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A New Scorecard: Rethinking Singapore’s JC Admission Criteria
- Tan Ding Rui and Keegan Goh
- Jun 25
- 7 min read
In this Explainer, find out...
What were the circumstances for the changes to the Junior College (JC) Admissions System?
What has changed about the scoring system?
How have students and parents responded to the changes in the scoring system?
Introduction
“To bring out the best in every child.” In line with the Forward Singapore agenda, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has made headways into developing multiple pathways to success, and embracing learning beyond grades.
This was catalysed by the 2025 Committee of Supply Debate, where the MOE announced that it would reduce the number of subjects required for Junior College (JC) admission in Singapore from the current L1R5 aggregate score to a L1R4 system, giving students more time to pursue non-academic interests.
This Policy Explainer seeks to unpack the new changes for admission into JCs, as well as the rationale for doing so — to give students opportunities for holistic development, and thus bringing out the best in every child. Last, it will also cover the reactions of students and parents towards the revised system, and what schools are doing to encourage holistic development.
Singapore's Education System
International Renowned Academic Excellence
In terms of academic calibre, Singapore’s education system is in a league of its own. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) has consistently ranked Singapore as the country with the highest education level in the world. Additionally, the Programme for International Singapore Assessment (PISA) has placed Singaporeans first in consecutive years for mathematics, sciences and reading.
Stressful, Competitive & Demanding
Nonetheless, Singapore’s education system is known for its stressful and competitive environment, with students and parents often placing an unhealthy emphasis on academic success.
Evaluations from the OECD revealed that top performers for mathematics in Singapore have reported a high “fear of failure”, and a “limited engagement in extracurricular activities such as sport”. Apart from that, there is also an entrenched mindset that correlates academic success with lifelong success. This results in many Singaporean youths neglecting other areas of holistic development beyond studying.
High expectations, imposed by both parents and students alike, are worsened by a kiasu culture that breeds competitiveness out of a fear of losing out. These factors create an unhealthy composition of anxiety, stress and burnout amongst Singaporean students.
With this in mind, the MOE has stepped forward to introduce a revised system of JC admissions, in a bid to encourage holistic development and foster non-academic interests amongst students.
Rationale for Revising the JC Admissions Criteria
To date, the MOE has recognised that pre-tertiary students in Singapore have become better equipped and prepared to excel in the A-Level examinations, compared to earlier circumstances when the L1R5 grading system was created.
In 1989, the MOE introduced the L1R5 grading system, in response to poor passing grades achieved at the A-Levels by JC students. These changes were first made to ensure that students had a broad and relevant foundation to cope with the rigour of the A-Levels curriculum. Fast forward to today, the passing rates for the A-Levels have dramatically improved, from approximately 65 per cent in 1990 to 95 per cent in 2023.
The changes to the JC Admissions Criteria are also in line with the MOE’s recent efforts to shift the focus of Singapore’s education system towards holistic development, and to foster the 21st Century Core Competencies. For context, the 21st Century Core Competencies are a list of traits that MOE believes can help students to prepare for future challenges. These include self-directed learning, social awareness, and cross-cultural understanding. The then-Minister for Education, Chan Chun Sing, has underscored that Singaporean students must pursue more diverse interests and capabilities beyond academics, to navigate an increasingly volatile and complex landscape.
It is hoped that a less stressful academic environment would allow students to gain experiences beyond the classroom, thus developing non-academic interests and maximising the potential of every child.
Explaining The JC Admissions Process
Scoring System (Until 2027)
Based on a student’s O-Level examination results, the current Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE) tabulates an L1R5 aggregate score. It first calculates the aggregate score based on the student’s first language (L1), either English or Higher Mother Tongue, followed by their five best relevant subjects.
In order to be eligible for JC admission, students must obtain an L1R5 of 20 or below.
The JAE system also allows for up to four bonus points in the L1R5 system. This is to reward students with exceptional co-curricular activity contributions, affiliated schools, or participation in special language programmes.
Additionally, students are also allowed to earn two bonus points (beyond the four point limit), for participating in a Mother Tongue Language Elective Programme (MLEP) in JC. This initiative was set up to enhance students’ proficiencies in their Mother Tongue, and promote greater understanding of literature.
Scoring System (From 2028 Onwards)
For the 2028 intake, the JC scoring system will be rebased to the L1R4 system.
This indicates a major change from the old L1R5 system, as one fewer subject would be included for the tabulation of aggregate scores. Much of the old system has still been preserved, with the minimum requirement of Mathematics, one Sciences subject, and one Humanities subject, to ensure a broad-based educational foundation for students entering JC.
A key change to the L1R4 scoring system will take effect from 2028. Only one best-scoring subject will be included when tabulating scores. This is a reduction from the previous system, which accounted for two best-scoring subjects.
In the future, to be eligible for the revised JC admissions, students must now obtain an L1R4 of 16 or below.
To compensate for the changes in the scoring, MOE will lower the cap on bonus points from a maximum of four points to three points.
Under the new L1R4 system, let’s take a look at how a student’s score would change compared to the L1R5 system!
Example of a student’s O-Level examination results:
Under the current L1R5 system, this student’s raw score would be 2+1+2+1+3+1=10.
However, under the revised L1R4 system, his raw score would exclude the B3 grade from Social Studies. His revised score would be 2+1+2+1+1=7.
Reactions To The 2028 JC Admissions System
Holistic Development, or Simply More Time?
With fewer subjects being considered for tabulation, the MOE hopes that the revised admissions process will give students more time to explore non-academic interests and pursue meaningful extracurricular activities.
From a non-academic standpoint, these changes align with the MOE’s refreshed focus to go beyond intellectual development, and nurture well-rounded individuals with a passion for learning.
Nonetheless, some have raised concerns over the potential unintended consequences of the revised system. Some parents may believe that their children’s time is not being meaningfully occupied, which may result in participation in additional enrichment programs to fill up the additional pockets of time.
This trend was similarly observed with a previous change to the educational system. More parents sent their children for mock examinations at tuition centres, following the removal of mid-year semestral examinations.
With fewer subjects and additional time for revision, both students and parents might impose even greater expectations on their academic results, with the perception that the JAE system is now “easier” with one fewer subject for assessment. Paradoxically, this may place greater pressure on the students to perform, which would ultimately defeat the original purpose of the revised L1R4 system.
Ultimately, whilst the revised JAE scoring resolves the practical symptoms, it may not fully address the main crux of the issue: Singapore’s entrenched culture of competition.
The mindsets of Singaporeans towards the rigid markers of success in our society must be changed, lest parents and students alike continue to find new ways to overburden themselves in an effort to remain competitive, regardless of the admission system.
Relaxed System = Less Stress?
In the ideal sense, the increased leniency of the JC admissions system is a step in the right direction. This would encourage students to pursue subjects that they are passionate about, gaining a deeper mastery of their core subjects in preparation for the rigour of JC.
From an academic standpoint, students would also be encouraged to pick their subjects “strategically”, so as to choose subjects that they excel in.
However, some students also believe that this revision would make admissions even more competitive. With more time to devote to academics, it would become more difficult to secure higher grades in national examinations due to increased competition.
JCs could also potentially adjust their cut-off points more stringently for admissions to compensate for the seemingly easier grading system, thus increasing competition to enter into JCs as well.
Still, such concerns have been taken into account by the MOE. The MOE acknowledged that JC admission cut-off points will “adjust accordingly” with the revised criteria, with the consideration of one less subject resulting in a fall in cut-off points across JCs. Yet, there is little indication that the cut-off points will decline further due to the relaxed system, and the MOE will continue to monitor the proportions of JC admissions to ensure the new system does not breed more competitiveness.
Nonetheless, the revised system gives students space to breathe, and time to think. To that end, students may choose to use such time to pursue non-academic interests, and ascertain their academic strengths. Such holistic development helps to bring out the best in every child.
Conclusion
Overall, the revised changes to the JC admissions system has been a welcome change for both parents and students. The changes by the MOE indicate a strong narrative — it is time for students and parents to rethink their mindset towards education, and move beyond a limited view of success that is tied to academic excellence.
This Policy Explainer was written by members of MAJU. MAJU is a ground-up, fully youth-led organisation dedicated to empowering Singaporean youths in policy discourse and co-creation.
By promoting constructive dialogue and serving as a bridge between youths and the Government, we hope to drive the keMAJUan (progress!) of Singapore.
The citations to our Policy Explainers can be found in the PDF appended to this webpage.
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