The routine monthly meeting of the Pati English Teacher Association (PESTA) was held on Monday, October 13, 2025, at SMA Negeri 2 Pati. The event, which ran from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM WIB, focused on the crucial topic of “Socialization of TKA 2025 Test Material Preparation for Grade XII Students.” The agenda was expertly moderated by the Master of Ceremony, Mrs. Linda Mulyani, S.Pd.
Key Discussion Points
1. Rationale for TKA Preparation by PESTA
Mr. Yuche Yahya Sukaca, S.Pd., M.Pd. Chairman of PESTA, commenced the discussion by outlining the compelling reasons for PESTA’s initiative to develop and provide integrated TKA (Scholastic Competency Test) practice materials and complimentary try-outs for Grade XII students.
- Standardization: The primary objective is to establish a unified standard and approach among English teachers across Pati Regency in preparing students for the English TKA section.
- Information Gap: The lack of comprehensive and consistent information regarding TKA practice questions from the Education Assessment Center (PUSMENDIK) has caused significant uncertainty among English teachers regarding the appropriate test models and requisite competencies. PESTA aims to resolve this perceptual misalignment.
2. TKA as a Performance Validator
Following the Chairman’s address, Mrs. Dra. Retna Widowati, M.Pd., emphasized the critical role of the TKA, particularly in the absence of the National Examination (Ujian Nasional).
- Replacing National Standards: Ms. Retno stated that the TKA will serve as a crucial validator for report card scores. Without the National Examination, there is a vacuum in standardized scoring benchmarks that both national and international universities typically rely upon for student selection based on competence.
- Student Readiness: The provision of high-quality TKA practice and simulations is essential to equip Grade XII students as they face the TKA for the first time this year. She underscored that one of the most effective steps for teachers is to facilitate student preparation by providing high-quality TKA practice materials, thereby offering a reliable alternative to external materials from private tutoring centers or commercially sold books.
PESTA’s TKA 2025 Integrated Preparation
To address the aforementioned challenges, the core team of PESTA has taken proactive steps to prepare materials for the forthcoming TKA 2025, scheduled for October.
PESTA has developed 5 integrated TKA practice packages hosted on the PESTA website, accessible at: https://pesta.info/latihan-soal-tka/. These packages are structured according to 3 Competency Levels and 17 Sub-competencies:
- Competency Level 1: Textual Comprehension. This level measures the students’ ability to understand information presented explicitly (stated) within a text.
- Competency Level 2: Inferential Comprehension. Often described as “reading between the lines,” this level tests the ability to draw logical conclusions from textual clues, moving beyond explicitly written information.
- Competency Level 3: Evaluation and Appreciation. This level challenges students with critical thinking about a text. Students must not only comprehend but also assess, weigh, and respond to the content and presentation style of the text.
Try-Out Platform: GARUDA-21
The practice materials are currently free and publicly accessible. Furthermore, PESTA is planning a large-scale, world-standard TKA simulation prepared by its team of experts.
- Platform: The TKA try-out will be administered on the GARUDA-21 platform.
- Access and Credibility: Students will receive free login credentials (user access) to the GARUDA-21 platform. A key advantage of using this platform, unlike the PESTA website practice where students can browse other sites, is that GARUDA-21 restricts access to external web pages during the exam. This measure is crucial for maintaining the credibility and integrity of the test results.
- Schedule: This comprehensive try-out is tentatively scheduled this month.
The meeting concluded with an encouraging message from the PESTA leadership team, inviting all English teachers to continue collaborating and supporting each other in preparing quality assessments for students. PESTA also announced that the next monthly meeting will feature further updates and the other training sessions.
Prepared by:
Documentation and Publication Team
PESTA (Pati English Teacher Association)
Pati, October 13th, 2025