Asasi UIAM (CFS IIUM) Requirements: Programmes, SPM Grades and How to Apply

Asasi UIAM is the foundation programme of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM, or UIAM in Malay). It is run by the Centre for Foundation Studies (CFS) at Gambang, Pahang. The grades below are from e-Panduan UPUOnline for the 2026/2027 academic session and may change next cycle.

UPU or direct? Both exist

IIUM's admission regulations name two application channels: the UPU portal and IIUM's own system.

• UPUOnline is the main route for SPM leavers. The CFS admission page says SPM holders can apply through UPU. IIUM's admission FAQ says to use UPU-Online for the August intake, with closing dates and results announced by UPU.
• IIUM Academy handles direct applications. Its foundation page lists Bumiputera Malaysians with SPM, non-Bumiputera Malaysians with SPM, and holders of O-Level or equivalent among the applicants it processes. It is a separate International Foundation Programme with its own intakes, entry requirements and fees.

Compare the fees before you commit, because the two are not the same product. Our guide to UPU versus direct intake explains the trade-off.

What is offered through UPU

e-Panduan 2026 lists 20 Asasi UIAM programmes, all one year, all at Gambang:

• Health: Perubatan, Pergigian, Farmasi, Kejururawatan, Sains Kesihatan Bersekutu
• Science and technology: Kejuruteraan, Sains Komputer, Sains Fizikal, Sains Hayat, Seni Bina dan Reka Bentuk Alam Sekitar
• Law, business and humanities: Undang-Undang, Ekonomi dan Sains Pengurusan, Sains Kemanusiaan, Pengurusan Pelancongan
• Islamic studies and languages: Ilmu Pengetahuan Berteraskan Wahyu dan Warisan Islam, Bahasa Arab, Bahasa Inggeris, and Arabic, English and Malay for International Communication

Who can apply through UPU

• Malaysian citizens with a MyKad.
• Bumiputera candidates only. Every Asasi UIAM programme in e-Panduan carries the line "Berketurunan Melayu, Anak Negeri Sabah, Anak Negeri Sarawak dan Orang Asli sahaja", and the UPU FAQ lists Asasi UIAM among the reserved programmes.
• Current-year and earlier SPM leavers. Asasi UIAM appears in both Kategori A and Kategori B in the 2026 e-Panduan. For 2026/2027, Kategori B meant SPM 2024 and 2023. Asasi UiTM, UM, UKM and UPM were listed under Kategori A only.

Minimum SPM requirements (2026/2027 session)

Every programme shares a base: at least C in Bahasa Melayu and in Sejarah (B in both for Law), and at least B in one Islamic studies subject such as Pendidikan Islam, Pendidikan Al-Quran dan Al-Sunnah or Pendidikan Syariah Islamiah. Note that Sejarah needs a credit here, where most foundation programmes only ask for a pass.

Asasi Undang-Undang is displayed with two branches for English (A-, or B+) together with an Arabic language requirement. Read the full "syarat khas" in e-Panduan for that programme, and for any programme not in this table.

None of the 20 is marked as an interview programme. The average merit is not a cut-off, and e-Panduan says merit alone does not guarantee an offer. Check yours with the merit calculator.

Where it leads

All 20 are marked as feeder programmes. UPU's definition is that a student who accepts a feeder foundation completes the bachelor's degree at the same public university.

e-Panduan names the degree each foundation feeds, for example Asasi Perubatan to the MBBS and Asasi Farmasi to the Bachelor of Pharmacy. IIUM's regulations require foundation students to meet the minimum exit CGPA set by CFS and the Senate for their degree.

What to expect

IIUM describes the foundation as integrating Islamic values with contemporary knowledge, with English and Arabic as the languages of instruction. Its admission FAQ says all new students sit an English placement test, an Arabic placement test and a Quran recitation test, and describes IIUM as a fully residential university.

How and when to apply

Apply at upu.mohe.gov.my under Kategori A or B. For 2026/2027 the SPM-leaver window ran from 29 January to 13 April 2026, opening before SPM results, and results were announced on 22 May 2026. The 2027/2028 dates had not been announced as of 1 October 2026; follow the key dates page.

Who it suits

Asasi UIAM suits you if you want an Islamic university environment, are ready to study in English with Arabic alongside, and are happy to stay at IIUM for your degree. Compare it with Asasi UiTM, Asasi UM and the asasi pathway page, and use the planner to see what your grades may open.

Sources: e-Panduan UPUOnline and the UPUOnline FAQ for the 2026/2027 session (Ministry of Higher Education), and International Islamic University Malaysia's CFS admission page, admission FAQ, admission regulations and IIUM Academy foundation page. Requirements change every cycle. Check "syarat kemasukan" for each programme at e-Panduan UPUOnline before you apply.