Students who sat the GCE A-level examination last year set a new record in achieving the best passing rate since the junior college curriculum was revised in 2006.

Of the 12,405 students who took the exams as school candidates, 11,583 students, or 93.4 per cent, achieved at least three H2 passes and a pass in General Paper or Knowledge and Inquiry, said the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) yesterday.

This is up slightly from the previous highest passing rate of 93.3 per cent achieved by the 2018 cohort.

A new record was also set by students who sat last year's O-level examinations, with 85.2 per cent of the cohort attaining five or more passes.

Former students who returned to school yesterday collected their A-level results in smaller groups in classrooms, instead of congregating in the school halls, as part of precautionary measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Only candidates collecting their results were allowed into the school premises. They had to declare their travel history and have their temperature taken when they turned up at their schools.

Candidates also had the option of viewing their results online on the SEAB website using SingPass or system-generated passwords.

From this year, all A-level candidates who are Singapore citizens or permanent residents will receive digital certificates via the MySkillsFuture Skills Passport.

Students who need guidance can approach their teachers or education and career guidance counsellors supporting their schools.

They can also refer to the MySkillsFuture portal to find out more about their options.

A-level graduates who want to join the polytechnics can benefit from module exemptions in 120 courses, which will reduce the time taken for them to obtain a polytechnic diploma by up to one year.

Former Jurong Pioneer Junior College student Syarifah Aneesa Mohammad Fyzee scored As for General Paper, literature, history and project work. She also had a B for economics and D for mathematics.