SINGAPORE - Applications for direct admission to secondary schools and junior colleges (JC) next year will start this month, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said in a press release on Monday (May 9).
Polytechnics, meanwhile, will start accepting applications for early admission in June under a new scheme.
Under the direct admissions scheme, schools are given the flexibility to admit students according to their own merit-based criteria, based on the students' talents, achievements and personal qualities.
This year, 118 schools will participate in the exercise for students moving to Secondary 1 in 2017.
At the JC level, 22 institutions are taking part.
Interested students should visit the relevant school's website for more information on the application period and procedures, MOE said.
Successful applicants will be selected for admission to a secondary school or JC before their Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) or GCE O-Level examination results are released.
They will not be able to participate in the Secondary One Posting Exercise or the Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE), and also cannot transfer to another school after the release of their results.
For aspiring polytechnic students, MOE said the Direct Polytechnic Admission (DPA) Exercise will be replaced by the Early Admission Exercise (EAE) starting from this year. The Joint Polytechnic Special Admissions Exercise will also be folded into the EAE.
All five polytechnics are participating in the EAE.
Students can apply for early admission based on their aptitudes and interests in the specific courses that they have applied for, while those with exceptional talents in areas like leadership, sports and arts may also be considered.
Those successful with their applications will be given a conditional offer before they take their GCE O-Level examination, but those who have accepted a place via EAE will not be able to participate in the JAE.
For more information, students can visit the following websites.
