PSLE results: 98.4% of students can progress to secondary school

SINGAPORE: For the eighth consecutive year, 98.4 per cent of Primary 6 students who sat for the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) made it to secondary school. 

The PSLE results were released from 11am on Wednesday (Nov 22). 

A total of 38,088 Primary 6 students sat for the PSLE this year, said the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) in a joint press release on Wednesday.

This is the first cohort of students to be posted into secondary schools in three groups, mapped from the existing score ranges for the Express, Normal (Academic) and Normal (Technical) streams.

The three posting groups will be used to facilitate school admission and guide the subject levels students offer at the start of the year.

Full subject-based banding will also be implemented across 120 schools from 2024. This means students will sit for a common Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) exam from 2027, regardless of their initial posting group.

Under full subject-based banding, students who are eligible for Posting Groups 1 and 2 may offer English, mother tongue languages, mathematics, and science at a more demanding level from Secondary 1 based on their Achievement Level (AL) scores for the respective subject.

Under the AL system, Primary 6 students will receive ALs of 1 to 8 for each of their four subjects, with 1 being the best score and 8, the lowest. Their overall score will be the sum of these ALs. 

Students who scored AL 5 or better for a PSLE Standard subject can take the subject at G3 or G2 and students who scored at least AL 6 for a PSLE Standard subject or AL A for a PSLE Foundation subject can take the subject at G2. 

For the 2023 Primary 6 cohort, about 64 per cent of students eligible for Posting Groups 1 and 2 are suitable to take at least one subject at a more demanding level. 

This is comparable to the previous year’s cohort eligible for the Normal courses, said MOE and SEAB. 

Candidates who did not qualify for entry to secondary school can choose to retake the PSLE next year. 

They can also apply to Assumption Pathway School and NorthLight School with a recommendation from their primary school principal, said MOE and SEAB, adding that both schools offer customised programmes with a more “experiential and hands-on learning approach”.

SECONDARY 1 POSTING EXERCISE

The Secondary 1 option form to select secondary schools will be given to eligible students together with their PSLE results. The form provides key information regarding the submission of school choices.

A unique Secondary 1 personal identification number (S1 PIN) can be found on the top right hand corner of the option form. 

Students can use the S1 PIN to log in to the Secondary 1 internet system to download a copy of the S1 option form and submit their school choices online. 

The internet system is accessible from 11.30am on Nov 22 to 3pm on Nov 28 via MOE’s Secondary 1 Posting website. 

"To ensure smooth completion of their online submission, students should – in discussion with their parents - first consider their secondary school choices, make their decision, and complete the option form before logging on to the Secondary 1 internet system," said MOE and SEAB. 

"When choosing a secondary school that would be a good fit for the student’s overall educational needs, strengths and interests, students and parents are encouraged to consider a holistic range of factors.

"This includes the school’s distinctive programmes, subject offerings, co-curricular activities, ethos, culture, location and support for special educational needs, if required."

More information on the offerings by the 141 secondary schools taking part in the 2023 Secondary 1 Posting Exercise is available via MOE’s SchoolFinder website.

MOE and SEAB encouraged parents and students to take the time to explore the schools’ websites, social media pages, as well as take part in their open houses before making a decision. 

SECONDARY 1 POSTING RESULTS

The posting results will be released between Dec 20 and Dec 22. The posting results can be accessed through any of the following channels:

• Short Message Service (SMS)
• Secondary 1 internet system using the student’s birth certificate number/FIN and the S1 PIN
• The student’s primary school

Students do not need to report to their posted secondary schools upon receiving their Secondary 1 posting results. They should instead refer to their posted schools’ websites for more information such as the reporting details, book list, and purchase of books and uniforms. 

Parents of the incoming Secondary 1 cohort who are on Parents Gateway will also receive instructions from their posted schools from the afternoon the posting results are released.

If students are unable to report to their posted secondary school on the first day of school in January 2024 due to valid reasons, they should inform the secondary school directly after receiving their posting results to confirm that they are taking up the place.