A participant attendance rate of 94.6% at the 2026 Scholastic Aptitude Test (Tes Bakat Skolastik/TBS) for the Beasiswa Indonesia Bangkit (BIB) scholarship program stands as testament to the successful collaboration between UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta and the Center for Religious Education and Religious Education Financing (Puspenma) of the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia. This achievement not only reflects the high level of national participation among test-takers but also reaffirms UIN Sunan Kalijaga's capacity as a strategic partner of the Ministry of Religious Affairs in delivering an assessment system that is professional, accountable, and oriented toward the improvement of Indonesia's human resource quality.

The 2026 BIB Scholastic Aptitude Test was officially closed on Sunday (28/6) at the Grand Rohan Hotel Yogyakarta. The closing ceremony was attended by the Vice Rector for General Administration, Planning, and Finance of UIN Sunan Kalijaga, Prof. Moch. Sodik; the Vice Rector for Student Affairs and Cooperation, Prof. Abdur Rozaki; the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Prof. Erika Setyanti Kusumaputri; Puspenma representative Maria Ulfa; the Chair of the Applied Psychology Center (APC), Lisnawati, S.Psi., M.Psi.; and the organizing team.

In his remarks, Prof. Sodik commended the entire committee and Puspenma for the successful administration of this year's BIB TBS. He noted that the ability to complete the process in a single round of testing, compared to two rounds previously, reflects a marked improvement in the quality of coordination and communication.

"Whereas before, two rounds of testing were required, this year a single round sufficed. This demonstrates increasingly mature communication patterns, better coordination, and a more professional quality of service. The spirit of khodimul ummah, servant of the community, was truly reflected in the service provided to participants," he said.

He expressed hope that the partnership between UIN Sunan Kalijaga and Puspenma would continue to be strengthened, giving rise to further strategic collaborations in the areas of assessment, human resource development, and religious education services.

Echoing this view, the Vice Rector for Student Affairs and Cooperation, Prof. Abdur Rozaki, assessed the high participation rate as firm evidence of successful governance in the conduct of the test.

“A participation rate of 94.6% demonstrates that coordination between Puspenma and the APC of UIN Sunan Kalijaga ran very well. The team's responsiveness in managing communications, mitigating obstacles, and providing support to participants were key factors in this year's success,” he said.

Prof. Rozaki noted that these good practices must be continued and further strengthened through the principles of accountability, professionalism, integrity, and transparency in order to raise the quality of future implementations.

He also highlighted the distinctive profile of BIB scholarship applicants, who are predominantly from Islamic boarding school (pesantren) backgrounds, a characteristic that demands a different communication strategy compared to other scholarship programs such as the LPDP. Nevertheless, he affirmed that the standard of quality in the selection process remains the foremost priority.

“The state requires an objective selection system. Regardless of participants' backgrounds, the Scholastic Aptitude Test is a vital instrument for ensuring that scholarship recipients possess the highest academic capacity,” he affirmed.

Meanwhile, Dr. Siti Maria Ulfa, Head of the Higher Religious Education Scholarship Working Team and representative of Puspenma, expressed her appreciation for the improvements in this year's implementation, noting that the mitigation measures undertaken jointly with the APC significantly enhanced the effectiveness of the process.

“This year's implementation was far superior to the previous one. Mitigation measures were put in place from the outset, including a dedicated communication strategy for pesantren program participants via WhatsApp Blast, the formation of coordination groups for each examination room, and direct coordination with pesantren administrators,” she said.

Following the completion of the tests, the selection process will continue with the ranking of Scholastic Aptitude Test results, which will serve as the basis for determining BIB scholarship recipients in accordance with the established quota.

The success of the 2026 BIB TBS reaffirms UIN Sunan Kalijaga's role not only as an institution of higher learning, but also as a strategic government partner in supporting high-quality national selection management. Through cross-institutional collaboration, the strengthening of knowledge-based assessment capacity, and professional service delivery, UIN Sunan Kalijaga continues to contribute to the preparation of outstanding human resources for the development of Indonesia. (humassk)