SINGAPORE - Students can apply for direct school admissions (DSA) to secondary schools and junior colleges from Monday (May 8), the Ministry of Education (MOE) said.
Early admission to polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) based on course-specific aptitude and interests will start in June.
Direct School Admission for secondary schools and JCs
The DSA allow students with talents and achievements beyond what is recognised at the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) and the GCE O-level examinations, to enter secondary schools and JCs that can develop their talent further, MOE said.
There are 128 secondary schools and 18 JCs participating in the exercise.
Interested students can visit the schools' websites for more information on their open houses, application periods and procedures, plus selection criteria, which may differ from school to school, MOE said.
They will be informed of the outcome of their DSA application before their examination results are released, and will have to decide whether to take up the offer.
Secondary school students still have to meet the minimum grade requirement for a course in the school in the Express, Normal (Academic) or Normal (Technical) stream.
For JC students, their GCE O-level results must meet the eligibility criteria of a gross aggregate L1R5 score of 20 points or better for admission to a JC.
They are also expected to commit to developing their talent in the chosen area in that school.
Students will not be able to participate in the Secondary One Posting Exercise or the Joint Admissions Exercise, and will not be allowed to transfer to another school after obtaining their PSLE or GCE O-level results.
"They are strongly encouraged to carefully consider and limit their DSA selection to one or two choices, based on their aptitudes and strengths, the school's academic and non-academic requirements, and the programmes available to develop their talents," said MOE.
Polytechnic and ITE early admissions exercise
All five polytechnics are participating in this year's Polytechnic Early Admissions Exercise (EAE).
Graduating O-level students can apply for admission to polytechnic courses based on their aptitudes and interests.
Graduating N- and O-level students can apply for early admission to ITE Nitec and Higher Nitec courses through the ITE EAE.
As part of the selection process, applicants may need to submit portfolios and undergo interviews and aptitude tests.
Students with exceptional talents in areas such as leadership, community service, sports and arts may also be considered through the EAEs.
Successful applicants under the exercises will be given conditional offers before taking their examinations.
For the conditional offer to be confirmed, polytechnic applicants must meet the baseline admissions criteria of a net aggregate ELR2B2 score of 26 points or better and course-specific minimum entry requirements.
ITE applicants must also meet the minimum entry requirements for the course.
Students who have accepted an offer and their place confirmed, will not be eligible to participate in the Joints Admission Exercise.
They will also not be able to transfer to another course after the release of their GCE O-level or N-level results.
More information can be found at these websites:
DSA-Sec Exercise
https://www.moe.gov.sg/admissions/direct-admissions/dsa-sec
DSA-JC Exercise
https://www.moe.gov.sg/admissions/direct-admissions/dsa-jc
Poly EAE
https://www.moe.gov.sg/admissions/direct-admissions/eae/
ITE EAE
https://www.moe.gov.sg/admissions/direct-admissions/ite-eae/overview/
