A total of 13,970 candidates obtained Grade A in all subjects for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination last year, an increase of 0.05 percent or 250 candidates compared to 2012.

From the total 100 candidates obtained 12As; 2,164 candidates obtained 11As; 5,557 candidates obtained 10As; 6,087 candidates obtained 9A and the remaining 62 candidates obtained 8As, 7As and 6As.

Education Ministry’s director-general Datuk Dr Khair Mohamad Yusof said as many as 405 candidates obtained the A+ highest grade in all the subjects.

“In the 2013 SPM examinations, the achievements in six out of seven core subjects improved from the year before which is Bahasa Melayu, English, Islamic Studies, Moral, History and Science. Only Mathematics saw a drop in the Subject Average Grade (GPMP) of 4.99 compared to 4.91 in 2012,” he told reporters at a press conference when announcing the analysis of the results today.

A total of 470,395 candidates had registered for the 2013 SPM examination of which only 85.52 percent (378,490) were qualified to obtain certificates compared to 91.24 percent (402,859) in 2012.

Khair however denied the drop in the percentage of candidates who qualify for the SPM certificates was a direct result of History being made a must-pass subject starting 2013.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced in 2010 that History would be made a must-pass subject in SPM starting 2013 along with Bahasa Melayu.