MEDAN – HUMAS USU: Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) conducted the Phase I Independent Student Admission Selection (SMM) 2026 over three days, from 13 to 15 June 2026. A total of 6,731 applicants participated in the selection process held across the USU campus.

This figure represents a significant increase compared to SMM Phase I 2025, which attracted 5,378 applicants, marking an increase of 1,353 participants (25.16 percent).

Chair of the 2026 SMM Organizing Committee and Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, and Alumni Relations, Prof. Dr. Poppy Anjelisa Zaitun Hasibuan, S.Si., M.Si., Apt., stated that the growing number of applicants reflects the public’s strong trust in Universitas Sumatera Utara as a destination for higher education.

“The increase in applicants indicates strong public interest in pursuing higher education at USU. We remain committed to conducting a selection process that is objective, transparent, accountable, and maintains high integrity in order to identify the best prospective students who will become part of the Universitas Sumatera Utara community,” she said.

Based on the 2026 SMM registration data, the Law Program recorded the highest number of applicants with 1,462 candidates. It was followed by Medicine (1,165 applicants), Management (857), Dentistry (856), and Pharmacy (712).

Other highly sought-after programs included Psychology (651 applicants), Public Health (647), Accounting (635), Industrial Engineering (566), and Agrotechnology (457).

The examination was administered through a Computer-Based Test (CBT) system across 16 examination venues and 73 testing rooms. USU provided a testing capacity of 1,566 participants per session to accommodate all applicants during the three-day examination period.

Testing locations were distributed across various faculties and units, including the Directorate of Information Systems and Technology Development, the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, the Language Center, and numerous other faculties within the university.

To support the CBT implementation, USU prepared 1,566 computers across all testing locations. The Faculty of Medicine had the largest capacity with 231 computers, followed by the Faculty of Engineering (165 computers), the Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology (150 computers), the Directorate of Information Systems and Technology Development (121 computers), and the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (117 computers).

Each examination day was divided into two sessions. For the morning session, participants entered examination rooms at 7:15 a.m., followed by document verification, system familiarization, and the examination itself, which concluded at 10:15 a.m. The afternoon session began at 1:15 p.m. and ended at 4:15 p.m.

The examination covered four subject areas:

• Scholastic Aptitude Test
• Mathematical Reasoning
• Indonesian Literacy
• English Literacy

The Scholastic Aptitude Test consisted of 30 questions completed within 30 minutes, while Mathematical Reasoning, Indonesian Literacy, and English Literacy each consisted of 18 questions completed within 27 minutes.

The Independent Student Admission Selection is one of USU’s admission pathways designed to provide broader access to higher education for prospective students. Through a credible and technology-based selection process, USU aims to recruit outstanding, adaptive, and future-ready students who can contribute to the university’s transformation into a world-class institution.

The results of SMM Phase I 2026 are scheduled to be announced on 26 June 2026 through the official USU admissions portal.