What can you study in Malaysia with the qualification you already have?
Pick what you hold — a Gaokao result, Thanaweya Amma, SPM, IGCSE, an Indonesian Ijazah, A-Levels, a diploma, a degree — and see which award levels are normally open to you, with the real programmes and fees at each one.
Gaokao · 高考, National College Entrance Examination — China's national university entrance examination, sat at the end of senior high school.
Foundation
Normally open35 programmes · RM 15,100 – RM 35,000Open regardless of score, and the reliable route when a Gaokao result is below a programme's direct-entry line.
This is the standard route for this qualification at our partner institutions.
Diploma
Normally open101 programmes · RM 9,000 – RM 116,395Open, and it carries credit into year two of a degree.
This is the standard route for this qualification at our partner institutions.
Bachelor
Varies by university495 programmes · RM 3,125 – RM 717,000A growing number of Malaysian universities admit on Gaokao directly, typically around the first-tier (一本) line and higher for competitive programmes. Others will not read a Gaokao score at all and ask for a foundation year. Which of our partners does which is exactly what a counsellor checks — send your score and the programme.
Some partners take this qualification directly at this level and others ask for a foundation year first, usually depending on your results.
This is not an admissions decision. This shows the routes normally open to someone holding your qualification at our partner institutions. It is not an admissions decision and it is not a guarantee of a place: the university admits you, MQA sets the qualifications framework, and EMGS clears the student visa. Your actual results, your subject mix and the programme you pick all change the answer — which is what the free counselling is for.
The framework and the recognised-qualifications list are MQA's; the student-pass document checks are EMGS's. Where acceptance genuinely varies between our partner universities, this tool says so rather than picking an answer.
- List of entry qualifications for international studentsMalaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA)
- Malaysian Qualifications Framework (MQF)Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA)
- Student pass requirements and academic document checksEducation Malaysia Global Services (EMGS)
Does this mean I am accepted?
This shows the routes normally open to someone holding your qualification at our partner institutions. It is not an admissions decision and it is not a guarantee of a place: the university admits you, MQA sets the qualifications framework, and EMGS clears the student visa. Your actual results, your subject mix and the programme you pick all change the answer — which is what the free counselling is for.
Can I get into a Malaysian university with my Gaokao score?
Often, yes. A growing number of Malaysian universities admit Chinese students on the Gaokao directly, typically around the first-tier (一本) line, with competitive programmes asking for more. Others do not read a Gaokao score at all and ask for a one-year foundation instead. Which of our partners does which — and what your particular score opens — is the thing a counsellor checks for free before you spend anything.
I have Thanaweya Amma. Do I need a foundation year?
Usually not. Thanaweya Amma appears on MQA's list of recognised entry qualifications for degree study, so direct entry to a bachelor's is the normal route. The percentage each programme asks for varies, and competitive faculties such as medicine and dentistry ask for a great deal — where your result falls short of a particular programme, the foundation year is the way in.
What if my certificate is not in English?
You will need a certified English translation alongside the original. EMGS checks academic documents as part of the student pass application, and an untranslated transcript is one of the most common causes of delay. Our visa checklist sets out everything EMGS asks for.
I have work experience but no certificate. Is there a route?
Yes — Malaysia runs a prior-learning route called APEL.A, assessed by MQA, which can admit you to diploma, bachelor's or master's level without the usual certificate. It has age minimums, it is assessed individually, and not every programme accepts it. It is worth asking about rather than assuming you are shut out.
Do I still need an English test?
Almost certainly. The academic qualification and the English requirement are two separate gates, and meeting one says nothing about the other. Our score converter shows where an IELTS, TOEFL, PTE, MUET or Linguaskill result sits, and as an official English provider we can take you from where you are to where the university needs you.
The academic route is one of three gates. The other two are English and the student visa — both have their own tool.
Get the actual answer for your results.
Send a counsellor your qualification and your grades. They come back with the programmes you would actually be considered for, what each asks for, and the intakes still open — free, with no obligation.
Or reach us directly — inquiry@premium.edu.my · +603 2740 0711