TKA Duration Deemed Too Short, Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education: We Have Tested It
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (Kemendikdasmen) stated that it has tested the duration for completing the Academic Ability Test (TKA) questions, ensuring it does not feel short and is sufficient to finish all of them.
Head of the Basic and Secondary Education Policy Agency (BKPDM) of Kemendikdasmen, Toni Toharudin, acknowledged receiving numerous complaints from test participants regarding the short completion time for TKA, especially the mathematics questions which were deemed difficult and different from those in the simulation (try-out).
“We have tested it, and 75 minutes is the time that has indeed been confirmed to match the conditions of the questions given to students across the nation,” said Toni in Jakarta on Wednesday.
On the same occasion, Head of the Education Assessment Centre (Pusmendik) of Kemendikdasmen, Rahmawati, stated that the exam time determination has been adjusted to the composition of the tested questions.
At the junior secondary school level, she continued, the tested material consists of 30 percent knowing (mathematics knowledge), 40 percent applying (concept application), and 30 percent reasoning.
From the combination of questions available, Rahmawati explained that they conducted trials by solving the questions according to their composition.
The result was that they concluded 75 minutes is the ideal duration to complete all TKA questions.
“We have trialled our questions; we have a design for each test package that students work on, including the composition of the questions, from which we arrived at the figure of 75 minutes,” she said.
Furthermore, she mentioned that they do not extend the time to avoid unwanted issues.
In addition, Rahmawati emphasised that they have log file data of students’ completion.
When compared to students who run out of time, she noted that more students log out from the TKA exam website before 75 minutes.
“So, time records, because everything is computer-based and our dashboard is also real-time to see who has logged in and who has finished,” said Rahmawati.