Secondary school
Day one of Sec 1 to the last national exam. No more streams, new phone rules, and O and N Levels giving way to the SEC.
Sec 1 to Sec 4, at a glance
Four stages. Sec 5 sits with Sec 4.
A new kind of day
The big change isn’t the work. It’s independence.
School
- Subject levels start from PSLEEach core subject at G1, G2 or G3.
- No phones all school daySince January 2026. Recess and CCA too.
Admin
- Set up the school laptopLocks at 10.30pm by default.
Childcare
- Pick a CCAIt shapes the week more than any subject.
Health
- HPV jab for girlsAt school, Sec 1 and Sec 2.
Money
- Edusave: $290 a yearCan pay school fees.
Settle the levels
The year the timetable for the national exam gets chosen.
School
- Doing well? Move a subject upThe school decides with you.
- Pick upper-sec subjectsAt the end of the year.
Health
- NAPFA fitness testFive stations plus a 2.4km run.
- Second HPV doseGirls, at school.
Upper secondary
Two years to the national exam.
School
- Exam subjects beginThe combination they’ll sit.
- Look at what comes nextJC, polytechnic, ITE.
Childcare
- Tuition demand peaksAdditional Maths and the sciences most of all.
The big exam
Early admissions come first, then the exam.
School
- 2026: last O and N LevelsResults expected mid-January 2027.
- 2027 on: the SECEnglish and Mother Tongue in September, the rest October–November.
- Early admissions come firstDSA-JC and early admission to poly and ITE run before the exam.
Health
- NAPFA againSec 4 and Sec 5.
How it works now
Three things that changed
No more streams
No Express, NA or NT. Each subject at its own level. Mixed classes.
Posting Group = starting point
Subjects can move up a level later.
New exam, same bar
O, N(A) and N(T) Levels become one: the SEC.
Where subjects start
| Group | PSLE Score | Starts at | Can start higher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group 3 | 4–20 | G3 | Already at the top. |
| Group 2 | 21–24 | G2 | AL5 or better → G3 in that subject. |
| Group 1 | 25–30 | G1 | AL5 or better → G3 or G2. AL6 → G2. 26–30 needs AL7 or better in English and Maths. |
The three levels
A – E
Like the old N(T). Counts at D or better.
1 – 6
Like the old N(A). Counts at 5 or better.
A1 – 9
Like the old O Level. Counts at E8 or better.
Kinds of school
| Type | Know this |
|---|---|
| Government and aided | Most schools. National fees. |
| Autonomous | Extra programmes, a few dollars more a month. |
| Independent | Own fees, with bursaries. |
| Integrated Programme | Six years straight to A Level or IB. Skips the SEC. |
| Specialised independent | NUS High, SOTA, Sports School, SST. Mostly via DSA. |
| Specialised | NorthLight, Assumption Pathway, Crest, Spectra. Hands-on learning. |
School life
Off, bell to bell
Phones and smartwatches stay in the bag or locker, recess and CCA too. POSB payment watches are allowed.
School-managed
Sleeps at 10.30pm by default. You choose the after-school rules.
The real timetable
Afternoons and some Saturdays. It’s what most of them remember.
NAPFA in Sec 2, 4, 5
Sit-ups, sit and reach, pull-ups, broad jump, shuttle run, plus 2.4km.
HPV at school
Girls, two doses, Sec 1 and 2.
Someone to talk to
Every school has a counsellor. Teens talking to them, not you, is normal.
O and N Levels and the SEC
2026 is the last year of O and N Levels. From 2027 everyone sits the SEC — including Sec 5s who started Sec 1 in 2023.
The last O and N Levels
Results expected mid-January 2027. Then the Joint Admissions Exercise, for the last time.
The SEC
English and Mother Tongue papers in September. Everything else October to November. Results in January, all at once.
Mixing levels for admission
Grades only convert when an aggregate needs one scale.
| From | Grade | Counts as |
|---|---|---|
| G3 → G2 | A1–B3 · B4–C6 · D7 · E8 · 9 | 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 |
| G2 → G1 | 1–3 · 4 · 5 · 6 | A · B · C · D |
After Sec 4
Where it leads
| Route | How long | What you get | Entry score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior college | 2 years | A Levels, then university | Set by MOE |
| Millennia Institute | 3 years | A Levels, slower pace | Set by MOE |
| Polytechnic | 3 years | Diploma | ELR2B2 |
| Poly Foundation Programme | 1 year, then diploma | A way into poly | ELMAB3 |
| ITE | 2 years | Nitec, Higher Nitec | ELMAB3 for Higher Nitec Year 2 |
From 2028: one application
JAE and the rest merge
JC, MI, poly and ITE in one go.
Order breaks ties
Citizenship, then choice order, then gross score, then ballot.
Mid-January results, early-February places
JC and MI start the next school day. Poly and ITE in April.
DSA-JC and early admission to poly and ITE still happen before the exam.
Money
$5 a month for citizens
Plus miscellaneous fees, which vary by school. Edusave can pay them. PRs pay $680 a month.
$290 a year
Rolls into a post-secondary account at 17. Usable until 31.
Paid on top
Scholarships, merit, character and progress awards. The school nominates.
MOE Financial Assistance
Fees, books, uniforms, transport, meals. Ask the school.