SPM 2026 Dates: Exams Start Oct. 26, Papers Nov. 23
Malaysia's Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) 2026 exams start on Monday, Oct. 26 with the Bahasa Melayu speaking test and end on Thursday, Dec. 17. In all, 420,879 candidates will sit the exams at 3,334 centres, the Education Ministry (KPM) said, RTM reported. The written papers begin on Monday, Nov. 23 with the Malay listening test, then Bahasa Melayu Papers 1 and 2 the same day.
SPM 2026 key dates (tarikh penting)
| Test | Dates |
|---|---|
| Malay speaking test (Ujian Bertutur) | Mon. Oct. 26 to Thu. Oct. 29 |
| English speaking test | Mon. Nov. 2 to Thu. Nov. 5 |
| Science practical (Ujian Amali Sains) | Mon. Nov. 16 to Wed. Nov. 18 |
| Written papers and listening tests (Ujian Mendengar) | Mon. Nov. 23 to Thu. Dec. 17 |
These dates come from the Lembaga Peperiksaan's official timetable (Jadual Waktu Peperiksaan SPM 2026), which tells schools to download it from the board's portal at lp.moe.gov.my. The official timetable PDF is also on the Education Ministry's website. The first KPM statement on Aug. 18 gave Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 for the two listening tests, but the ministry corrected that the next day to Nov. 23 for Malay and Nov. 24 for English, SAYS reported, and the official timetable shows the same.
SPM 2026 written papers: core subjects
| Date | Papers and times |
|---|---|
| Mon. Nov. 23 | Bahasa Melayu: Paper 4 (listening) 9:00–9:30 am, Paper 1 10:45 am–12:45 pm, Paper 2 2:30–5:00 pm |
| Tue. Nov. 24 | English: Paper 4 (listening) 9:00–9:40 am, Paper 1 11:00 am–12:30 pm, Paper 2 2:30–4:00 pm |
| Wed. Nov. 25 | Islamic Education (Paper 1) and Moral Education: 8:15–10:45 am |
| Thu. Nov. 26 | Mathematics: Paper 1 8:15–9:45 am, Paper 2 10:45 am–1:15 pm |
| Mon. Nov. 30 | History: Paper 1 8:15–9:15 am, Paper 2 10:30 am–1:00 pm |
| Wed. Dec. 2 | Biology: Paper 1 8:15–9:30 am, Paper 2 10:45 am–1:15 pm |
| Thu. Dec. 3 | Science and Physics: Paper 1 8:15–9:30 am, Paper 2 10:30 am–1:00 pm |
| Mon. Dec. 7 | Economics: Paper 1 8:15–9:30 am, Paper 2 10:45 am–1:00 pm |
| Mon. Dec. 14 | Principles of Accounting: Paper 1 8:15–9:30 am, Paper 2 10:45 am–1:15 pm, Paper 4 2:30–5:00 pm |
| Tue. Dec. 15 | Chemistry and Additional Science: Paper 1 8:15–9:30 am, Paper 2 10:45 am–1:15 pm |
| Wed. Dec. 16 | Geography: Paper 1 11:45 am–1:00 pm, Paper 2 2:30–5:00 pm |
| Thu. Dec. 17 | Additional Mathematics: Paper 1 8:15–10:15 am, Paper 2 2:30–5:00 pm |
All times are Malaysia time. Candidates sit only the subjects they registered for, and the timetable lists many more papers than these, including the vocational and language subjects, so check the official PDF for yours. There are no papers on Friday, Dec. 11, which the timetable marks as a holiday for the Sultan of Selangor's birthday.
Exam-day rules in the timetable
- Be early: candidates must be in their seats 20 minutes before a written paper or listening test starts.
- ID on the desk: the identity card or other ID must stay at the right-hand corner of the desk throughout, and a candidate may not sit the exam without it.
- Late arrival: a candidate who comes up to 30 minutes after a written paper starts may be admitted at the chief invigilator's discretion, with a strong reason, and gets no replacement time.
- No leaving early: nobody may leave the hall in the first 30 minutes or the last 10 minutes of a written paper without permission.
- Pens and pencils: answers go in black or blue ballpoint pen, and objective answer sheets need a 2B or BB pencil.
- Banned items: notes, phones, other communication devices and electronic devices, and also pencil cases and bags, may not be taken in, except extra items the rules allow. Candidates must dress modestly.
- Cheating: a candidate found cheating can lose the result of any paper, and impersonation or bribery can mean a one-year ban from the exams.
The timetable also says candidates must check the details on the front of each paper, and that a candidate who misses a paper needs a government-hospital doctor's letter or the Exam Director's special permission. Last year, 413,372 candidates registered for SPM, and the national average grade was 4.42, the best in five years, SAYS reported.
Dates and times are from the official SPM 2026 timetable and the KPM statements reported by RTM and SAYS, as of Oct. 13, 2026. Check the Lembaga Peperiksaan portal for any change.
