In early March 2025, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced that starting from 2028, students applying to Junior College will be using their L1R4 score, instead of the current L1R5 score. This means that students will only need to take a minimum of five subjects at ‘O’-Level instead of six, which hopefully allows them to take some subjects at a less demanding level and frees up some time for them to explore and pursue their interests through co-curricular activities and other school programmes.
This change will apply starting from this year’s batch of Secondary 2 students, who are expected to sit for the SEC Exams (which is to replace ‘O’ and ‘N’ Level exams) in 2027 – the current batch of Secondary 3 and 4 students will continue to follow the current L1R5 admission criteria and will not be affected.
Nevertheless, if you are a current secondary school student, or have loved ones entering or currently in secondary school, you may still have some unanswered questions or doubts about how ‘O’-Level scores affect admissions into JC, polytechnic or ITE, and which course would be best for you or your loved ones. We’d like to take this opportunity to explain the changes in the L1R4 criteria and how it affects you, as well as answer some common questions about post-secondary admissions so you can make a better decision for yourself and/or your family.
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JC and MI Admissions
For students applying through Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE) up to 2027
To be eligible for admissions to JC, students must have an L1R5 aggregate score (that means before subtractions from bonus points) of 20 or below, as well as meet the following grade requirements for specific subjects:
-
- 1-6 for English Language
- 1-7 for one Mathematics subject (Additional Mathematics or Mathematics)One of the following for Mother Tongue Language (MTL)
- 1-7 for MTL or MTL-in-lieu
- 1-8 for Higher Mother Tongue Language
Merit or Pass for ‘B’ Syllabus
Here’s how to calculate your L1R5 aggregate score based on your subject scores:
Aggregate L1R5 score (JC) = L1 (First Language) + R1 (Relevant Subject) + R2 + R3 + R4 + R5
| Component | Subject |
| L1 | English or Higher MTL |
| R1 | Any 1 best-scoring Humanities subject |
| R2 | Any 1 best-scoring Mathematics or Science subject |
| R3 | Any 1 best-scoring Humanities, Mathematics or Science subject |
| R4 & R5 | Any 2 best-scoring subjects (other than Religious Knowledge) |
When we want to make a big change in our lives, oftentimes we set huge goals and try to motivate ourselves into achieving them – but this is unsustainable if we want to make lasting change. In his bestselling book Atomic Habits, James Clear writes of the compounding power of making tiny but continuous improvements to habits over time, and advises us to focus on our processes rather than our goals. He writes, “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
Here are five small changes you can start making to your study routine that will eventually compound by the end of the year:
For example, let’s say Amara brings home the following ‘O’-Level result slip:
English Language – A2
Higher Mother Tongue Language – C6
Mother Tongue Language – A2
Mathematics (E Math) – A1
Additional Mathematics (A Math) – B4
Biology – A1
Chemistry – A2
Geography – B3
Aggregate score = 2 (English) + 3 (Geography) + 1 (E Math) + 1 (Biology) + 2 (Chemistry) + 2 (Mother Tongue Language) = 11
However, this will most likely not be her final L1R5 score for the JAE exercise, as she is able to deduct a maximum of 4 bonus points based on the following criteria:
| Bonus Points | Deductions (capped at 4) |
| Excellent/A1 or A2 CCA Grade | 2 |
| Good/B3 to C6 CCA Grade | 1 |
| A1 to C6 for both English and Higher Mother Tongue | 2 |
| A1 to C6 for Chinese or Malay (Special Programmes) or Bahasa Indonesia Grade | 2 |
| Affiliated JC as 1st or 2nd choice | 2 |
Furthermore, if she applies for and is accepted into either the Chinese, Malay or Tamil Language Elective Programme offered at selected Junior Colleges, she will be able to deduct an extra 2 points off her aggregate score, under the condition that she sits for the corresponding H2 subject for her ‘A’-Level examination.
Since Amara passed both English and Higher Mother Tongue, and assuming her CCA record has been excellent, she will be able to deduct 4 points and apply with an L1R5 score of 7.
If she is considering applying for Millenia Institute (MI), where she will take the same ‘A’-Level exams as JC students after 3 years instead of two, she will be using her L1R4 score instead. For admission to MI, the aggregate L1R4 must not exceed 20, with the same minimum grade requirements for English, Mathematics and Mother Tongue as JC admissions.
Aggregate L1R4 score (MI) = L1 + R1 + R2 + R3 + R4
| Component | Subject |
| L1 | English or Higher MTL |
| R1 & R2 | Any 2 best-scoring Humanities, Mathematics or Science subjects |
| R4 & R5 | Any 2 best-scoring subjects (other than Religious Knowledge) |
Similar to JC admissions, up to 4 bonus points may be deducted based on the following criteria:
| Bonus Points | Deductions (capped at 4) |
| Excellent/A1 or A2 CCA Grade | 2 |
| Good/B3 to C6 CCA Grade | 1 |
| A1 to C6 for both English and Higher Mother Tongue | 2 |
| A1 to C6 for Chinese or Malay (Special Programmes) or Bahasa Indonesia Grade | 2 |
For students applying through Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE) from 2028 and onwards
From 2028 onwards, to be eligible for admission to JC, students must have an L1R4 score of 16 or less, computed based on the following:
Aggregate L1R4 score (JC) = L1 + R1 + R2 + R3 + R4
| Component | Subject |
| L1 | English or Higher MTL |
| R1 | Any 1 best-scoring Humanities subject |
| R2 | Any 1 best-scoring Mathematics or Science subject |
| R3 | Any 1 best-scoring Humanities, Mathematics or Science subject |
| R4 | Any 1 best-scoring subject |
Under full Subject Based Banding (SBB), these subjects will be computed at G3 level to ensure that students have the necessary foundation demanded by ‘A’-Level subjects.
As of writing (April 2025), the minimum grade requirements for English, Mathematics and Mother Tongue Language have yet to be confirmed, but based on the ministry’s commitment to ensuring that prospective students are still sufficiently prepared for the academic rigour of JC, it is prudent to expect little to no change from the current requirements:
-
- 1-6 for English Language
- 1-7 for one Mathematics subject (Additional Mathematics or Mathematics)
- One of the following for Mother Tongue Language (MTL)
-
- 1-7 for MTL or MTL-in-lieu
- 1-8 for Higher Mother Tongue Language
Merit or Pass for ‘B’ Syllabus
For example, let’s say it is 2028, and Amara’s little brother Bowen takes home the following SEC result slip:
English Language (G3) – A1
Mother Tongue Language (G3) – B4
Malay (Special Programme) (G3) – B3
Mathematics (G3) – B4
Humanities (Social Studies, History) (G3) – A1
Literature in English (G3) – A2
Chemistry (G3) – C6
Computing (G2) – A2
Aggregate L1R4 Score = 1 (English) + 1 (Humanities) + 4 (Mathematics) + 2 (Literature in English) + 3 (Malay Special Programme) = 12
Furthermore, under the revised bonus points system, he can subtract a maximum of 3 bonus points from his aggregate based on these criteria:
| Bonus Points | Deductions (capped at 3) |
| Excellent/A1 or A2 CCA Grade | 2 |
| Good/B3 to C6 CCA Grade | 1 |
| A1 to C6 for both English and Higher Mother Tongue | 2 |
| A1 to C6 for Chinese or Malay (Special Programmes) or Bahasa Indonesia Grade | 2 |
| Affiliated JC as 1st or 2nd choice | 2 |
Like Amara, if he applies for and is selected for the Chinese, Malay or Tamil Language Elective Programmes, he can also deduct an additional 2 points, but he will have to take the corresponding subject at H2 for ‘A’-Levels.
Since Bowen obtained a B3 in Malay (Special Programme), and assuming he has an excellent CCA record, he will be able to deduct the full 3 points and have a final L1R4 score of 9.
The criteria for Millenia Institute will also be updated – while the threshold for L1R4 remains at 20, the subjects will be computed using the same method as JC admissions:
| Component | Subject (before 2027) | Subject (2028 and after) |
| L1 | English or Higher MTL | |
| R1 | Any 1 best-scoring Humanities, Mathematics or Science subject | Any 1 best-scoring Humanities subject |
| R2 | Any 1 best-scoring Humanities, Mathematics or Science subject | Any 1 best-scoring Mathematics or Science subject |
| R3 | Any 1 best-scoring subject | Any 1 best-scoring Humanities, Mathematics or Science subject |
| R4 | Any 1 best-scoring subject | Any 1 best-scoring subject |
Similarly, a maximum of 3 bonus points may be deducted according to these criteria:
| Bonus Points | Deductions (capped at 4) |
| Excellent/A1 or A2 CCA Grade | 2 |
| Good/B3 to C6 CCA Grade | 1 |
| A1 to C6 for both English and Higher Mother Tongue | 2 |
| A1 to C6 for Chinese or Malay (Special Programmes) or Bahasa Indonesia Grade | 2 |
Polytechnic Applicants
For students applying through Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE) up to 2027
Applications to a polytechnic course are based on the ELR2B2 score. In order to be eligible for admission to a polytechnic course, students must have an ELR2B2 net aggregate score that is less than or equal to 26, except for Diploma in Nursing candidates, for whom the ELR2B2-C score must not exceed 28.
Furthermore, students must also meet the specific Minimum Entry Requirements (MER) of the course(s) they are interested in.
There are four aggregrate score types (ELR2B2-A, ELR2B2-B, ELR2B2-C and ELR2B2-D), and each polytechnic course uses one of the four to determine eligibility for admission, depending on what Diploma students will be studying for.
ELR2B2 net aggregate score = [English Language (EL) + 2 Relevant Subjects (R1, R2) + 2 Best Subjects (B1, B2)] – CCA bonus points
| Component | Subject |
| EL | English Language |
| R1 | Any 1 best-scoring relevant subject (Group 1) |
| R2 | Any 1 best-scoring relevant subject (Group 2) |
| B1 & B2 | Any 2 best-scoring subjects |
The subjects that are considered for R1 and R2 are different based on the type of aggregate used for consideration, so be sure to check the criteria for your own courses of interest.
Take note that the grades of both Mother Tongue Language and Higher Mother Tongue Language in the same language may not be used together in the score computation. “Merit” and “Pass” grades in the ‘B’ syllabus are also excluded from computation.
Up to 2 CCA bonus points may be subtracted based on performance:
| CCA Grade | Points deducted |
| Excellent/A1 or A2 | 2 |
| Good/B3 to C6 | 1 |
Let’s take the example of Amara from earlier. Perhaps she is interested in the highly competitive Biomedical Science course at Singapore Polytechnic. Based on the 2025 admissions information on CourseFinder, she will need an ELR2B2-C net aggregate of 3 to 6, as well as the following MERs:
- 1-7 in English Language
- 1-6 in Mathematics or Additional Mathematics
- 1-6 in any of the following subjects:
- Biology
- Biotechnology
- Chemistry
- Food & Nutrition/Nutrition & Food Science
- Physics
- Science (Chemistry, Biology)
- Science (Physics, Biology)
- Science (Physics, Chemistry)
ELR2B2-C computation:
| Component | Subject |
| EL | English Language |
| R1 | Any 1 best-scoring relevant subject (Group 1)
|
| R2 | Any 1 best-scoring relevant subject (Group 2)
|
| B1 & B2 | Any 2 other best-scoring subjects |
Assuming Amara has an excellent CCA track record, her net aggregate will be:
2 (English) + 1 (E Math) + 1 (Biology) + 2 (MTL) + 2 (Chemistry) – 2 = 6
Although she would qualify for admission based on 2025 JAE net aggregate scores, these are only a reference and will change based on the actual ‘O’-Level results and course choices of students from the previous year.
She may also consider the Common Science Programme at Singapore Polytechnic (2025 JAE ELR2B2-C aggregate: 5 to 10) as a 2nd choice, which gives her the option to major in Biomedical Science after Year 1.
Alternatively, she may consider a similar Biomedical Science course at Ngee Ann Polytechnic (2025 JAE ELR2B2-C aggregate: 4 to 7) or Republic Polytechnic (2025 JAE ELR2B2-C aggregate: 8 to 11) as 2nd and 3rd choices if she has made up her mind on what diploma she is aiming for.
For students applying through Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE) from 2028 and onwards
With the implementation of Full Subject Based Banding (SBB), the Polytechnic Year 1 admission criteria will allow for greater flexibility in subject choices and the levels at which they are offered. While the ELR2B2 net aggregate score computation remains unchanged, there are a few major changes to take note of:
- Prior to 2028, students must offer 5 subjects taken at G3 level (‘O’-Level equivalent) for the aggregate score. From 2028 onwards, students may offer one [B] (any best-scoring subject) at either G2 or G3 level in their aggregate score, while the remaining 4 must still be taken at G3 level.
- From 2028 onwards, all students will be assessed based on the benchmark of four G3 subjects and one G2 subject. For students that offer both [B] subjects at G3 level, the [B] subject that they scored a lower grade in will be mapped to G2 level based on the following table:
| Grade Mapping Table (G3 to G2) | |
| Grade at G3 | Mapped Grade at G2 |
| A1, A2, B3 | 1 |
| B4, C5, C6 | 2 |
| D7 | 3 |
| E8 | 4 |
| 9 | 5 |
| – | 6 |
Let’s use Bowen’s case as an example here as well. Suppose he would like to study Banking & Finance at Nanyang Polytechnic. Based on the 2025 JAE admissions information (CourseFinder), he would need a ELR2B2-B net aggregate of 3 to 11, as well as the following MERs:
- 1-6 in English Language
- 1-6 in Mathematics or Additional Mathematics
- 1-6 in any of the Group 2 Relevant subjects for ELR2B2-B:
- Art
- Business Studies
- Combined Humanities
- Economics
- Geography
- Higher Art
- Higher Music
- History
- Humanities (Social Studies, Literature in English)
- Humanities (Social Studies, Literature in Chinese)
- Humanities (Social Studies, Literature in Malay)
- Humanities (Social Studies, Literature in Tamil)
- Humanities (Social Studies, History)
- Humanities (Social Studies, Geography)
- Intro to Enterprise Development
- Literature in English
- Literature in Chinese
- Literature in Malay
- Literature in Tamil
- Media Studies (English)
- Media Studies (Chinese)
- Music
- Principles of Accounts
ELR2B2-B computation:
| Component | Subject |
| EL | English Language |
| R1 | Any 1 best-scoring relevant subject (Group 1)
|
| R2 | Any 1 best-scoring relevant subject (Group 2)
|
| B1 & B2 | Any 2 other best-scoring subjects |
Assuming Bowen has an excellent CCA record, his net aggregate will be:
1 (English) + 4 (E Maths) + 1 (Humanities) + 2 (Literature in English) + 1 (Malay Special Programme, mapped to G2) – 2 = 7
Notice that although he did offer Computing at G2 with a decent score of A2, he was able to get a better aggregate by mapping his B3 score in G3 Malay (Special Programme) to G2 level, which converted it to 1. This is one of the advantages of taking subjects at higher level for the Polytechnic admissions exercise.
His aggregate of 7 would make him eligible for admission to his preferred programme according to 2025 JAE data, as well as similar Finance & Banking programmes at Singapore Polytechnic (2025 JAE ELR2B2-B aggregate: 5 to 10) and Ngee Ann Polytechnic (2025 JAE ELR2B2-B aggregate: 4 to 9).
However, during the transition to this flexible admissions exercise, it is important to take note that the cut-offs are likely to decrease as G3 subjects are mapped to better scores at G2 – students that scored B4, C5 or C6 for one of their [B] subjects at G3 will be mapped to only 2 points at G2 instead of 4, 5 or 6 according to the current system.
Polytechnic has been the most popular path for post-secondary education in recent years, and paradoxically, admission is expected to become more competitive as standards change to accommodate learning at different levels.
ITE admissions
For students applying through Joint Intake Exercise ‘O’ (JIEO) up to 2027
Students who have completed ‘O’-Levels may apply directly to the ITE college of their choice for 3-Year Higher Nitec courses and 2-Year Nitec courses (final intake in 2025). Most courses require 2 GCE ‘O’ Level Grades (1-8) in any two subjects, with some only requiring completion of ‘O’ Levels. However, certain courses have additional requirements, which may include passing an admissions interview, completing a medical examination or having no colour appreciation deficiency for courses such as Electronics Engineering and Chemical Process Technology.
For students applying through Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE) up to 2027
Students who have sat for at least 5 ‘O’-Level subjects may apply for 2-Year Higher Nitec courses through JAE. Depending on the course, one of three aggregate types may be used for admission:
- ELB4 (English Language + 4 best-scoring subjects)
- ELR1B3 (English Language + Relevant Subject + 3 other best-scoring subjects)
- ELR2B2 (English Language + Relevant Subject (Group 1) + Relevant Subject (Group 2) + 2 other best-scoring subjects)
Similar to Polytechnic admissions, each course also has Minimum Entry Requirements that must be met. These vary depending on the field of study, but often include an English Language and Mathematics/Additional Mathematics grade requirement.
Furthermore, up to 2 bonus points may be deducted for CCA performance:
| CCA Grade | Points deducted |
| Excellent/A1 or A2 | 2 |
| Good/B3 to C6 | 1 |
For students applying through Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE) from 2028 and onwards
From 2026 onwards, all Nitec courses will be transitioned to a three-year curricular structure which leads directly to a Higher Nitec certification. The last intake for 2-Year Nitec courses was in 2025; all subsequent intakes will be for Higher Nitec courses only.
Starting in Academic Year 2028, the admission requirements for direct entry into Year 2 of all Higher Nitec courses will be set at G2. Students taking a combination of G3 and G2 subjects may apply directly into Year 2 of a Higher Nitec course, given that they have an ELMAB3 (English Language, Mathematics, Best 3 subjects) aggregate score of 19 points or less. This allows them to obtain the Higher Nitec certification in two years instead of three.
Students taking less than 5 subjects at G2 or higher, or who do not meet the minimum aggregate score of 19, will instead apply for Year 1 entry of Higher Nitec and complete the course in three years.
Although ITE admission is a longer and hence less popular path for university-minded parents and students, and to this day comes with a negative stigma among some families and communities, it may be a viable option depending on you or your loved one’s desired career path – some students with excellent aggregate scores that would qualify them for a top JC or competitive polytechnic courses have instead chosen to take unique ITE courses instead.
Should I aim for JC or poly? Should I change course if I am affected by the new system?
As of today, Junior College and Polytechnic admission are the two most sought-after options for post-secondary education. Each one comes with its own unique challenges and advantages, and which path you choose ultimately depends on your personal goals and what you hope to achieve after graduation.
In JC, students go through a very intense, 2-year programme that leads up to the GCE ‘A’-Level exams. Although the number of required subjects is smaller than in secondary school, they are all taught at a highly in-depth and intellectually challenging level, and consistent practice and deep knowledge of the subject matter is practically required to excel.
You will be able to choose to specialize in either Science subjects or Arts (Humanities) subjects or even a hybrid of both, but you are required to take at least one contrasting subject type regardless of which stream you enter, on top of General Paper (think English Language mixed with general humanities) and Project Work – this can be challenging if you have clear-leaning academic strengths, but will give you a sturdy and broad-based foundation to prepare you for most university courses once you complete your ‘A’-Levels.
Most students have packed schedules from Monday to Friday, leaving very little time for pursuits other than studying, CCA and (often) going to tuition. However, everyone in JC is in the same boat, and there is a sense of camaraderie and motivation (peer pressure) to do well from being in the intense environment.
Like secondary school, in most cases only the final ‘A’-Level results matter for admission to university, so students who prefer being graded based on single examinations rather than on multiple assessments over a period of time will likely prefer the JC route. However, since the JC programme is ultimately designed to prepare students for university, it does not really directly prepare you for employment in a specific industry directly – the expectation is for you to decide on your career path before or during university.
Students who want to be academically challenged and find a sense of accomplishment in learning a difficult subject and solving problems intellectually will thrive in a Junior College environment. From a practical standpoint, if you are undecided on what career path you would like to pursue in the future, but want to keep the most potential options open, going to JC will prepare you for most university programmes – in particular, students in the Science stream will not only have the foundation to study medicine, engineering, applied sciences or computer sciences, but also have the option to pursue humanities, design or even law depending on their performance in specific subjects.
In polytechnic, students choose the course they are studying for, and will go through a three-year programme towards the Diploma of their choice. Students are graded based on a Grade Point Average (GPA) system, which means that their performance for different modules each semester will eventually add up to their final grade. This means that although
there is less pressure to perform for a single, end-all-be-all assessment, students are expected to perform consistently each semester in order to maintain a good GPA, which means that external factors or unforeseen circumstances that may affect your grade in one semester (such as financial matters, uncooperative teammates, relationship problems, etc) will have a larger impact on your final GPA.
Graded projects and group work are a mainstay of many polytechnic modules, and while sometimes you can choose your groupmates, other times they are randomly assigned to you. The prospect of having random teammates affect your final grade (and ultimately GPA) can lead to a lot of additional tension and stress for poly students, since not everyone may be equally motivated to perform well or have the same priorities.
Furthermore, grades for individual modules are awarded by individual instructors, who each have their own preferences or methods of assessing student work – there is no universal rubric or mark scheme agreed upon by impartial examiners, so the grades you receive may be affected by their own personal biases, their impression of you and even how much they like you.
On the flip side, in a way that is very different from JC, poly does prepare you not only for university studies, but also the working world. In university, you also take individual modules each semester, graded according to the discretion of the professor or instructor in charge, which will add up to your final GPA. Depending on your specialisation, you will also have group projects with teammates of different levels of commitment and motivation, with whom you will need to negotiate in order to achieve satisfactory results. This is true even when you enter the workforce, where you will encounter all sorts of people with their own priorities and abilities.
Additionally, although polytechnic does welcome intellectual curiosity and achievement, it also rewards students who continue to show effort and consistency, even if they do not show bursts of spectacular performance. This means that just showing interest, turning in work on time, and having a good work ethic can take you quite far in poly, even if you’re not too confident in your own abilities yet.
University admission will depend on having a good final GPA score, and which courses you can take may be limited by your Diploma programme. If you would like to get some working experience or explore an industry you are interested in before continuing with further studies, a polytechnic diploma will prepare you for entry-level and even skilled positions which will help to kick-start your career. In addition, since polytechnic programmes are less intense compared to JC, you will have more time to take on a part-time job or pursue other interests while still in school.
I would recommend the polytechnic route to students who already have some idea of what kind of career they would like to pursue in the future, or at least what field they may be interested in. If your interests lie outside of typical academic subjects offered in secondary school, for example, video editing, game design, culinary arts or starting a business, you will
most likely find a polytechnic programme that will help you hone that interest in some way. Additionally, if getting some work experience under your belt and polishing your resume during or between your studies is something that interests you, the less demanding polytechnic schedule will be more conducive for you.
The JC and poly routes are each difficult in their own way, and are so different that it is impossible to recommend one over the other without considering your own unique situation. Regardless of whether or not you will be affected by changes in admissions exercises at different stages, the most important factors to consider when choosing between JC or poly have less to do with arbitrary standards and cut-off points (although yes, this is very important since it controls whether your desired path is possible or not), and more to do with your own goals, your strengths and interests, and what you hope to achieve out of post-secondary education.
How will the changes in JC admission affect different types of students?
Although the new L1R4 criteria means that students may take less subjects at G3/’O’-Level to be considered for admission, the minimum cut-off point has also been scaled down from 20 to 16. This means that each subject included in the aggregate has a higher weightage in the overall score.
For example, under L1R5, scoring a C6 in English would leave 14 points distributed among 5 other subjects to meet the minimum threshold. This gives an average of 2.8, which could be met by a student who scores an A2 in his/her best subject, and B3 or higher in the remaining subjects.
However, under L1R4, the same C6 in English would leave 10 points among 4 other subjects, leading to an average of 2.5. The same student would have a much smaller margin of error for his/her remaining subjects, and will need to score a greater number of A1 or A2 grades to qualify for JC.
We know that even the strongest and most well-prepared students can have ‘off-days’, especially with the stressful conditions associated with important exams like ‘O’-Levels. To manage this risk, students may continue to take more subjects than the minimum required, which somewhat defeats the stated purpose of reducing the number of subjects counted towards the aggregate.
Families vying for places at top JCs are also concerned with increased competition due to narrowing ‘bands’ – hypothetically, an extremely high-achieving student scoring A1 in six or more subjects would have the same aggregate score as another student who scores A1 in just the five relevant subjects for L1R4 but D7 in everything else.
The ‘flattening’ of potential aggregate scores means that cut-off margins will be even narrower, and given the limited number of places, there is a real worry that more often thannot, the ‘last student admitted’ and the ‘first student rejected’ by a school would have the exact same JAE score. This could leave parents and students, to whom the admissions process is very much opaque other than the aggregate range of scores year over year, potentially confused and disappointed as to why they did not get their top choices despite meeting the published cut-off score.
Nevertheless, we can’t deny the potential benefits for many groups of students. Students who have clear-leaning academic strengths – for example, one who excels in science and math but may struggle with humanities or languages – will be able to focus on their top subjects while taking less required subjects of the contrasting discipline.
Furthermore, students with more demanding CCA commitments may take less subjects and have more time to dedicate to each one, rather than spread themselves thin physically and mentally. In addition, students who learn more deeply and intensely, but need more time to absorb information, will likely be able to perform better by focusing on a handful of key subjects in rather than taking a broader approach encouraged by the current system.
The transitionary period to a new system is always the most challenging and full of uncertainties, and we are all still waiting for more details to unfold. This makes it more important than ever to discuss academic plans, expectations and hopes for the future openly and without judgement as a family, and prioritize each students’ aptitude, abilities and interests above all.
Find out more by joining us at Science of Studying!
Prepared by: Nadine
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