The Ministry has also advanced the high school TKA schedule to 26 October to 8 November 2026, compared to November last year.
Rahmawati explained the schedule adjustment ensures the extended testing period does not interfere with the National Selection Based on Achievement (SNBP) process starting January 2027.
‘The testing period is longer, so the end date must remain unchanged, but the duration is extended,’ she added.
She confirmed the TKA content does not cover all learning up to the sixth semester. The scope is limited to mid-fifth semester, as defined in the official TKA framework.
‘Sixth semester material is excluded entirely, and fifth semester content stops at the midpoint,’ she clarified.
In addition to the schedule change, Kemendikdasmen has added 50 new elective subjects for vocational high school (SMK) students, bringing the total to 69 options, though each student may select only two.
For mandatory subjects, high school (SMA) and madrasah (MA) students will still take Indonesian, English, and mathematics. SMK students, however, will have mathematics tailored to three different contexts based on their vocational streams.