TULUNGAGUNG – The TKA Simulation Tulungagung has drawn thousands of elementary and junior high school students as the local education authority prepares them for a new computer-based academic assessment. The program aims to familiarize students with the digital testing system while checking the readiness of school facilities.

Officials from the Tulungagung Education Office said they hope participation will exceed 90 percent. Although the simulation is not mandatory, the office encourages schools to join so students can become comfortable with computer-based exams.

Deni Susanti, secretary of the education office, said the simulation takes place in several stages. The first round runs on March 9-10, followed by the second round on March 11-12 and a third round on March 16-17.

In addition, organizers scheduled a special session on March 14-15 for students with disabilities and participants in equivalency education programs. Another additional round will take place on March 30–31.

“This simulation is not mandatory, but we expect participation above 90 percent so students become familiar with the computer-based testing system,” Deni said.

Participants include sixth-grade students from elementary schools and ninth-grade students from junior high schools across Tulungagung. The education office recorded about 6,837 elementary school students and 3,008 junior high school students as potential participants.

Schools conduct the simulation using their own facilities. Computer laboratories and internet networks serve as the main infrastructure for the assessment.

At the elementary level, the program involves 596 public schools and 65 private schools. Meanwhile, the junior high school level includes 48 public schools and 59 private schools. The program also covers community learning centers that provide equivalency education.

However, officials noted that not all institutions have confirmed participation in the simulation.

On the first day, some schools experienced a technical issue with the central server that manages the test system. The problem briefly disrupted the session before technicians restored the service.

“Yesterday there was a problem with the central server, but today the system is running smoothly,” Deni explained.

Each day includes four testing sessions. The total duration is about 105 minutes for each session.

Students first complete a 10-minute practice session to understand the system. After that, they spend 75 minutes answering test questions. The remaining time allows students to fill out surveys about character development and the learning environment.

The assessment focuses on two main subjects: mathematics, which tests numeracy skills, and Indonesian language, which measures literacy. In total, students answer 30 questions during the simulation.

Through the TKA Simulation Tulungagung, education officials hope students will feel more confident when facing the official computer-based academic test in the future.