Malaysia – Qualifications Exempt from Assessment

At a glance

Malaysian qualifications listed on this page are exempt from the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) International Qualification Assessment (IQA) when used for immigration points under the Skilled Migrant Category (SM) or Skilled Migrant Residence (SR) instructions, or for work visa applications under WI instructions where the country is listed [A-appendix-3-list-of-qualifications-exempt-from-assessment] [A-appendix-17-list-of-qualifications-exempt-from-assessment-fr]. The list provides the NZQF level and points only; it does not confirm comparability to a New Zealand qualification or suitability for employment, registration, or salary purposes [A-appendix-3-list-of-qualifications-exempt-from-assessment] [A-appendix-17-list-of-qualifications-exempt-from-assessment-fr].

Definition

This Malaysia sublist is part of the List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment — Appendix 3 for SM/WI instructions and Appendix 17 for SR/WI instructions [A-appendix-3-list-of-qualifications-exempt-from-assessment] [A-appendix-17-list-of-qualifications-exempt-from-assessment-fr]. The details below are extracted directly from the operational manual [M-malaysia].

A qualification qualifies for the exemption, and the indicated points, only if all of the following conditions are met:

1. the qualification appears in the Academic Qualifications Table;
2. the awarding institution appears in the Awarding Institutions Table;
3. the qualification abbreviation matches the right‑hand column for that institution;
4. the qualification was awarded from or within the year range listed; and
5. the qualification is not excluded by the notes accompanying the tables [M-malaysia].

The list is effective from 28 August 2017.

Academic Qualifications Table

Qualification	Abbreviation*	NZQF Level	SMC Points	Notes
Sarjana Muda / Bacelor (Bachelor) – except specialities listed below	B	7	50
Sarjana Muda Dengan Kepujian / Bacelor Dengan Kepujian (Bachelor with Honours) – except specialities below	B	7	50
Sarjana Muda Doktor Perubatan dan Pembedahan (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery)	BM	7	50
Sarjana Muda Kejuruteraan (Bachelor of Engineering) / Sarjana Muda Kejuruteraan dengan Kepujian (Bachelor of Engineering with Honours)	BE	7	50
Sarjana Muda Pembedahan Pergigian (Bachelor of Dental Surgery)	BDS	7	50
Sarjana Muda Undang-undang (Bachelor of Law) / Sarjana Muda Undang-undang dengan Kepujian (Bachelor of Law with Honours)	LLB	7	50
Sarjana Muda Pendidikan / Bacelor Pendidikan (Bachelor of Education)	—	—	—	Requires NZQA assessment
Bacelor Pendidikan dengan Kepujian / Sarjana Muda Pendidikan dengan Kepujian (Bachelor of Education with Honours)	—	—	—	Requires NZQA assessment
Sarjana Muda Sains dengan Pendidikan (Bachelor of Science with Education)	—	—	—	Requires NZQA assessment
Doktor Pembedahan Pergigian (Doctor of Dental Surgery)	DDS	7	50
Doktor Pergigian (Doctor of Dental Medicine)	DDM	7	50
Doktor Perubatan (Doctor of Medicine)	MD	7	50
Sarjana Ilmu Wahyu dan Warisan Islam (Master of Revealed Knowledge and Heritage in Qur’an and Sunnah Studies) by Research***	MRKH	9	70	Research degree; evidence of thesis or dissertation required
Sarjana Pengajian Islam (Master of Islamic Studies) by Research***	MIS	9	70	Research degree; evidence of thesis/dissertation required
Sarjana Sains (Master of Science) by Research***	MA	9	70	Research degree; evidence of thesis/dissertation required
Sarjana Falsafah (Master of Philosophy)***	MP	9	70	Research degree; evidence of thesis/dissertation required
Sarjana Sastera (Master of Arts) by Research***	MS	9	70	Research degree; evidence of thesis/dissertation required

• Abbreviations are for the purpose of this list only.
  *** Research degrees require evidence of a thesis or dissertation.
  If an applicant believes their qualification may be higher than the level stated they should apply to NZQA for an International Qualifications Assessment [M-malaysia].

Awarding Institutions Table

Institution	Qualification(s) and date range awarded
Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia / International Islamic University Malaysia	B and LLB: 2000–2011; BM: 2002–2011; BE: 2009; MRKH: 2000
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia / National University of Malaysia	B and LLB: 1992–2011; DDM: 2002–2011; BE: 2009; MIS: 1992; MA and MS: 1990
Universiti Malaya / University of Malaya	B, BM, BDS and LLB: 1990–2011; BE: 2009
Universiti Malaysia Kelantan	MA and MS: 2011
Universiti Malaysia Pahang	BE: 2014; MS: 2011
Universiti Malaysia Perlis	BE: 2010; MS: 2011
Universiti Malaysia Sabah	B: 2004–2011; MD: 2009–2011; BE: 2009; MA: 2004
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak	B and MD: 2004–2011; BE: 2009; MS: 2004; MA: 2011
University Pendidikan Sultan Idris	MA and MS: 2011
Universiti Putra Malaysia / Putra University, Malaysia (Universiti Pertanian Malaysia / University of Agriculture, Malaysia 1992–1997)	B: 1992–2011; MD: 2001–2011; BE: 2009; MS: 1992; MA: 1996
Universiti Sains Malaysia / University of Science Malaysia	B and MD: 1995–2011; DDS: 2004–2011; BE: 2009; MS and MA: 1995
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia / University of Technology Malaysia	B: 1995–2011; BE: 2009; MP: 2011
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia Melaka	BE: 2009; MS: 2011
Universiti Teknologi MARA, Shah Alam, Selangor	B and LLB: 2006–2011; BE: 2009; MS and MA: 2006
Universiti Utara Malaysia / Northern University of Malaysia, Sintok, Kedah	B: 2005–2011; LLB: 2008–2011; MS and MA: 2005

[M-malaysia]

In addition to the general conditions, the following must be referred to NZQA for an International Qualifications Assessment:

• All honorary degrees
• All listed qualifications where study was completed at any institution outside of Malaysia, including any overseas campuses of a listed institution
• All listed qualifications that contain cross-credited courses or papers
• All qualifications awarded after 2017 [M-malaysia]

Application in decisions

When an applicant claims points for a Malaysian qualification, the immigration officer verifies the qualification against the tables above, ensuring the institution, date, and abbreviation match, and that none of the exclusions apply. Officers must also check that the award certificate is provided in its original language (Malay or a mixture of Malay and English; the word ‘Ijazah’ appears before ‘Sarjana’ on Malay‑language certificates) and that certified translations issued by the awarding university are not accepted as original award certificates [M-malaysia]. If any condition is not met, the qualification is not exempt and must be assessed by NZQA [M-malaysia].

Interpretation & edge cases

• Teaching qualifications: The three Education degrees listed in the table require NZQA assessment; they are not exempt [M-malaysia]. Even if another qualification on this list is used for a teaching role, the applicant will likely still need a Teaching International Qualifications Assessment for registration and salary purposes [A-appendix-17-list-of-qualifications-exempt-from-assessment-fr].
• Higher‑level claims: If an applicant believes their qualification should be awarded a higher NZQF level than stated, they must obtain an IQA from NZQA [M-malaysia].
• Research degrees: Master’s degrees indicated as “by Research” require evidence of a thesis or dissertation [M-malaysia].
• Award certificates: The original certificate must be in Malay or a mix of Malay and English; translations by the awarding university are not accepted. The word ‘Ijazah’ appears on Malay‑language certificates [M-malaysia].
• Excluded study: Qualifications completed outside Malaysia (including at overseas campuses of listed institutions) or containing cross‑credited courses must be assessed by NZQA, as must honorary degrees and any qualification awarded after 2017 [M-malaysia].
• Scope: The exemption only applies for immigration points. It does not determine suitability for professional registration, further study, or employment [A-appendix-3-list-of-qualifications-exempt-from-assessment] [A-appendix-17-list-of-qualifications-exempt-from-assessment-fr].

Citations

• M-malaysia — Malaysia
• A-appendix-3-list-of-qualifications-exempt-from-assessment — Appendix 3 – List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment
• A-appendix-17-list-of-qualifications-exempt-from-assessment-fr — Appendix 17 – List of Qualifications Exempt from Assessment