This teacher has taken SPM 25 times – and he’s not done yet

While most teachers prepare students for their SPM, Zulkifli Pungut does something markedly dfferent – he sits for it himself.

The 58-year-old mathematics teacher has been taking the examination since 2011 and is preparing to do so again this year, marking his 26th attempt.

For Zulkifli, who is principal of SMK Simpang Renggam in Johor, the point is not simply to test what he knows. Sitting in the exam hall gives him a chance to experience for himself the pressure, fatigue and uncertainty his students face.

That experience, he said, has changed the way he teaches. Rather than focusing only on the syllabus, Zulkifli now pays closer attention to how students manage their time, respond to difficult questions, and cope when anxiety starts to set in.

“This experience has reshaped my teaching approach. I now go beyond teaching the topics in the syllabus by helping students develop time-management skills, strategies for answering questions under pressure, and ways to manage their emotions,” he told Bernama.

And he prepares much like they do. Zulkifli spends two to three hours a day revising and working through practice questions. He uses official education ministry modules and trial papers, and also gets fellow maths teachers to look over his answers.

This year, he is aiming again for an A+ in Mathematics, though he sees this less as a trophy than as a benchmark for himself and, hopefully, encouragement for his students.

Over the years, he has also watched the examination evolve. One of the biggest changes, Zulkifli said, is the stronger emphasis on higher-order thinking skills, with students now expected to analyse information and apply concepts rather than rely only on memorisation or routine calculations.

That means maths questions may involve financial decisions, data interpretation or everyday statistics – areas that demand understanding rather than just speed.

“Mathematics is more than just calculations – it is mental training,” he said.

He advises students to not be intimidated by long questions. Break them into smaller parts, practise consistently, strengthen the basics and ask for help when needed.

Indeed, repeatedly sitting for SPM has given him something no staffroom discussion or marking scheme quite can: a seat on the other side of the exam paper.

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