Program Overview

Talent Search and Management Program

The Program for Searching for Smart and Talented Students is implemented by Pusat PERMATA@Pintar Negara, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) every year. This search is targeted at students aged 8 to 15 years old across the country. The screening to identify gifted students includes the UKM1, UKM2, and UKM3 exams.

UKM1 Exam

The UKM1 exam is open to all students of various races aged 9 to 15 years old, while for Muslim students, it is open to students as young as 8 years old to 15 years old.

Admission Criteria

To be admitted to the Smart and Talented Secondary Education Program, students must pass the UKM1, UKM2, and UKM3 exams. Students who pass these exams will be offered a place in one of two schools:

• Kolej PERMATA@Pintar Negara (KGPN) in Seremban Campus, Negeri Sembilan
• Kolej PERMATA Insan (KGI) in USIM, Value, Negeri Sembilan

Program Details

The program provides students with a challenging and technology-rich education through a curriculum that supports their high cognitive needs. Students will have the opportunity to explore their areas of interest through enrichment programs such as Olympiad, Genome to Space; DNA Barcoding Sequencing, and Astrophysics, F1 in Schools, Robotics, and others.

Specializations

The two schools offering the Smart and Talented Secondary Education Program provide specializations in the following areas:

• PERMATA@Pintar Negara College (KPPN):
  • Pure Science specialization
  • Pure Science and Digital Technology specialization
• PERMATA Insan College (KGI):
  • Pure Science specialization based on Aqli and Naqli

Benefits

Students who are selected to join the Smart and Talented Secondary Education Program will receive an education that supports their high cognitive needs, gain experience in a challenging and technology-rich environment, and have the opportunity to conduct research with the guidance of experts/professors from universities. They will also have the opportunity to publish their research findings in journals or proceedings with their mentors. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to gain industrial experience and compete at the international level through competitions, research, and student exchange programs. They will also have the opportunity to further their studies at top universities worldwide, including Ivy League universities.