‘We Weren’t Prepared for This’: The Growing Movement to Cancel the TKA
An online petition initiated by a student under the username “siswa agit” is calling for the cancellation of the Academic Ability Test (TKA) scheduled for November 2025. The TKA score is a prerequisite for qualifying for the 2026 state university entrance exams through the achievement track.
The petition was launched on the Change.org platform on Sunday, October 26, 2025. As of Monday, October 27, 2025, at 5:32 p.m. Jakarta time, it had gathered 34,665 signatures.
In the petition, siswa agit — who identified as one of the students preparing for the 2025 Academic Ability Test — wrote, “This system places additional stress on students.”
The student explained that their school had initially implemented the Merdeka Curriculum, which did not include the TKA, but the test was introduced unexpectedly.
Concerns About Implementation and Preparation Time
The petitioner raised several concerns regarding the implementation of the TKA, including its abrupt approval without sufficient notice for high schools and the late announcement of test content, which hindered effective preparation.
They noted that the TKA for high schools was first announced and officially approved on June 8, 2025. The formal regulation — Regulation №45 of 2025 on the Assessment Framework for the Academic Ability Test for Senior/Vocational High Schools and Equivalent Institutions — was enacted on July 14, 2025.
The student emphasized that from July 14 until the exam date of November 3, 2025, both teachers and students had only 112 days (around three and a half months) to prepare. Additionally, the Ministry of Education’s Assessment Center (Pusmendik) only launched the Online TKA Simulation for senior/vocational high schools on October 6, 2025.
The petitioner added that tutoring instructors initially speculated about potential questions after the test content was released in July 2025, but their predictions proved inaccurate. “Consequently, the expected questions were revised by instructors following the first Online TKA Simulation,” they wrote, noting that the scope of the material was too broad to predict accurately.
Technical Issues During Rehearsal
The Academic Ability Test aims to assess students’ academic performance at the end of their secondary education. The first phase of the TKA is scheduled to take place from November 3 to 9, 2025. Ahead of this, the government organized a series of simulation trials, followed by a national TKA rehearsal from October 27 to 30, 2025.
However, the first day of the rehearsal experienced technical issues. Annisianti Septiani reported that her son, Ianuno Atar Karim, a senior at Depok State High School 10, was unable to complete the test on Monday, October 27, 2025, because the TKA server malfunctioned, allowing him to answer only 15 out of 85 questions.
Toni Toharudin, Head of the Education Standardization, Curriculum, and Assessment Agency, acknowledged the disruption. He explained that the issue arose as the ministry was testing systems to ensure a seamless experience during the official TKA in November.
“The interruption occurred as we are striving to ensure full readiness for this important event,” he said when contacted on Monday, October 27, 2025.
Source : https://en.tempo.co/read/2060793/student-petition-for-academic-ability-test-cancellation-nears-35000-signatures
