PSLE results: 98.5% of students can progress to secondary school

SINGAPORE: About 98.5 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 20). 

A total of 40,894 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.

Full subject-based banding was fully implemented in about 120 secondary schools from the 2024 Secondary 1 cohort.

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 2024 Primary 6 cohort, about 65 per cent of students eligible for Posting Groups 1 and 2 can take at least one subject at a more demanding level. 

This is comparable to the previous year’s cohort, 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 and submit their school choices and options online. 

The internet system is accessible from 11.30am on Nov 20 to 3pm on Nov 26 via MOE’s Secondary 1 Posting website. 

"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," said MOE and SEAB.

“Students are strongly encouraged to include at least two to three schools within their six school choices where their PSLE score is better than the school’s previous year’s cut-off points. This will help increase their chances of securing a place in one of their preferred schools,” they added.

More information on the offerings by the 140 secondary schools taking part in the 2024 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 18 and Dec 20. 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 2025 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.