However, candidates in seven schools in Pasir Mas, Kelantan, who are affected by floods will be sitting for the examination at the second session in April.

Also allowed to sit in April are those infected with Covid-19 and currently undergoing quarantine.

Bernama checks at several schools nationwide found that the candidates, all masked up, began flocking to their examination centres at 6.30am to sit for the Bahasa Melayu Paper 1.

In Kuala Lumpur, education department deputy director (educational planning and district education office management) Mohd Najib Ab Rahman said the examination in the new normal this time around was more organised, thanks to the experience from last year.

When met during his visit to Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Sentul Utama, he said a total of 20,311 candidates from Kuala Lumpur will be sitting for SPM at 161 examination centres.

In Terengganu, state Shariah, education and higher education committee chairman Satiful Bahri Mamat said 319 out of the 18,815 SPM candidates in the state who were affected by floods will be placed at alternative examination centres.

In Kelantan, 27,372 candidates will be sitting for SPM at 283 centres statewide, except the 708 candidates in seven schools in flood-hit Pasir Mas, who will have to sit for the examination in April.

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