Students can start applying for direct admission to secondary schools, junior colleges and polytechnics this month.

Schools on the Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme, which started in 2004, are given the choice of offering early placement to primary school pupils, in recognition of a diverse range of talents in sports, arts and technology.

This year's DSA will be bolstered by the addition of 30 schools, bringing the total number of schools to 121. Some of the schools coming onboard with niche programmes are Beatty Secondary with wushu, and Damai Secondary with water sports.

Selection exercises for the DSA start in July and students will be informed of the results by November. This year, Singapore Sports School will also join the DSA-JC Exercise, taking in Year Five students in 2014.

Students should approach the participating schools or visit their websites for more details.