2026 marks the second year of the implementation of the Academic Ability Test (Tes Kemampuan Akademik/TKA). The TKA, which consists of mandatory and optional subjects (Wajib dan Pilihan), assesses a range of competencies and sub competencies that challenge students to demonstrate critical thinking or reasoning, literacy, and numeracy skills. The TKA English, in particular, requires students to demonstrate their English academic competencies, especially their ability to interpret and evaluate increasingly complex texts. The results may also become one of the considerations for students to use when making decisions about their future educational pathways.
The TKA English test, whether taken as a mandatory or optional subject, can be challenging for many students. Students with a higher level of English proficiency, particularly stronger reading skills, may find the test more manageable. With the higher CEFR standards applied in our schools, however, our students have been consistently exposed to English learning that demands increasingly sophisticated language skills and higher levels of comprehension.
In approximately two weeks, our Grade 12 students will sit for the TKA. As an English teacher, I have seen a growing sense of optimism as our students prepare for this important academic milestone. Students from Ekayana Ehipassiko School and Ekayana Dharma Budhi Bhakti have participated in a series of try-outs and preparation activities. Yet, this preparation is about much more than drilling questions, identifying keywords in the questions, and applying reading strategies from A to Z.
More importantly, it is about developing the spirit of perseverance and the willingness to keep striving despite difficulties. Through this journey, our students are not only preparing for a test; they are demonstrating one of the Ekayana Core Values: Ketangguhan — “Menjaga konsistensi dan kelangsungan dalam mencapai tujuan dan cita-cita.” It is the resilience to remain committed, to keep making an effort, and to continue moving forward toward a goal.
The TKA is therefore more than an academic challenge. It is also an opportunity for our students to experience what sustained effort looks like in practice. Every practice test, every difficult passage, every mistake, and every attempt to improve can become part of a larger learning journey.
