By Saiful Bahri Kamaruddin
Pix Ikhwan Hashim

Bangi, 8 April 2015 – Malaysia may be the first country to implement an Integrated Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) system to asses the overall performance of university students and not just evaluate academic achievement.

Second Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh said to produce holistic graduates, their performance should be measured as a whole including their involvement in extracurricular activities, community engagement, volunteerism, leadership and spirituality.

Speaking when opening the UKM Career Expo 2015 at the National University of Malaysia (UKM) here today, Idris explained that there are weaknesses in the current assessment based solely on academic achievement.

However Idris stressed there should be a comprehensive study first on the Integrated CGPA before being implemented at the university level.

“We have yet to get a better mould but the university is looking for the best way to measure student achievement.

“Implementation of integrated CGPA will only take place within two or three years … perhaps sooner. But we do not want to hurry as to allow time for testing before implementation,” he explained.

However, all stake-holders should also agree on it.

“We want a system of appropriate assessment and can be accepted by academics and the public,” he said.

He added that students will no longer only be assessed purely on academic and extra-curricular matters, but also on social engagement and  personality during their course.

The university management has also been asked to make an analysis to measure its effectiveness before implementation. Currently, student achievement is measured based on academic excellence, guided by the results of the tests or examinations.

The two-day UKM Career Expo 2015, with the theme ‘Grab The Chance, Embrace Your Dream’ which ended today, aimed to give graduates the opportunity to get the latest information on the needs and opportunities of employment directly from employers.