Secondary School grading system in Singapore: A comprehensive guide

The pattern of the education system in Singapore indicates that it is divided into several stages including primary school, secondary school and university level. The assessments used to judge the performance of students across each of these levels differ significantly from each other. Each and every school and university has its own assessment system, and they have different criteria in evaluating the performance of a student.

As for example, the primary school in Singapore makes use of the “Achievement Band” grading system where the secondary school utilises a grade based system to assess the performance of students. This blog will help you in understanding the secondary school grading system followed in Singapore, and it also highlights the methods used in grading secondary school students. The transition of students from PSLE to secondary school along with the criteria for their acceptance in the secondary level are discussed as a part of analysis in this blog.

PSLE to Secondary School Transition

The primary school leaving examination (PSLE) is a national examination in Singapore, and it is taken by students at the end of the final year of their primary school education. It is an important examination because the result of PSLE allows students to enrol in secondary school in Singapore, and thereby have a direct impact on their performance at the secondary level. The grading system followed at PSLE level is different from that of secondary level education. The main focus of the PSLE grading system is to evaluate the performance of a student in 4 major subjects by combining the total score in each of them, whereas the secondary school grading system focuses on a wide range of scores across different subjects and gives emphasis on results in each subject.

Secondary School Grading System: A Complete Process

 The secondary school grading system followed in Singapore is basically based on a letter based system. In this system, grades are assigned on the basis of performance of students in exams, assignments and coursework. There are different types of grading systems followed across different schools in Singapore but majority of the secondary schools make use of GCE “O” level Examination grading scheme.

There are many components included in the secondary school grading in Singapore and these include internal assessments, yearly exams, and the national exams like O-level exams. The performance of a student is measured across all these assessments which includes tests and assignments and co-curriculum activities. The entire grading process in secondary school is discussed below:

1) Internal assessments: 

Internal assessments are carried out on a regular basis throughout the year in the form of classroom tests, assignments, term and midterm exams, project work and oral presentation and performances. The grades from all these internal assessments contribute towards the overall academic profile of a student.

2) Mid-term/Year End Exams: 

In secondary level, students have to undergo midterm as well as year end exams that are undertaken with a view to understand the learning of students across different subjects. Along with the grading of internal assessment and midterm and year-end exams, there are GCE O level exams that are taken at the end of secondary 4 or secondary 5 based on students academic path.

3) GCE O Level Exams: 

The GCE O level exam helps in determining the future academic options available to a student. Students getting A1 to C6 are considered to have passed the subject, and they can move forward to higher education, whereas students scoring D7 are required to retake the exam as mentioned in the table below. The table below indicates the summary of letter based grade as applicable in O level examination:

 GradePercentage Grade Description
 A1 75% and above Distinction
 A2 70% to 74% Distinction
 B3 65% to 69% Merit
 B4 60% to 64% Merit
 C5 55% to 59% Credit
 C6 50% to 54% Credit
 D7 45% to 49% Sub-Pass/Fail
 E8 40% to 44% Fail
 F9 Below 40% Fail

In this particular grading system, the maximum grade available to a student is A1 whereas the lowest one is F9.

How the Secondary School Grading System Affects School Life?

The impact of the grading system in secondary school is significant over the academic journey of a student. It not only affects their academic journey but also directly impacts their personal development and future opportunities. It is therefore important for students to learn how to succeed in grading system to score well in their academics. The ways in which grading affect the school life of a student are discussed as follows:

1) School and University placement: 

The grading system as followed in Secondary School has a direct level of impact on the placement of a student at the university level. This is mainly because the grading achieved by a student at the secondary level decides their placement at the university. The PSLE score determines the type of secondary school in which a student is placed into which can be express, normal academic (NA) and normal technical (NT). Similarly, the secondary school grading determines the type of university to which a student is eligible to take admission.

2) Subject and course choices: 

The choices in respect to subject and course selection is highly dependent on the grade achieved by a student at the PSLE and secondary level. A student with an express stream has wider choices in terms of subject selection compared to normal and normal technical stream. It is therefore important to score well at both the PSLE and secondary level in order to get desired subjects to study. The expert at assignmenthelpSingapore.sg can help in achieving desired grades and thereby in getting access to desired subjects for study.

3) Pressure and mental well-being: 

The grading system has a direct contribution towards the pressure level of a student and ultimately their mental well-being. Students in the express stream have to face a lot of pressure because of O Level exams’ wider subject range. There is always a pressure to perform well for getting admission to a desired college at the university level.

Final Thoughts

The analysis leads to the conclusion that the secondary school grading system in Singapore follows a letter based grading whereby students are awarded grades from A to F. The transition from PSLE to Secondary School is important because their grading in PSLE determines their choices of subject and admission to secondary level. The grading system at secondary level includes a complete process consisting of internal assessment, midterm  year end exams and GCE O level exams. It is evaluated that the secondary school grading system has a direct level of impact on the school life of a student, and it is therefore important for students to take professional’s help to secure desired grades in secondary school.