markah

Markah is a Malay-language term that refers to a numerical result assigned to a student’s work or performance in an assessment. It is commonly used in education across Malay-speaking communities in Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei.

Linguistically, markah is a loanword from English mark, adapted with the Malay suffix -ah to form a noun that denotes the score itself rather than the act of marking.

In practice, markah appears in expressions such as markah peperiksaan (exam marks) and markah kerja rumah (assignment marks). Marks are often given as a raw score out of a defined total or as a percentage, and many institutions convert markah into a grade or gred according to their own scales. Phrases such as markah lulus (passing marks) and markah penuh (full marks) are common.

Regional usage varies. In Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei, markah is widely used in everyday speech and formal reporting. In Indonesia, the term is understood but less common; educators more frequently use nilai (score) or skor (score) for similar meanings.

As a cultural concept, markah reflects the emphasis on quantitative assessment in formal education, though many systems also consider other dimensions of performance beyond numeric scores.