21 May 2016
Singapore’s public universities are not only offering more places with each passing year, they are also deepening the pool of applicants for several courses, including courses such as law and medicine with traditionally high barriers of entry.
In addition, academic results will no longer be the sole yardstick in shortlisting or admitting applicants to a degree programme. As admissions criteria become more flexible, there is now scope in many degree programmes for the interests and aptitude of applicants to play a crucial role in deciding whether they make the cut.
Acting Minister for Education Ong Ye Kung has said that this is the way forward to realise the vision of the SkillsFuture movement, which, in a broad sense, aims to provide Singaporeans with the opportunities to develop to their fullest potential throughout life.
He said that whilst discretionary admission as traditionally applied is fundamentally still based on academic grades with some leeway permitted depending on a student’s performance in co-curricular activity, aptitude-based admission is different in that it allows a university to examine an applicant from a more holistic viewpoint, taking into account a student’s interests, experiences, strengths and weaknesses.
Aptitude-based admission is big on Mr Ong’s agenda, and worth the effort and time because it works, he said. He is also aware that aptitude-based admission tends to be a more subjective and opaque process, but he added that a great deal of thought and work goes into assessing students.
Singapore’s educational policy has been to move from a varsity cohort participation rate of 30 percent to 50 percent by the year 2020.