Pursuing higher education is a privilege that not everyone has. The preparation also starts long before university, when we are still in school. From taking tutoring classes every day, joining paid practice tests, to buying prep books, all require extra effort to get ready for university entrance exams. All of that hard work feels like a gamble because we do not know what the outcome will be. Some people get accepted into their first-choice university; some end up far down their list of choices; some are unhappy because they got into the university their parents wanted; and some feel a little disappointed because they were accepted by a university they chose only as a safety option. Amid the excitement of newly admitted students, there is also the phenomenon of a semi-gap year, where students who have already started university try their luck again in the following year’s admissions process. 

There are three admission tracks for new university students: the National Selection Based on Achievement (SNBP), the National Selection Based on Test (SNBT), and the Independent Selection held by State Universities (PTN). Like in previous years, SNBT is open to high school graduates from 2024, 2025, and 2026 who did not pass SNBP. This means that people who have already graduated from high school, whether they are not in college yet or are already university students (as long as they have not passed SNBP), can still take part in SNBT. This rule gives university students the chance to retake the exam. Usually, the people who do this are those who did not get accepted into their first choice university, ended up in a major they did not really want, or sometimes just want to try taking the test again. 

SNBT participants can choose up to four study programs. For the first and second choices, they are free to choose either a bachelor’s or a diploma program. However, if they choose three or four programs and combine academic and vocational tracks, one of the choices must be a three-year diploma (D3) program. SNBT is not only about being able to answer more than a hundred questions, but it is also about strategy. There are many things to consider when choosing study

programs besides personal interest, such as competitiveness, passing grades, and score weighting. However, these factors may be ignored if someone is willing to do whatever it takes to pass the SNBT. It is possible that they only take their first choice seriously and choose the remaining options without much thought. That is where the dilemma begins. If they end up being accepted into a program that was only meant as a safety net, they may feel the urge to try again for their first-choice program in the following year. Another major reason students decide to retake the exam is that they end up in a major that was not their own choice. There are many cases where the study program a student chooses is actually their parents’ preference. As a result, even after being accepted, they go through their studies without much motivation. When they get the chance to take the SNBT again, they use it as an opportunity to apply for the major they truly want. 

Many people see retaking the exam as a sign of being ungrateful, especially from the perspective of the other students taking the exam that year. They believe that students who have already passed the SNBT in previous years and secured a place at a university should not take the SNBT again. If the issue comes down to strategy, it would have been better for them to choose only the program they truly wanted from the beginning, rather than regretting being accepted into another option that was never their main goal and was only used as a safety net. Students who take a semi-gap year are also seen as extra competition for that year’s high school graduates, who are expected to be the main participants. In addition, when these students leave their current universities after being accepted elsewhere, they also leave behind seats that could have been filled by other students. 

Overall, the semi-gap phenomenon, in which students already enrolled in university choose to retake the exam, occurs for several reasons. These range from poor application strategies and treating other choices merely as safety nets to being accepted into a major chosen by their parents rather than themselves. Many SNBT participants view this phenomenon as something that reduces their chances of being admitted. Amid the debate surrounding semi-gap students, the national university admissions committee may need to reconsider its policy that allows graduates from previous years to retake the SNBT. Doing so could help establish a fairer admission process for all participants.

Journalist: Aurania Adhyaksa 

Editor: Aissah Nindy Putri Krisdianto