School and University Admission System | Singapore Maths Tuition

More students applying to the National University of Singapore experience greater success at winning a place in their top choice course

December 13, 2019 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

13 December 2019

Students applying to study at the National University of Singapore have had greater success at winning a place in their top choice course.

This is a result of NUS’s move to award bonus admission points for first-choice courses.

Figures provided by NUS show that 1,050 applicants landed a place in a course they listed as their top choice this year because of the bonus point scheme.

The bonus points apply only to courses where entry is based purely on converting a student’s grades into points, and not to courses such as medicine and law, where students are assessed on their aptitude and interests through interviews.

The university’s initiative is in line with the Ministry of Education’s move to expand aptitude-based admission into post-secondary institutions and universities.

The Early Admissions Exercise for Singapore Polytechnics

June 6, 2019 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

06 June 2019

The Early Admissions Exercise (EAE) offered by Singapore’s five polytechnics is an aptitude-based admissions exercise, as opposed to an admissions exercise purely based on GCE O Level examination results.

The EAE allows students to receive conditional offers for admission to polytechnics prior to receiving their final examination grades. The school determines the applicant’s suitability based on interest, portfolio and performance during the interview.

The EAE is part of the Ministry of Education’s efforts at expanding aptitude-based admissions, in an overall move away from a pure emphasis on academic results. Under the EAE, polytechnics have greater flexibility to admit students through course-specific talents.

Since the exercise started in 2016, the EAE annual intake across five polytechnics has increased from the initial guideline of 2.5 per cent to nearly 20 per cent this year.

Mr Boo Chong-Han, deputy principal of Republic Polytechnic’s Student Services and Organisational Development said: “The EAE is an excellent opportunity for (students) to pursue a course of study that is aligned with their interests. At Republic Polytechnic, we will help them develop their interests and talents so that they become professionals equipped with the necessary technical and soft skills to achieve successful careers.”

New common national examination for secondary school students

April 25, 2019 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

25 April 2019

A new common national examination will be introduced by the Ministry of Education in 2027 to replace the current GCE O- and N-Level examinations.

With subject-based banding in force by then, there will be a revised secondary school curriculum and each subject will be categorised into three tiers: General 1 (G1), General 2 (G2), and General 3 (G3).

Under the new national examination, all Secondary 4 students will get a common certificate, which will list the subjects completed and the standard band of each subject.

Mr Ong said that the certificate will be co-certified by both Cambridge Assessment and Singapore “as both are strong international brand names in education, which will enhance the recognition and value of the certificate”.

The new examination framework will affect admissions into post-secondary institutions such as the junior colleges, polytechnics, and the Institutes of Technical Education.

Singapore universities moving away from module bidding systems

April 20, 2019 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

20 April 2019

Under a new module allocation system implemented at the National University of Singapore, students will no longer bid for modules but instead will be allocated modules based on their needs and preferences.

Under the revised system, students will submit a list of up to 20 modules along with their preferred lecture and tutorial slots. They will be allocated modules based on their student’s faculty, declared major and minor, and year of study.

Professor Bernard Tan, NUS senior vice-provost (undergraduate education), said that the university is consulting students to gather feedback on the proposed new system, which is expected to be piloted in August.

Singapore Management University is the only other university using a module bidding system. Other local universities are already using the allocation method for students to register for classes. At Singapore University of Technology and Design for example, first-year students are assigned modules based on their cohort class groupings.

At Nanyang Technological University, students register for courses at the start of each semester through the Student Automated Registration System.

The benefits of abolishing streaming in Singapore’s schools

March 11, 2019 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

11 March 2019

To replace streaming, the Ministry of Education has introduced subject-based banding, where students will take a combination of subjects at different levels according to their strengths. Secondary school students will also sit for a common exam, as opposed to segregated N-Level and O-Level examinations.

Education Minister Ong Ye Kung said this change will be implementing at a pace that takes into account the trade-offs, complexities and the immense impact it will have on students.

Taking away the Normal and Express labels is significant, in part because such a move recognizes the fact that students are endowed with varying and diverse strengths.

Students will also get to spend most of the school day in mixed-ability classes, and learn how to interact across the board with peers of varying ability.

These changes will help educators customise education for students, while minimising the effect of labelling and stigmatisation.

Ministry of Education to abolish streaming in Singapore’s schools

March 7, 2019 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

07 March 2019

The Ministry of Education has decided to abolish streaming in Singapore’s schools.

In particular, the Normal (Technical), Normal (Academic) and Express streams have been eliminated and in their place, there will be full subject-based banding, in which students will study subjects based on their own strengths.

All Secondary 1 students in the 2024 batch will take subjects based on their ability, with subjects such as mathematics taught at three levels — G1, G2 and G3.

When these students reach Secondary 4, they will take a common national examination and graduate with a common secondary school certificate.

Form classes will be reorganised across the board, and a combined secondary education certificate will effectively merge the current Express, N(A) and N(T) streams into a single course.

Schools will be encouraged to use the opportunity to group students in different ways and not according to their abilities, thus allowing for more social mixing.

Nanyang Technological University introduces aptitude-based admissions for promising students

February 18, 2019 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

18 February 2019

Nanyang Technological University has announced an alternative route that prospective students can take in a bid to gain entry to the university.

Under this new scheme, shortlisted applicants will undergo a qualitative assessment that will include interviews, aptitude tests and portfolios.

A prospective student who shows the potential to succeed may have an edge over a more academically qualified applicant.

This scheme applies to 40 of NTU’s 111 undergraduate programmes.

For the remaining 71 programmes, interviews will also be conducted for potential candidates who may fall slightly short of the required entry score.

NTU Provost Ling San said that the new holistic approach means that professors are investing more time, resources and manpower to interview and assess individual students.

More students from the Normal stream in Secondary School qualify for entrance into universities and local polytechnics

January 5, 2019 by Maths Statistics Science Tutor

06 January 2019

There are now more students from the Normal streams in secondary school who are able to qualify for entrance into the polytechnics and into universities.

According to the Ministry of Education, more than 10 per cent of Secondary 1 Normal (Academic) students move on to publicly funded universities.

More than 20 per cent of students in the Normal (Technical) stream have made it to at least polytechnic diploma courses.

Five in 100 students who graduated from polytechnics between 2015 and last year were from the N(T) stream. For students from the N(A) stream, they made up 35 per cent of those finishing with a diploma, and 5 per cent with a degree.