Factors Behind Low TKA Achievement among Senior High School Students

Academic Competency Test (TKA) is an assessment tool designed to measure the literacy, numeracy, and reasoning abilities of high school students as indicators of academic readiness for higher education. However, TKA results show that student achievement is still relatively low and varies between subjects. This study aims to comprehensively examine the determining factors that influence the low achievement of senior high school students in the Academic Competency Test (TKA). This study uses a qualitative descriptive approach with a literature study method, with data sources in the form of reputable national and international scientific articles and secondary data from TKA results published by the Education Assessment Center, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education. The data were analyzed through the stages of reduction, presentation, and conclusion drawing. The results of the study show that low TKA achievement is influenced by internal factors, including weak higher-order thinking skills (HOTS), low basic literacy and numeracy, high academic anxiety, and low student motivation to learn. In addition, external factors such as the gap between learning practices and national assessment requirements, the phenomenon of learning loss after the pandemic, limitations in teachers' pedagogical competencies, and socio-economic conditions also contribute to low TKA achievement. These findings show that TKA achievement is a reflection of the overall quality of the learning ecosystem and requires the strengthening of literacy, numeracy, and reasoning-based learning on an ongoing basis.