The PSLE score still remains as the first criterion for secondary school posting. However, with wider scoring bands, more pupils will be attaining the same score. This is when tie-breakers come into play. 

If two pupils with the same score vie for the last spot in a school, tie-breakers will take place. The tie-breakers are used in the following order:

• Citizenship: Singaporeans will get priority over Singapore permanent residents and international pupils.

• Pupil’s order of school choices: Under the new PSLE Achievement Levels system, a pupil who puts the school higher on the list of choices will get priority in comparison to the old PSLE T-score system where the order in which the pupil places a given school does not matter. [NEW]

• Computerized balloting: Balloting may be necessary for more popular, oversubscribed schools. However, MOE anticipates that balloting will only affect a very small proportion of pupils.

Indicative scores refer to the scores of the first and last student who will be admitted into each school. The school’s cut-off point is the last student’s PSLE score. Pupils with a better score will be given priority in his selected school, similar to the old PSLE T-score system.

Under the new indicative PSLE score ranges released by MOE, the top schools are Methodist Girls’ School (Secondary) IB, Raffles Institution IP, and Raffles Girls’ School (Secondary) IP with entry scores ranging from 4 to 6. 

Take a look at our Dynamic Table for the new 2021 indicative PSLE range and new PSLE cut-off points of all the secondary schools in Singapore.

In the new PSLE system, each AL of the four subjects will be added together to form the pupil’s PSLE score.

Based on the 2020 cohort’s results and school choice patterns, the indicative scores are the scores of the first and last student accepted at each school under the new scoring system. The school’s cut-off point is the PSLE score of the last pupil to be accepted by the school.

For this example, the cut off point for Ang Mo Kio Secondary School’s Express stream, NA (Normal Academic) and NT (Normal Technical) is 16, 24 and 28 respectively.

The grade ranges for each school can be found at https://moe.gov.sg/schoolfinder. An easier way is to use our dynamic table to filter the PSLE cut-off point (data compiled from MOE’s website)

For affiliated schools, there will be two sets of cut-off points for affiliated and non-affiliated students.

Same as before in the old PSLE system, the affiliation priority only works if the affiliated student from the primary school meets the minimum requirement and selects the affiliated secondary school as his first choice.

Whether the student gets admitted ultimately depends on the vacancies that year and how many students are applying.

Take a look at our Dynamic Table for the new 2021 indicative PSLE range and new PSLE cut-off points of all affiliated schools in Singapore.

For affiliated schools, there will be another set of cut-off points for non-affiliated students. 

Non-affiliated students will have to meet the non-affiliated cut-off point for that particular school. Whether the student gets admitted ultimately depends on the vacancies that year and how many students are applying.

Take a look at our Dynamic Table for the new 2021 indicative PSLE range and new PSLE cut-off points of all affiliated schools in Singapore

For the above example, there are 2 sets of indicative PSLE score ranges. The left side is the “Affiliated” score range and the right side is the score range for “Non-Affiliated” students. Again, the cut-off point for both ranges is highlighted in an orange oval. The AL number indicate the score for the last pupil posted in the Holy Innocents’ High School. (cut off point)

The PSLE score achieved is still the first criterion for secondary school posting. Students don’t have to take the Higher Chinese subject to get into a Special Assistance Plan (SAP) school.

However, students in the top 30% of the PSLE cohort who take Higher Chinese will be given an advantage in the posting to SAP schools.

Admission into SAP schools takes into account the pupil’s Higher Chinese (HCL) grade. The pupil is awarded bonus points based on his HCL grade: 3 points for Distinction (D), 2 points for Merit (M), and 1 point for Pass (P).

The award of bonus points applies before all the tie-breakers. According to MOE, this means that if pupils with the same PSLE score are vying for limited places in the same SAP school, those with better HCL grades – in the order of distinction, merit and pass – will be allocated a place ahead of other pupils. For example, a pupil scoring AL6(M) will take precedence over another pupil scoring AL6 when applying to a SAP school.  However, a pupil scoring AL6(D) will take precedence over the pupil scoring AL6(M).

The HCL grades of the first and last student admitted into SAP schools will be reflected in parenthesis in all the SAP schools’ indicative PSLE range.

Take a look at our Dynamic Table for the new 2021 indicative PSLE range and new PSLE cut-off points of all SAP schools in Singapore.

The illustration above indicated the cut off point for a SAP school.

5(D) – The first student accepted into CHIJ St. Nicholas Girl’s School.

8(M) – The last student accepted into CHIJ St. Nicholas Girl’s School with “M” = Merit in Higher Chinese Language (HCL) [Cut Off Point]