Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

Slight increase in Normal Academic students eligible to move to Secondary 5

SINGAPORE — The percentage of Normal (Academic) students who sat for the N-level examination this year and are eligible to move on to secondary 5 have increased slightly, said the Ministry of Education (MOE) in a press statement on Monday (Dec 18).

Students from Spectra Secondary School listening to a briefing before receiving their N-Level results on Monday, Dec 18. Photo: Jason Quah/TODAY

Students from Spectra Secondary School listening to a briefing before receiving their N-Level results on Monday, Dec 18. Photo: Jason Quah/TODAY

Follow TODAY on WhatsApp

SINGAPORE — The percentage of Normal (Academic) students who sat for the N-level examination this year and are eligible to move on to secondary 5 have increased slightly, said the Ministry of Education (MOE) in a press statement on Monday (Dec 18).

Some 76.6 per cent of Normal (Academic) students — of the 9,983 who took the examination — will be able to proceed to secondary 5, where they will sit for their GCE O-Level examination next year. This figure is up from 75.2 per cent in 2016.

But the overall pass rate dipped slightly compared to 2016, with 99.4 per cent of the cohort passing the examination this year compared with last year’s figure of 99.6 per cent.

Those who can proceed to secondary 5 will have obtained an aggregate score not exceeding 19 points in English Language, Mathematics and best three subjects — also known as the ELMAB3 — as well as a Grade 5 for all the subjects used in the ELMAB3 computation.

Alternatively, they can take up further studies at a polytechnic under the MOE’s Direct-Entry Scheme to Polytechnic Programme (DPP) via a two-year Higher Nitec programme at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE).

Under the DPP, students who have successfully completed their Higher Nitec course and attained the minimum qualifying Grade Point Average are guaranteed a place in a polytechnic diploma course mapped to their Higher Nitec course, the MOE said.

The number of Normal (Academic) students who sat for O-Level subjects this year has also increased, from 32.3 per cent in 2016 to 38.1 per cent in 2017.

As for those in the Normal (Technical) stream, some 96.6 per cent of them — out of 4,793 students — who sat for their N-Level examination passed. This is down from the 97.1 per cent who passed in 2016, and consistent with the 96.6 per cent who passed in 2015.

According to the MOE, all Normal (Technical) students who completed their secondary education in 2017 may apply to further their studies at the ITE.

“Schools may also laterally transfer Secondary 4 Normal (Technical) students to Secondary 4 Normal (Academic) if they have obtained grade A for both English Language and Mathematics and grade B or better for one other subject at the GCE Normal (Technical)-Level Examination,” the MOE said.

Spectra Secondary School — a specialised school for Normal (Technical) students — also saw its first batch of graduating students this year, with 98.5 per cent of them passing at least one subject.

Students from Spectra specialise in one of four ITE Skills Certificate (ISC) subjects such as retail services, mechanical services, hospitality and facility services at the upper secondary level. They also take subjects such as English, Mathematics and Mother Tongue at the Normal (Technical) level.

The MOE added that all students from Spectra Secondary who had earlier accepted conditional offers through ITE’s Early Admissions Exercise have had their offers confirmed to gain admission to Nitec courses of their choice.

This year also saw the first batch of students graduating from the Subject Based-Banding (Secondary) programme, where they are allowed to take subjects at a higher academic level. 

Since 2014, there are 12 schools that have been prototyped to run the SSB (Sec) programme, including Ang Mo Kio Secondary School, Bedok Green Secondary School and CHIJ St. Joseph’s Convent.

About half of these students who were offered the subjects in the SSB (Sec) programme took one or more subjects in English, Mother Tongue Languages, Mathematics and Science at the Normal (Academic) Level.

“These students’ overall performance in these subjects were comparable to that of the Normal (Academic) cohort,” the MOE noted.

The ministry also added that the programme will be extended to all secondary schools offering Normal (Academic) or Normal (Technical) classes by 2018, “to allow students to stretch themselves and acquire greater depth in subjects they are strong in”.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story reported that students who took one or more subjects in English, Mother Tongue Languages, Mathematics and Science at the Normal (Academic) level only came from Spectra Secondary School. This is inaccurate. About half of the students at 12 schools that run the SSB (Sec) programme did so. We apologise for the error. 

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.