How to get to a top IB school in Singapore? PSLE 2025 PSLE COP (Cut-off points) for admission to IB Schools (ACS, MGS, SJI)

2024 was quite a year of upheaval for many PSLE parents who were trying to enrol their children into their preferred schools. Many parents were quick to point out that this phenomenon must be attributed to the ‘Dragon Year Effect’ which has resulted in about 3,000 more students entering the system.

Many exasperated parents lamented that  the cut-off points (COPs) for nearly every secondary school experienced a drop of one or two points. This is especially evident for popular schools like ACS Independence, MGS, SJI who are the few MOE schools which offer the IB curriculum to students who are keen to go through the IBDP route instead of the conventional A’Levels. 

Local MOE IB schools in Singapore (non international) have gained significant attention in recent years, mainly due to their impressive track record of academic success in Singapore when it comes to IBDP results.

IB students in Singapore have a remarkable track record of success, with top schools consistently producing outstanding scores year after year.

In 2024, Students at ACS Independence, had a 100 percent passing rate for the IB exam, with an impressive average score of 41.2 points—more than 350 students earned 40 points or higher.

Similarly, the School of the Arts (SOTA), located at Dhoby Ghaut,  a specialised independent school in Singapore that offers a six-year integrated arts and academic curriculum leading to an International Baccalaureate diploma reported that over 50 percent of their students taking the IB programme achieved at least 38 points in 2024 IB exam. 

Other IB schools like SJI International, had students passing with flying colours, citing that their students passed with an average of 38 points, and 39 percent scored 40 points or higher. 

A question often asked by many is “What is the Secret Behind Singapore’s Exceptional IB Results?”

One reality is that the students who gain entry to an IB school are often already high achievers to start with. They are students who have shown promising results during their PSLE (often those students who achieved COP of 4 to 7) and these bright stars would enter the IB programme in the three local schools (ACS, SJI, MGS) through the six years Integrated Programme (IP programme). Since many of these students are already high achievers, it comes as no surprise that they continue to demonstrate outstanding performance during their IB academic career.

Another key reason why Singapore students score well for IB is that like most students in Singapore, students taking the IB programme, other then being intrinsically motivated, often have academic support from top tutors in Singapore or their own parents.

Given the fact that IB in Singapore has such a strong record of success, why don’t more students choose the IB programme?

Gaining entry into a local IB school in Singapore is no easy feat.

Not considering the international schools, there are only a handful of local institutions that offer the IB diploma programme. They are namely ACS Independence, SJI Institution, Methodist Girls School, SOTA School of the Arts and Singapore Sports School.

These schools are often regarded by many as ‘elite schools’ in Singapore and they maintain rigorous admission criteria, accepting only students with considerably high academic performance or those who shine in their schools’ Direct School Admission (DSA).

During a dialogue session with IB students, many students shared their initial hesitation about joining the IB programme in Singapore. Particularly, they hesitate mainly due to the syllabus, IB students are expected to do coursework and take subjects like Theory of Knowledge (TOK), Extended essay (EE) and subjects like Language Arts and English Literature. This often leads students to think twice before committing to the IB, fearing they may not be able to manage the demands of this subject on top of everything else.

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