The following are the post-secondary institutions that O-Level students can choose from:
Junior College (JC) / Centralised Institute (CI)
Polytechnic
Institute of Technical Education (ITE)
Arts Institutions
Click on the various post-secondary pathways below to learn about the entry requirements, when can you apply and why should you apply for it.
A) Direct School Admission for Junior Colleges (DSA – JC)
Eligibility to apply:
- Sec 3 End-Of-Year and Sec 4 Semester 1 results
- CCA / VIA / leadership records
- interview / aptitude test
When can I apply?
- May (before O-Levels)
Why should I apply for it?
- DSA provides students with the opportunity to seek admission to JCs based on a broader range of talents and achievements.
- You can apply based on your talent in sports, CCAs and specific academic areas that may not be demonstrated at the O-Level examinations.
Link: go.gov.sg/applyjcdsa
A) Polytechnic Early Admissions Exercise (Poly EAE)
Eligibility to apply:
- demonstrated interest and aptitude for the courses that you are applying to
- portfolio / interview / aptitude test
- meet Minimum Entry Requirements (MERs) of the courses offered
When can I apply?
- June (before O-Levels)
Why should I apply for it?
- Poly EAE is an aptitude-based admissions exercise that allows students to apply for and receive conditional offers for admission to polytechnics prior to receiving their final grades.
- It allows students to demonstrate their aptitudes and interests apart from academic grades, thus allowing a wider range of talents to be recognised.
Link: go.gov.sg/polyeae
B) Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE)
Eligibility to apply:
- ELR2B2 not more than 26
- ELR2B2 not more than 28 (for Nursing)
- meet MERs of the course you are applying for
- offer will be based on merits
When can I apply?
- January (after results release)
Why should I apply for it?
- JAE enables GCE O-Level holders to apply for admission to courses offered by JC, MI, Polytechnics and ITE Higher Nitec courses.
Link: go.gov.sg/applyjae
A) ITE Early Admissions Exercise (ITE EAE) - Nitec / Higher Nitec
Eligibility to apply:
- portfolio / interview / aptitude test
- achievements in sports, arts leadership, entrepreneurship and community service
- meet MERs of the course you are applying for
When can I apply?
- May (before O-Levels)
Why should I apply for it?
- ITE EAE is an aptitude-based admissions exercise that allows students to apply and receive conditional offers for admission to ITE based on their aptitude and interest, prior to receiving their final O-Level examination results.
- It allows students to demonstrate their aptitudes and interests apart from academic grades, thus allowing a wider range of talents to be recognised.
Link: go.gov.sg/iteeae
B) Joint Intake Exercise 'O' (JIE ‘O’) - Nitec
Eligibility to apply:
- aptitude for hands-on learning
- meet MERs of the course you are applying for
When can I apply?
- January (after results release)
Why should I apply for it?
- The JIE ‘O’ is conducted to enable GCE O-Level holders to apply for the Two-Year Nitec courses conducted by ITE.
Link: go.gov.sg/applyjie
C) Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE) - Higher Nitec
Eligibility to apply:
- sat for at least 5 O-Level subjects over a maximum of 2 years
- meet MERs of the course you are applying for
When can I apply?
- January (after results release)
Why should I apply for it?
- JAE enables GCE O-Level holders to apply for admission to courses offered by JC, MI, Polytechnics and ITE Higher Nitec courses.
Link: go.gov.sg/applyjae
Here are some important points to note when deciding to enter ITE:
ITE Traineeship
There are 25 different earn-as-you-learn traineeship programmes.
You will be offered a traineeship with a hosting company while given time to study.
It is available for certain Nitec and Higher Nitec courses.
A) LASALLE College of the Arts (LASALLE)
Eligibility to apply:
- interest and aptitude in the arts
- portfolio / audition / entrance test
When can I apply?
- October / November (before O-Levels)
Why should I apply for it?
- GCE O-Level holders with the aptitude and interest to pursue the creative arts at the tertiary level may apply for diploma programmes at LASALLE.
- LASALLE runs its own admissions exercise, and interested students should apply directly to the institution.
Link: www.lasalle.edu.sg
B) Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA)
Eligibility to apply:
- interest and aptitude in the arts
- portfolio / audition / entrance test
When can I apply?
- January (after results release)
Why should I apply for it?
- GCE O-Level holders with the aptitude and interest to pursue the creative arts at the tertiary level may apply for diploma programmes at NAFA.
- NAFA runs its own admissions exercise, and interested students should apply directly to the institution.
Link: www.nafa.edu.sg