Surabaya SPMB 2026 to Implement Integrated Adminduk System for Fairer Admissions

Surabaya City Government (Pemkot) is committed to implementing the 2026/2027 Academic Year New Student Admission System (SPMB) in a transparent, objective, accountable, and inclusive manner. Surabaya City Government has also established SPMB service posts at all public primary and secondary schools to facilitate public access to information and services. The 2026/2027 SPMB implementation follows Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education Regulation No. 3 of 2025 on the New Student Admission System. These provisions are reinforced by the Director General of Early Childhood, Basic, and Secondary Education’s Circular Letter No. 0301/C/HK.04.01/2026 regarding the 2026/2027 Academic Year SPMB. Surabaya City Communication and Information Agency Head Eddy Christijanto affirmed that all school-age children in the ‘City of Heroes’ will have access to education, supported by collaboration between public and private schools to accommodate all primary school graduates, per Mayor Eri Cahyadi’s directives. Surabaya Education Agency Head Febria Rachmanita explained that the 2026/2027 SPMB mechanism remains largely unchanged from previous years, with the main modification being the addition of an Academic Ability Test (TKA) for the merit-based pathway. ‘The SPMB 2026/2027 mechanism is fundamentally the same as last year. The only change is the merit pathway, where we have introduced the TKA,’ said Febri. For SPMB 2026, 35% of secondary school public (SMPN) slots are allocated to the merit pathway, divided into three subcategories: academic merit (20%), sports and competitions (12%), and Quran memorisation (3%). The academic merit assessment mechanism now combines report card grades with TKA results, with report cards accounting for 60% and TKA for 40%. Surabaya Education Agency prioritises verification of competition certificates and Quran memorisation before opening the academic pathway, ensuring students who don’t qualify through sports or religious pathways still have an academic route. Additionally, the agency ensures public and private schools have sufficient capacity to accommodate all 2026 primary school graduates. ‘This means no child will be left without a school as the capacity is sufficient for all graduates,’ Febri explained. To expand educational access, the agency optimises the Affirmative Action pathway with quotas of 15% for primary schools and 20% for secondary schools, integrated with Social Agency (Dinsos) decile 1-5 data, including inclusive education and disability categories. For the Residency pathway, quotas are set at 80% for primary schools and 40% for secondary schools, with Surabaya City Government implementing a two-ring system to ensure fairness for all applicants. Residency Pathway 1 (D1) is for applicants living closest to the target school, while Residency Pathway 2 (D2) applies to those residing further away but within the same subdistrict or district. ‘If unsuccessful in Pathway 1, applicants can use Pathway 2 if their residence is relatively further but still within the same subdistrict or district as the school,’ Febri said. ‘If facing difficulties, parents should visit their school’s service post. They need not all go to the agency; school staff are equipped to assist residents, including teaching parents how to measure home-to-school distances,’ she added. The Education Agency has ensured the SPMB 2026 application system is ready, with previous year evaluations used to refine the system and minimise potential disruptions. The 2026/2027 SPMB in Surabaya will be implemented in phases to avoid simultaneous primary and secondary school admissions, providing flexibility for parents with multiple children. For public primary schools (SDN), the process begins with a trial registration for all pathways from 22-28 May 2026. Next, Affirmative Action and transfer pathways open from 2-4 June 2026, with results announced on 5 June. Subdistrict Residency Pathway runs 8-10 June 2026, with results announced on 11 June. The city-wide Residency Pathway takes place 17-18 June 2026, with results on 19 June. For public secondary schools (SMPN), Affirmative Action data validation for low-income, near-poor, National Socio-Economic Data (DTSEN) decile 1-5, and inclusive categories runs from 20 April to 15 June 2026. Disability category validation occurs 19 May to 15 June 2026. SMPN trial registration is scheduled 22-28 May 2026 (Phase 1) and 15-20 June 2026 (Phase 2). Affirmative Action opens 22-24 June 2026, with results announced 25 June. Transfer pathway registration also occurs 22-24 June. Academic and non-academic merit pathways begin verification 21 April to 15 June 2026. Registration opens 27-29 June 2026, results announced 30 June. Same schedule applies for Quran memorisation merit pathway. Academic merit pathway registration opens 1-3 July 2026 following verification from 20 April to 15 June, with results announced 4 July. Full details on the 2026/2027 SPMB schedule and registration mechanism for Surabaya public primary and secondary schools are available on the official Instagram @dispendiksby and SPMB Surabaya website. Surabaya Civil Registration and Population Agency Head Irvan Wahyudrajad stated that his office consistently strengthens the integration of Administrative Population Data (Adminduk) in SPMB implementation.