SINGAPORE: Of the 9,153 candidates who sat the Normal (Academic) Level exams this year, 77.2 per cent of them can progress to Secondary 5.
Candidates who took the 2023 N(A) and Normal (Technical) examinations received their results on Monday (Dec 18), said the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) in a press release.
A total of 9,094 (99.4 per cent) from the N(A) course were awarded the N(A)-Level certificate.
From the N(T) course, 4,422 candidates sat the exams. Among them, 97.9 per cent or 4,330 candidates were awarded the N(T)-Level certificate.
This year, 49 per cent of the school candidates from the N(A) course also sat for subjects in the O-Level examinations, said MOE and SEAB.
Schools consider their combined N(A)-Level and school-based O-Level preliminary examination results when determining their eligibility for progression to Secondary 5 N(A) or post-secondary pathways.
The candidates must obtain an aggregate of 19 points or lower in English, Mathematics and the best three subjects (ELMAB3), and at least a Grade 5 for all subjects used in the computation of the ELMAB3 to qualify for Secondary 5 N(A).
PROGRESSION FOR N(A) STUDENTS
N(A) Level school candidates who got a raw ELMAB3 aggregate of 19 points or lower, and met subject entry requirements for their chosen course will have the option of applying for the Direct-Entry-Scheme to Polytechnic Programme.
This programme prepares them for progression into mapped polytechnic diploma courses via a two-year Higher Nitec programme at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE).
Students who successfully complete their Higher Nitec course and attain the minimum qualifying Grade Point Average are guaranteed a place in a polytechnic diploma course mapped to their Higher Nitec course.
About 1,200 DPP places will be offered across all three ITE Colleges, with applications opening today. For more information, please refer to this.
N(A) school candidates also have the option of applying for the Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP). Students are eligible to apply for the PFP if they have obtained a raw ELMAB3 aggregate of 12 points or lower, and met the subject-specific requirements for their chosen course.
The PFP offers a practice-oriented curriculum taught by polytechnic lecturers, to prepare students for entry into the relevant polytechnic diploma courses. If they pass all modules in the PFP, students will progress to their pre-selected diploma course.
The polytechnics will offer about 1,700 PFP places in total and applications will open in January 2024, on the day of the O-Level Examination results release.
Secondary 4 N(A) students who intend to apply for the PFP should first progress to Secondary 5 on Jan 2, 2024.
All PFP-bound students are required to attend their Secondary 5N(A) classes in their secondary schools up till Jan 26, 2024. For more information, please refer to this.
All N(A) course students who have completed their secondary education may also apply to further their studies through ITE’s two-year Nitec or three-year Higher Nitec programmes.