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 With just under a month to go before the secondary school posting exercise begins in late November, you may have already shortlisted some choice schools for your 12-year-old. For a quick recap of the process, do check out Part 1 of our Sec 1 posting guide here.
In Part 2 – we give you a round-up of the 10 most common FAQs concerning the Sec 1 posting exercise.
1. I am trying to shortlist schools for my child and have been going through the school information on the MOE website. I also received the MOE P6 booklet part II. Is it any different from the information on the MOE website?
Both the booklet and MOE website contains comprehensive information on each secondary school. However, the booklet makes it easier for you to compare selected characteristics of different secondary schools. For example, if you have shortlisted some schools based on aggregate and distance, you can quickly check out details such as school vision/mission, school achievements (awards received) and the band (based on quality of ‘O’ level results from the school’s students for the previous year’s cohort).
2. Based on my child’s prelim results and scores in mock exam papers, I have a rough estimate of the T-score range that he will get. How do I find schools that have a T-score in this range?
The MOE website has a good search function here that allows you to look for schools based on CCAs, special programmes, achievements and the PSLE aggregate. However, please note that the PSLE aggregate is based on last years’ PSLE results; the aggregate could differ for this year.
3. I have already shortlisted 6 schools for my child. For my few choices, should I aim for ‘better’ schools i.e. with an aggregate that is higher than what my child is likely to get, just to try my luck?
Do note that the ‘current’ school aggregate is based on last year’s PSLE results. This year’s aggregate will be determined by the aggregates of the current cohort applying for the schools you are applying for. The aggregate could change from year to year and are affected by a number of factors. Schools which have seen consistent improvement in their O level results or which are seen as ‘more’ attractive next year due to the introduction of new programmes, a change of campus etc. may get a different calibre of applicants. The choice of schools for your child should take into consideration factors such as a good fit between the school’s academic programme, CCAs and your child’s abilities and interests. That said, you can still try to place schools with a slightly higher aggregate than your child’s projected score as a first choice, but be sure to include other suitable schools that meet your child’s academic needs and interests but with cut-off points that your child is likely to meet.
4. Let’s say my child and his friend both apply for the same school, but my child, who has a higher aggregate, puts the school as fourth choice while his friend, with a lower aggregate, puts it as first choice. Will my child lose out to his friend even though he actually did better in the PSLE?
No. The posting exercise will ‘process’ the posting requests of students based on their results, with the higher-scoring students being attended to first. So if your son has a higher score, the system will consider ALL the 6 choices of your son first, and try to post him to a school that is highest on his list but which still has vacancies.
5. My child is taking Higher Mother Tongue (HMT). Can I use the HMT points to apply for any school that offers HMT?
No – you can only use the HMT points when applying to SAP schools such as Nanyang Girls High, Dunman High etc. You cannot use the HMT points when applying to non-HMT schools e.g. Clementi Town, even if they offer HMT.
6. We applied to several schools that offer DSA. What if my child gets offered a place by more than one school?
If you receive a confirmed offer from a DSA school, your child will be eligible to take up the offer as long as your child qualifies for the Express or Normal stream based on his or her PSLE results. If you are fortunate to be offered a placed in several DSA schools, choose the one that best meets his or her needs in terms of academic programme and opportunities for talent development, with other factors such as distance, transport arrangements etc. taken into account. Note that you will need to take up one of these offers given to you. You cannot opt out and decide to take part in the Secondary 1 posting exercise after the PSLE results are out.
7. We shortlisted some schools which offer DSA but we did not take part in the DSA exercise. Can we still get into these schools and what are our chances like?
The percentage of student places that a secondary school is allowed to offer under DSA varies according to school type:
Schools with Integrated Programme (IP) or Specialised Independent Schools (viz. NUSHS, SOTA, SST) - Up to 100%
Independent Schools (without IP) - 20%
Autonomous Schools (without IP) - 10%
Niche Programme Schools - 5%
Hence, this doesn’t mean that all IP schools will definitely allocate all their Sec 1 places to DSA students. Last year, the IP schools only allocated up to 50% of their Sec 1 places under DSA, and MOE expects the situation to be similar for this year. For non-IP schools, a large number of places will still be available for students taking part in the Sec 1 posting exercise after the PSLE results are out.
8. My child is good at Maths and Science and we are thinking of the NUS High School of Mathematics and Science (NUSH) if she does well in the PSLE. However, we did not take part in the DSA and I found out that the NUSH doesn’t take part in the Sec 1 posting exercise either. What can we do?
If your child gets an aggregate of more than 250, with an A* for both Maths and Science, your child can still apply for a place in NUSH. However, do note that the school has been attracting many students with good PSLE results; although the minimum aggregate for application is 250, the cut-off point was around 260-261 in 2007 and 2008. In previous years, many students who did not apply during DSA or were unsuccessful were still able to get a place in NUSH based on their PSLE results. You would need to apply directly to the school after the PSLE results are out.
9. I am not confident that my child will be able to qualify for the Express stream. In any case, if she qualifies for both Express and Normal, we may take up the Normal stream so that she will be able to cope better. However, if she does well, can she still transfer to the Express Stream?
The transition to Sec 1 is a big step for any student, and many students find it challenging to cope with the larger workload (from 4 to 9 subjects). Hence, it is good to evaluate your child’s academic progress, learning style and other factors (such as the assessment and advice from your child’s teachers) in deciding whether to opt for Normal or Express If your child gets an overall score of at least 70% and has strong language skills, there is a good chance that a transfer to Express stream would be granted, provided that the school feels your child would be able to cope with the faster pace in Express.
10. Based on my child’s current performance and the assessment of his teachers, I am expecting my child to get an aggregate of at least 260. Should I pick an IP school or a normal secondary school? I worry that my child’s options and learning opportunities would be limited in a regular secondary school, but on the other hand, I don’t want my child to be too ‘stressed’ in an IP school.
A lot really depends on your child’s learning style. IP programmes stretch students’ abilities and provide many opportunities for project work and independent research and enquiry. If your child is quick to question and seek out details beyond the textbook, and enjoys discovering new information on his own, then the open-ended learning in IP schools may be a good fit. That said, all secondary schools in Singapore will provide your child with a sound education, adhering to the academic standards and policies of MOE. A lot of schools go the extra mile in offering innovative and challenging projects to excite and challenge their students, with many gaining recognition at national level.
Do you have pointers to share or questions concerning the Sec 1 posting exercise? Post them below 
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Should you have further queries, you may wish to contact MOE at
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or tel: 6872-2220. 
