This year, according to the news more than 9000 student got 9As for their SPM exam...and this is only 9As, I have no idea how many more students who get 10, 11 or 12As...it really is scary, are the students getting smarter and smarter or is the education system getting downgraded? Nonetheless, as I was eligible to apply for the infamous JPA scholarship, I went ahead and gave it a try.
Students can start applying for the JPA scholarship via this link (http://esilav2.jpa.gov.my/), starting from the day they get their SPM results, and this will go on for 7 days, where the application will be closed. Applicants are required to create an account there before they can start applying.
After the 7 days are over, all the links will be closed, and applicants will not be able to sign in. However it is advised that applicants check the website regularly for extra information about the scholarship which they will post or update regularly. This year, the official release date for the list of successful applicants who are shortlisted for interview was on the 8th of April. For those who got the interview offer, they are one step closer to the scholarship :)
Now lets get to that interview procedure that everyone is so eager to know. I know I had held it off long enough *evil laugh*
Before the Interview
After logging in, applicants who are shortlisted for the interview will have to do a few things, print out that offer letter to get the information about the venue and time of your interview.
From the letter you would see that candidates are required to certify certain documents which I am going to list out here:
- your identification card,
- both of your parents's identification card,
- your birth certificate,
- both of your parents's birth certificate, and
- a certain Borang Pengesahan Pendapatan Keluarga that every candidate is required to download from the web page.
I was getting quite paranoid about this whole interview thing and so I went and certify my school leaving cert and my result slip, both of which I am going to tell you now is absolutely unnecessary. (silly me) And also, it is advisable that you go and certify all these documents even BEFORE you know you are shortlisted for the interview...coz I din't, and when the list was announced on 8th, it was Friday, and the my interview was scheduled next Tuesday on 11th...it was kinda rush but you know, so many things can happen...for example, my school principal so very conveniently went for a course for one whole week, so though the Borang Pendapatan needs to be certify by the principle only, I have no choice but to settle for the Head of Student Affairs teacher. =.=.. and I got to know from talking to one of my fellow interviewees that HER school was off on Monday, coz Saturday was her school's sports day. So she had to rush to get the documents certified on Tuesday, and then rush to check in for the interview on the same day itself.
Besides preparing these certified copies, candidates need to bring the following original certificates as well:
- your identification card,
- your SPM result slip,
- you and your parents's birth certificates,
- your school leaving certificate,
- a certain Sijil Kewarganegaraan that only applies to those whose parents are not a Malaysian by birth,
- your parents's pension card OR pay slip,
- your co-curricular certificates for form 4 and form 5,
- the Borang Pengesahan Pendapatan Keluarga, and
- any foreign language certificates that you have.
These documents have to be arranged accordingly and in a clear folder...again I would like to add in something extra...many people thinks that they want to include in many certs inside (myself included), but I can tell you guys from my experience that they don't permit interviewees to bring in ANYTHING inside the interview room. Yes, not even those notebooks that I read are advised to bring in...so there is no point in putting in all those co-curricular certs...the interviewers din't even see us bring in the file...what a waste of my time ><
During the Interview
After getting yourself ready, its time for 'the day'. Haha XD Yea, I started the day with rushing back to school to certify that stupid Borang Pengesahan Pendapatan Keluarga coz apparently, you need one original copy AND one certified copy...but here's the thing, the original copy was already copped, and in order to certify the document, you need to cop the document...so does this means the certified copy is supposed to have TWO cops? I am confused...anyway I printed another copy for (black and white but original nonetheless) the teacher to certify again, AND I photocopied the document I had certified earlier to be certified again (this means 2 cops)...what a mess...=.=
After that I head straight to the interview venue at INTEC UiTM. We went to the wrong place at first, it turns out that although it is stated UiTM but INTEC UiTM is not at the main campus, but rather someplace else that includes turning a roundabout and several left and right turnings...I got there just in time, about 11.30am, and to think that my interview was at 11.55am...><
Though the compound is quite large, the path is pretty straight forward...I just walk to the place where most of the parents have gathered and climb up to first floor, where the registration room was. Registration is actually nothing more than signing beside your name (which the person in charge will point out for you) and handing the clear folder containing your certs to them (make sure you clipped your certified copies with the original ones). After doing so, I went and have a seat, as well as get to know my fellow interviewees =).
We chatted a bit, and I got to know that among the 5 of us (each batch consists of 5 person), I was the only guy who chose pharmacy. Another two Malays, one boy and one girl, chose medicine; and another Chinese girl and boy chose dentistry. We chat a bit and I think we got on pretty well...if the interviewers were to ask us to discuss anything I think I wouldn't have any problem cooperating with them :)
A short while later, badges were handed out to us (I got number 4), which I pin on my shirt pocket (I would remind guys that formal wear is COMPULSORY, long sleeve shirt with tie, long pants {no jeans} and shoes {no sport shoes either; for girls, well...I don't know but it will be long sleeve shirt and pants as well. This is from what I observe bear in mind ya =)). When they call us, we form a single line according to the number on our badges and walk to the interview room.
As I step in to the room, the first thing that registers my mind is that the officers who are going to interview us, all three of them were Malays, rather than the one officer from each race that I read on other people's website...LOL...the interview is carried on like this- remember those number we were given? We will be interview in that order...the person who got number 1 is interviewed first. Though all 5 of us went in at the same time, the rest of us sit silently while each person is interviewed one at a time.
So you tell them your name, your family and the course you chose...if they want to know further they will ask, so don't worry about not knowing what to say.
Lets jump to me. :)
I started off with telling them my name, school and the course I wanted to apply for...I added in myself the reason that motivated me in choosing this course (this is something you are required to tell, they will ask you if you don't tell them first anyway). Then the questions begin...they asked me where I stayed at. When I told them, they counter me back with asking me wasn't the place I lived a hot spot for dengue fever? And then they continued on by asking who do you think is to be blamed for this plague? Is it the government or the residents? I said it would be the resident's fault because they never did their part in keeping the area clean...they throw bits of paper, plastics bags, plastic bottles and what nots wherever they like...and then the officers counter me back with a question asking something like: which race do you think like to throw rubbish more? I was like, what the hell? How am I supposed to answer that?
After that, another officer pop out a question for me...you see, I got an A for every subject I took except for Chinese, which I got a C, and the interviewer ask me can I explain how is it that I can manage to get an A for Bahasa but not Chinese...omg =.= and then he said do you feel ashamed that as a chinese, you got a C for your mother language? I said er...not really coz the subject was really difficult to score and I mean, at least I know how to speak fluently, and I know how to read and write in Chinese (unlike you, hahaha take that).
Then we get to the oversea part. They said JPA has sponsored many student to overseas for studies and many of them don't want to come back after finishing their course. They asked me would I do the same? I said well, I just want to go overseas for studies but ultimately I would want to settle back in Malaysia so no I wouldn't be like them. Then they fired me back a question. They said, well you couldn't see it now, but next time, assuming an Australian company offered you 15k job, and if you come back, you can only get 3k for the same job, would you still come back? My first thought was, when are they going to stop using every reply and answer I gave them and counter it back at me? And how am I supposed to answer this question? I couldn't blatantly say yes, I would reject a 15k offer and come back to work at Malaysia which only offers me 3k without sounding like an idiot. Coz nobody would do that. Unless they are idiots. It was a nightmare all right. ><
After they were finished with me, they turn to the final candidate who were with us...and upon finishing dealing with him, the interviewers asked each of us a question on 1Malaysia. Everyone got a different question, for example, they asked me among the Chinese and Indians, do you think they are willing to accept the 1Malaysia concept? We were not given time to discuss or think, these questions were asked in a manner that requires a spontaneous answer. I just answer whatever I could think of at that time.
A soon as the last candidate answered the 1Malaysia question, we were released from the interview that had lasted, unknowingly, for a whole hour. We shook hands with the interviewers and after retrieving our folders and bags, we bid goodbye to each other and wish each other all the best in getting the scholarship.
Ok so this is my version of the JPA interview. I heard from some other friends that their experiences have minor differences from mine. However, I do notice some pattern in their questions, I would recommend that candidates focus on these few questions:
After that, another officer pop out a question for me...you see, I got an A for every subject I took except for Chinese, which I got a C, and the interviewer ask me can I explain how is it that I can manage to get an A for Bahasa but not Chinese...omg =.= and then he said do you feel ashamed that as a chinese, you got a C for your mother language? I said er...not really coz the subject was really difficult to score and I mean, at least I know how to speak fluently, and I know how to read and write in Chinese (unlike you, hahaha take that).
Then we get to the oversea part. They said JPA has sponsored many student to overseas for studies and many of them don't want to come back after finishing their course. They asked me would I do the same? I said well, I just want to go overseas for studies but ultimately I would want to settle back in Malaysia so no I wouldn't be like them. Then they fired me back a question. They said, well you couldn't see it now, but next time, assuming an Australian company offered you 15k job, and if you come back, you can only get 3k for the same job, would you still come back? My first thought was, when are they going to stop using every reply and answer I gave them and counter it back at me? And how am I supposed to answer this question? I couldn't blatantly say yes, I would reject a 15k offer and come back to work at Malaysia which only offers me 3k without sounding like an idiot. Coz nobody would do that. Unless they are idiots. It was a nightmare all right. ><
After they were finished with me, they turn to the final candidate who were with us...and upon finishing dealing with him, the interviewers asked each of us a question on 1Malaysia. Everyone got a different question, for example, they asked me among the Chinese and Indians, do you think they are willing to accept the 1Malaysia concept? We were not given time to discuss or think, these questions were asked in a manner that requires a spontaneous answer. I just answer whatever I could think of at that time.
A soon as the last candidate answered the 1Malaysia question, we were released from the interview that had lasted, unknowingly, for a whole hour. We shook hands with the interviewers and after retrieving our folders and bags, we bid goodbye to each other and wish each other all the best in getting the scholarship.
Ok so this is my version of the JPA interview. I heard from some other friends that their experiences have minor differences from mine. However, I do notice some pattern in their questions, I would recommend that candidates focus on these few questions:
why you do want to go to that particular country to study,
why do you want that course, and
what makes you different from other people.
Candidates should also go and do some research regarding the desired course. Oh, and also, they will ask you what is the hardest thing you ever faced, and how did you overcome it.
These are the few main questions that I noticed they ask all of us, the rest of the questions varies, it depends on how you introduced yourself, the country that you wanted to go to, and the course itself of course.
This is based on my experience. I hope you got something useful out of it. You can click here to view the statistics of total JPA applicants, shortlisted candidates and final recipients of this scholarship. Good luck :D
