SMM PTN-West 2026 opens, providing 20,000 quotas in 1,013 programmes
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Consortium for Independent Selection into State Universities in the Western Region (SMM PTN-Barat) has officially opened registrations for 2026, involving 27 state universities (PTN) and providing 20,035 seats for 1,013 study programmes.
Chairman of the SMM PTN-Barat 2026 Committee, Ibrahim, stated that public interest in the independent pathway continues to rise. Since its launch last week, the number of registrants has exceeded 2,000 people, even though the results of the National Selection Based on Tests (SNBT) have not yet been announced.
“Last year we received nearly 30,000 registrants; this year we are targeting 32,000 applicants,” he said during a press conference in Jakarta on Monday.
Ibrahim, who is also the Rector of the University of Bangka Belitung, explained that participants can select study programmes across regions without being limited by the examination location. The selection covers areas from Sumatra, West Kalimantan, to western Java.
“We are organising this SMM jointly to ensure a higher level of transparency and accountability among participants,” he said.
The committee also ensures that all selection mechanisms, from capacity, question weighting, to the objection period, are announced openly through the official SMM PTN-Barat website.
In addition, the selection process will be completed more quickly in accordance with government directives, with the entire admission series scheduled to end on 30 June 2025.
“The Ministry of Higher Education, Science, and Technology (Kemdiktisaintek) has stipulated that PTN admissions must not exceed July, so our series is advanced by a full month,” said Ibrahim.
Ibrahim explained that anticipated cheating methods include the use of fake identities, hidden cameras in writing instruments, and mini communication devices in participants’ ears.
“The screening process when they enter the examination room is one of the most crucial aspects in our view,” he said.
This year’s selection will fully utilise a computer-based test (CBT) system and can be taken by participants from any location online. The committee is also opening wider opportunities for older graduates, with several universities in the consortium accepting participants from the last five to ten years.
“Our spirit is to provide the widest possible access to education. There are some people who might not have considered university due to economic circumstances, and only want to pursue it in the fourth or fifth year,” said Ibrahim.
Some campuses offering such opportunities include the University of Jambi, Teuku Umar University, Samudra University, UPN Veteran Jakarta, as well as several arts institutions such as the Indonesian Institute of Arts and Culture (ISBI) Aceh and the Indonesian Institute of the Arts (ISI) Padang Panjang.
The registration fee for SMM PTN-Barat this year is set at Rp375,000 and has not increased from the previous year.
Ibrahim noted that the three campuses with the largest capacities in the consortium this year are the University of Riau, Syiah Kuala University, and the University of Jambi.