By Marlynda Meraw
KUCHING, May 20: The first batch of students from Yayasan Sarawak International Secondary School (YSISS) has performed better than the international average in the Cambridge Checkpoint Level Nine exam held last year (2024).
Deputy Minister for Education and Innovation, Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee, revealed that students were assessed in three subjects: Mathematics, Science, and English.
According to him, YSISS students scored 32 in English, 39 in Mathematics, and 39 in Science, compared to the international average scores of 25, 31, and 31, respectively.
The marks are capped at 50, with 1–10 indicating basic knowledge, 11–20 as aspiring, 21–30 as good, 31–40 as high, and 41–50 as outstanding.
“So this is a very good result,” he said during the press conference in the media room today.
He was responding to supplementary questions raised by Jepak assemblyman Iskandar Turkee during the question-and-answer session at the Sarawak Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting earlier.
Dr Annuar explained that the exam is conducted after the students have been enrolled in the YSISS for three years. Unlike government schools, YSISS assessments are broken down into subtopics, allowing students to identify specific areas of weakness.
In English, students are assessed on listening, writing, reading, and use of language.
For Mathematics, assessments cover thinking and working mathematically, number, algebra, geometry and measure, and statistics and probability. Science assessments include thinking and working scientifically, biology, chemistry, physics, and earth and space.
A total of 99 students sat for the Cambridge Checkpoint Level Nine exam in 2024.
“From these exams, we can gauge the standard of the students. For the public schools, they do not know their standard against the international mark.
“This is an international syllabus, and the exam (results) is compared with their international peers,” said Dr Annuar.
Currently, there are three YSISS institutions across Sarawak, with one in Petra Jaya, one in Mile 12, and one in Sibu.
Currently, the students of YSISS Sibu are temporarily placed in the Mile 12 establishment until the completion of the YSISS Sibu. –DayakDaily
