National Examination in SMPN 2 Palopo: A Case Study on Students’ Readiness in English Test

Article Information ABSTRACT Received: August 06, 2020 Revised: August 13 2020 Online: September 03, 2020 The research aims to investigate whether Students’ Readiness toward National Examination (A Case Study in SMPN 2 Palopo). The problem statement of the research was, “How are their readiness in facing national examination”? This research used the Descriptive Quantitative Method. The population of this research was 167 students from the ninth grade students of Junior High School Number 2 Palopo. The total numbers of the students are ten students. The researcher took five students from each class as the sample. The sample was selected using a purposive sampling technique. The researcher used this technique based on their consideration. The result of the analysis can explain that the researcher analyzed the result to measure the students’ readiness in facing national examination. The researcher has conducted the result of the test showed their readiness to face the national examination. The result categorized into average classification. The highest score is 74, the middle score is 66, the lowest score is 60, and the mean score is 67.


INTRODUCTION
Now English for students is significant because many people use it in daily life. In other words, if most of them do not master English, it means that they have to study hard again so that all can be easy for them (Schunk & Zimmerman, 2008). All aspects have to master or understand it, either teacher or students. Therefore needed real application so that English can be mastering (Gee, 2005). Several questions will arise about the timing of using English for the public, especially students. Another aspect of English is the central part and also is the main lesson for them, it means that there is must real application like explain above so that they can face the real challenge in the future, especially for them as students in the globalization era (Iksan & Dirham, 2018). To answer this question exactly is needed once again real application in order that English can be understood, and then it can be mastering like explained above. If talking about English as a primary lesson at school, must be looked at from its position in the curriculum, (Berliner, 2011), especially at Junior High School in Indonesia. English is studied from the Seventh until Ninth Year based on the different difficulties. This thing can influence the students, especially for their score or value, that will get at school.
If they get a good score, it can improve their motivation, but if they get a terrible score, exactly it also can make their motivation down. In other words, this is explaining that one result of one lesson can be a significant influence on them. Either English or another lesson exactly has the same influence for them because it determines do they can continue in a higher grade or not. The discussion of English as the main subject, as described above, especially its position in the curriculum (Wragg et al., 1989), all parts of the school know that students must find ways to get good grades because it can affect them in getting grades in school. Another lesson. It is a fact that English is the main lesson.

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More explanation about English, especially in the national examination, precisely all of the parts of school and students know that it becomes the main lesson (Alannasir, 2020). Therefore there are some reasons so that they have to be always ready to face the national examination. First, they have to realize that English is the main lesson so that if they do not pass it, they do not pass a national examination. Second, they always have to study hard to prepare themselves so that they can pass in the national examination. Third, they have to know that national examination is essential because it can be determiner to continue higher education. Besides that, in other words, if they realize that national examination is essential, they have to study hard so that they can pass and get a good score. Therefore once again, they have to prepare themselves in order that they can pass in the national examination. If they know about that condition and situation where the national examination is critical exactly, they have to look for many ways to succeed. Besides that, national examination in Junior High School also determine to continue in higher grades for their education exactly to continue in Senior High School.
The next explanation is that the problems in the national examination are still become the central question for the students (Mohan & Lo, 1985). Most of them are ready because they have prepared everything to face it. In other situations, most of them are afraid or curious because they feel not ready to face it. Most of the problem from them is that they do not add additional time in studying. They feel enough just by studying at home. This condition can make them will fail in toward national examination because the question's character in national examination now is more complicated. Especially in English that have some skills in the national examination, for example, listening, reading, or writing, and they have to master it. To solve this problem, they need to add additional time to study. Another problem for them is technology. (Ilham, 2020) It makes them are lazy to study at home because after school studying they always directly busy with their technology, for example, a handphone. It can be the main problem for them. In other words, they have to decrease the use of their handphone at home. They have to divide their time to study hard again. Based on the background above, the researcher formulated the problem statement as follows: How are their readiness toward English national examination? The objective of the research is: to find out their readiness for English national examination.

Research Design
This study used a quantitative descriptive method (Oakes & Ji, 2012), carried out in October 2019. The location of this study is in Palopo Middle School Number 2 in class IX. It aimed to determine the readiness of students in facing the English national exam. The population of this research was the ninth grade students of Junior High School Number 2 Palopo. The total number of population was 167 students. In this school, there are six classes. The researcher chose two classes for the sample of the research. The total numbers of the students are 58 students. The researcher took five students from each class as the sample. The sample a purposive sampling technique (Guarte & Barrios, 2006). The researcher used this technique based on their consideration. In conducting this research, the researcher used the questions of national examination from three years ago. To collect the data, the researcher gave the students the questions of national examination from three years ago. Then, they were given time at about 60 minutes. Their result was checked based on the characteristics result component. In this research, the researcher used multiple-choice tests of the questions of national examination from three years ago.

The Technique of Data Analysis
English test result: Students' score of vocabulary test was counted by using the formula, as follow: 100 X itemscore Total answer correct Total Score = Calculating the mean score of students' score test by using the following formula: = ∑ x N Where: X = The mean score ∑ x = The total raw score N = The number of students To understand the level of the students' score, we can use the following classification:

RESULTS
The findings consist of the students' scores in toward English national examinations. The researcher took the students' score at Junior High School Number 2 Palopo and then classified the students' scores to know their ability. Based on it can be known their readiness in toward English national examination.

Table 2. The students' correct and incorrect from the test.
Test The table above shows that. There was one student who got to score 60, one student got to score 62, one student got to score 64, two students got to score 66, two students got to score 68, one student got to score 70, and two students got to score 74. The highest score of 10 students was 74, and the lowest score was 60. The mean score of the data above was 67. Therefore, the results of the students' ability to face national examinations were average. Based on the table above, it shows that the students' result in doing the questions of national examination from three years ago, and this result as proof about their readiness in toward English national examination. There are 7 (70%) students got an average score, and 3 (30%) students got a fair score. The researcher concluded that the students' ability to do the questions of national examination from three years ago at Junior High School Number 2 Palopo was average. This thing showed that the students are ready enough to face the national examination. It was proven by mean score 67.

Students' correct and incorrect answer to each question
False 2 3 0 2 2 2 0 2 2 3 Based on the table above, it can be understood that nine students answered question number 1 correctly, and just one student answered incorrectly. It means that the question number 1 is manageable for the students. More explanation question number 4 and 24 is still difficult for them because most of them answered incorrectly, but question number 16 is easy for them because they can answer correctly.   5,6,9,20,22,33,34,37,49, and 50 is still tricky for the students' even though most of the answer is correct because there is still some question like this is wrong. In other words, the kind of question like this is difficult for them.

Table 7. Purpose
Based on the table above, it can be concluded that questions like this are accessible for the students' because most of them can answer correctly. In other words, they have prepared themselves to answer the question like this so that the answers are correct.
Correct 2 2 1 3 2 3 1 3 3 2 Based on the table above, it can be concluded that the arrange word is not difficult for the students' because most of the questions like this are correct for them. The students' can answer correctly. Just little students answered incorrectly. In other words, arrange words is easy for them.
Based on the table above, it can be understood that the questions of arranging sentences are difficult for the students'. There are many wrong answers. This fact showed that arrange sentence is difficult for them.

Table 10. Main Idea
Based on the table above, it can be understood that, especially for the main idea question, the students can answer it, but there is still a false answer. It showed that the main idea could be called natural and challenging for them or, in other words, on the average level.
Based on the table above, it can be understood that some students can answer correctly, for example, in numbers 14 and 15, but there is also an incorrect answer like in number 28. There are seven false answers, and just three are correct. It showed that fill the new question also on an average level for them.  Correct  1  0  1  1  1  1  1  1  1  0  False  0  1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  1 Based on the table above, it can be concluded that the true-false question is easy for the students. This thing can be like that because the question in number 19 there are eight students can answer correctly, and just two students are false. It showed a question like this once again is easy for them.

Table 13. Synonym
Based on the table above, it can be understood that the synonym question is also easy for the students because many of the students can answer correctly. The more just 3 or 5 students are false in answering the question. In other words, the question like this is easy for them.
Based on the table above, it can be understood that the conclusion question is also easy for them because there are six students are correct, and just four students are false.

DISCUSSION
Based on the findings above, the researcher analyzed the result to measure the students' readiness in toward English national examination. The result of the test that has been conducted by the researcher showed their readiness toward English national examination. The result was categorized into average classification. Therefore students' readiness for English national examination is ready enough. The highest score is 74, the middle score is 66, the lowest score is 60, and the mean score is 67. In the aspect of scoring classification and percentage of the students' score, there are 7 (70%) students get the average score, and there are 3 (30%) students get a fair score. From the scores above, the researcher found that the students' readiness in toward English national examination is good enough because just little students got a fair score. Most of them, when was given the test, got an average score.
Based on the result, the researcher observed the questions that very difficult for the students during the test. During the research, most of the students answer some of the questions incorrectly. The first kind of question is the topic in number 4 and 24. Most of them still did not know to look for the topic in the text. They spent much time reading the text while looking for the answer. Finally, they found the wrong answer. The second kind of question that is difficult for them so that they answered in the wrong is to arrange the word or arrange the sentence. At the questions number 7, 8, and 23, they are also confused about answering it. The researcher thought they did not know the structure of the sentence because the main component to arrange the sentence is the sentence's structure. If they knew IJAE Page 115 it correctly, they could answer in real. Besides that, especially for arranging the word is the same as arranging the sentence. They should just know the main component of the sentence.
The third kind is the main idea. It made the students' difficult, especially in number 10. How to determine it in the text made them confusing. The students still do not know if there is text, and then they have to seek it. In other words, they still had little knowledge about it. Therefore the students' have to study hard at their home so that they can answer the question in real, especially about the main idea. The fourth kind is the question about the content of the text. It is also difficult for them because most of the question of these kinds is wrong for them. The researcher thought this is one of the most challenging parts for them because they answer the wrong. Content is the main point of the reading text. It means that they have to study hard to solve it. Most of part of the reading text is the question about the content. In other words, if they wanted to master about reading text, they have to master also about the question of content.
The last kind is the fill the blank. Most of the students' answer the wrong question about it. The researcher also thought this part is difficult for them. They should know if they have to do a question like this, they have to know about grammar. For example, verb, noun, adjective, and adverb because one of the characters of the fill the blank is the grammar (Iksan, n.d.). Therefore they have to master the grammar if they wanted to know about fill the blank. More of the questions most of the students answered in the right, such as in synonym, purpose. It showed that another part of the questions is easy for them. This result made the researcher is happy because the observation that had been done by her is useful. Before doing the test, she had observed the class know their prior knowledge. It is also crucial to determine the character of the question that will be using in the class.
This condition showed that their answer is right. The students' can answer any questions by giving excellent results. As the addition from first until the last meeting of giving the test, the students gave full attention, and it made her gave much appreciation for their effort. Therefore they should have to improve again about their ability, especially in English, by studying hard at their home so that they can answer the question of the reading text correctly. Based on the discussion, the researcher concluded that the students at Junior High School Number 2 Palopo are ready enough to face national examination because the results of the test are at the average level. The mean score of the students proves it was 67 after giving the test. The most important part of the test became the measurement of their readiness in toward English national examination.

CONCLUSION
Based on the explanation of the previous part of this paper, the researcher concluded that the result of this research showed that the students' readiness to face the English national examination at Junior High School Number 2 Palopo was on average level. The mean score of their score proved it after giving the test was 67, and it can be categorized at the average level. In other words, it can be said that they are ready enough to face the English national examination.