Like a whirlwind, 2023 A Levels General Paper is finally over. Before we usher in our next batch of students taking the new GP Syllabus 8881 in 2024.
Here’s a quick analysis and consolidation of questions for this year.
This is truly a good year for most of our students, the 2023 Paper 1 Questions are almost a godsend. Our GP Tuition for J2 covered key content for at least three questions.
What’s in store for the new GP Syllabus 8881 in 2024?
Old GP Syllabus (ending 2023)
Social issues, cultural, economic, political and philosophical topics
Science and Tech
Mathematical and geographical topics
Arts / Culture
General / Others
New GP Syllabus in 2024
society and culture
economics
politics
the arts and humanities
science and technology
the environment
Current affairs
The more significant change in the new GP syllabus for Paper 1 (other than the 12 questions becoming 8 questions) is that of making environment a key focus/topic.
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If you are taking your A’Levels in 2024 and you are looking for gp tuition in Singapore, it is time for you to shake things up. Join us for our highly affordable GP Online Tuition conducted by qualified ex-MOE teachers from top colleges like HCI, RI and VJC. Contact us via whatsapp today or click here to sign up.
A big thumbs up to our lucky GP students and tutors this year because for this year’s 2023 A’Levels GP, our team managed to spot not one, not two but three questions for Paper 1! We look forward to even more good news when A’Levels results are released in 2024.
Don’t be envious, are you looking to improve your GP results?
Join us for our 2024 GP Online Tuition todayand get one free class upon enrolment, terms and conditions may apply. Only for graduating students in J2 or MI Year 3, private candidates are welcome. Prefer 1 to 1 in-person tuition? We have qualified current and former MOE teachers available too, whatsapp us for more.
Now, let us examine Question 3 in this year’s 2023 A’Level GP Paper 1. The very last year of where candidates will have twelve questions for Paper 1.
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Elon Musk: A Million Humans Could Live on Mars By the 2060s
Topic Space Travel
The start of space exploration can be traced back to the second half of the 20th Century, post World War Two. Yet, despite the decades that have lapsed, the question of whether space exploration and space travel being justifiable is still largely contested.
Recent developments in Space Travel
Elon Musk’s SpaceX shuttling Nasa astronauts to International Space Station
Virgin Galactic planning commercial to begin commercial flights in 2022
US$3.25billion invested in space start-ups in 2018, expected to be worth up to US$1.1 trillion by the 2040s
Approach
The question demands candidates to evaluate if spending on space travel cannot be justified in today’s context. Candidates must recognise firstly that the a popular sentiment about space travel is that the astronomical amount of money invested has been disproportionate to the benefits. Candidates must address the context of today’s world where we have more pressing issues such as on going war in Israel-Palestine, Russia-Ukraine, poverty, diseases, climate issues, hence it does appear to make little sense to spend money on space travel instead of saving lives.
When I was ten, my mother uprooted the whole family and brought us to Hong Kong. She has just gotten a job in HR at HSBC. The unsuspecting bright-eyed ten-year-old that I was hurrayed at that idea and immediately rejoiced at the prospect of a “long holiday”. This long vacation lasted five years and some time in late 2019 and early 2020, my mom made plans to bring my younger brother and I back to Singapore due to the spate of protests, unrest and the last trigger was obviously Covid. That was when I suddenly heard of the term ‘SPERS’ – the re-entry route to local schools just for Singaporeans.
Through referrals from my mom’s colleagues in Singapore, we were introduced to The Learning Space and enrolled for their SPERS intensive programme focusing on English and Math. I had less than six months to finish the ENTIRE upper-sec syllabus and I truly had no idea where and how to start. Our family contemplated continuing with the IB syllabus that we were more familiar with in Hongkong but decided against it as it would limit our choices and stretch our budget.
I remembered vividly that my mom made a few calls and some emails and before I knew it, I started my SPERS tuition online. To be frank, I resisted the idea of tuition. I mean come on, ask any pubescent teenager if they desire tuition, I think a majority will give a resounding NO! Now, looking back, I am so glad that I had tuition. Without which, I do not think I can ever qualify for a top JC like VJC. What I felt most grateful for was the fact that I didn’t have to do this on my own. I was lucky enough to get proper help and my tutors knew the SPERS syllabus at the back of their hand. I knew I could pass, I didn’t know that I actually aced it.
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So till today, I am still grateful for my mom and her insistence of me getting professional tutoring for SPERS instead of just roping in my cousin in NUS (whom I appreciate) to coach me on weekends. It took a lot of stress away from us as a family. I also like to thank my grandma and grandpa for letting us stay at their place when we came back. Last but not least, I would also like to thank my tutors for their time and dedication. Without all these people, I don’t think I would be able to achieve such spectacular progress.
Sincerely,
Elijah
_______________
This email comes from one of our students who has achieved their desired results through our SPERS online tuition programme.
Get in touch with us today for an immediate SPERS placement diagnosis test and be paired with our team of highly qualified MOE Teachers and tutors today.
For more information on SPERS and AEIS programme, whatspp us today. The application period for the 2022 SPERS-Sec will start in July 2022. Tests will be conducted in September or October 2022. These periods are tentative; details will be available on MOE website by end of April 2022.
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Returning Singaporeans who are unable to return to Singapore for the SPERS-Sec tests may participate in the supplementary placement exercise which will be announced at a later date.
With the increasing number of foreigners making Singapore their second home and more affluent families setting up Singapore family offices, the popularity of international schools and International Baccalaureate Programme is now on a rise. This brings to question, what are the list of IB schools in Singapore? What are the tuition fees for (most) international schools which offer them?
Singapore has a stellar reputation when it comes to education even when it comes to IB.It is no secret that IB students in Singapore have been performing well above expectations for the last few years. To get into an IB Programme, students will either have to enrol into an International School or join a handful of local schools like SOTA, Singapore Sports School, ACS, MGS and SJI which offer Integrated Programmes Pre-IB Programme (akin to the Middle Years).
In the year 2021, over 50% of Singapore IB students (133 out of 238) are perfect scorers. This means that these students are getting a total of 45 points out of 45 points with 42 points generated across the 6 subjects and 3 bonus points derived from Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay.) In 2022, students who sat the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma exams in Singapore in November 2022 have once again done well. Their average score was 39.5 out of 45, higher than the global average of 30.9 and Asia-Pacific average of 35.6.
Where Can I Study The IB in Singapore?
There are close to 30 schools in Singapore offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) from local schools like Singapore Sports School, SOTA, ACSI, SJI to International schools like Australia International School, Tanglin to United World College.
Even preschools like Etonhouse have started a full IB programme from IB Primary Years (PYP) to Middle Years (MYP) to IBDP. Students are now able to study the two-year pre-university course at Etonhouse in their Orchard Campus.
List of schools that offer the IBDP programmes in Singapore with Annual Tuition Fees*(Please contact the respective educational institutions to get the latest tuition fees)
ACS (International) Singapore
IBDP offered since: 2006
Annual tuition fees: $25,410 – $36,960
Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)
IBDP offered since: 2005
Annual tuition fees: $26,400
Australian International School, Singapore
IBDP offered since: 2010
Annual tuition fees: $42,852
Canadian International School (Lakeside Campus)
IBDP offered since: 2002
Annual tuition fees: $40,900
Chatsworth International School (Bukit Timah Campus)
IBDP offered since: 2004
Annual tuition fees: $32,788
Dover Court International School
IBDP offered since: 2017
Annual tuition fees: $33,855
Dulwich College (Singapore)
IBDP offered since: 2017
Annual tuition fees: $46,840
GEMS World Academy, Singapore
IBDP offered since: 2016
Annual tuition fees: $40,640
GESS
IBDP offered since: 2006
Annual tuition fees: $34,810
GIIS SMART Campus
IBDP offered since: 2005
Annual tuition fees: $18,945
Hillside World Academy
IBDP offered since: 2007
Annual tuition fees: $33,900
Hwa Chong International School (HCIS)
IBDP offered since: 2008
Annual tuition fees: $28,890
ISS International School Singapore (High School)
IBDP offered since: 2000
Annual tuition fees: $38,647
Madrasah Aljunied Al-Islamiah
IBDP offered since: 2018
Annual tuition fees: N/A
Nexus International School (Singapore)
IBDP offered since: 2008
Annual tuition fees: $40,338
NPS International School
IBDP offered since: 2010
Annual tuition fees: $24,900
One World International School (OWIS)
IBDP offered since: 2019
Annual tuition fees: $20,136
Overseas Family School
IBDP offered since: 1994
Annual tuition fees: $41,000
School of The Arts Singapore (SOTA)
IBDP offered since: 2010
Annual tuition fees: $27,600 (international students)
Singapore Sports School (SSP)
IBDP offered since: 2013
Annual tuition fees: N/A
St Francis Methodist School
IBDP offered since: 2019
Annual tuition fees: $20,709
St Joseph’s Institution
IBDP offered since: 2008
Annual tuition fees: $26,400 (international students)
St. Joseph’s Institution International
IBDP offered since: 2007
Annual tuition fees: $34,058
Stamford American International School
IBDP offered since: 2014
Annual tuition fees: $42,590
Tanglin Trust School
IBDP offered since: 2009
Annual tuition fees: $41,067
United World College of South East Asia (UWCSEA), Dover Campus
IBDP offered since: 1977
Annual tuition fees: $40,125
United World College of South East Asia (UWCSEA), East Campus
At the Learning Space, our team of school teachers and tutors can guide you or your child in their journey towards IBDP excellence. We have a strong team of current IB tutors and MOE trained teachers who are ready to support your child in their learning journey.
Looking for Pre-IB or IB Language and Literature tuition? Whatsapp us at 9364 6977.
For tuition in Language Literature, Economics, Business Management to Chinese, get in touch with us today. Get free resources and IB test papers in Singapore, click here.
The 2021 GCE O-Level results is scheduled to be released somewhere between Wednesday, 12 January and Friday, 14 January 2022. Some students are thinking of entering Polytechnics, others are hoping to go to Junior Colleges. For students who are thinking of entering Junior Colleges, it is important to know consider your options carefully.
What should you do after you received your O’levels results?
Your form teachers will hand you a JAE (Joint Admissions Exercise) booklet and this booklet will provide more information on entry to JC, Millennia Institute, Polytechnics and ITEs.
What is the admission criteria for Junior College?
To qualify for a Junior College, you need to have an aggregate of no more than 20. (L1R5) Your L1 can be English or Higher Language Mother Tongue (MTL) and you need to add a R1 (which can come from Any 1 of these subjects: Humanities, Higher Art, Higher Music, Malay (Special Programme), Chinese (Special Programme), Bahasa Indonesia, R2 will be a Math or Science subject and R3 can be another science subject or the subjects in R1, the R4 and R5 can be any O’levels subjects except Religious Knowledge.
The first question that pops in your head will be “What are the cut-off points for Junior Colleges in 2022?” This information has yet be to be released and vary from year to year. However, most students will take reference from the cut off points from the previous year as an indicator of their standing. This is a relatively good gauge because most JC maintain their “rankings” for the past few years, with exception of Eunoia Junior College. EJC whose cut off points in 2018 was 10, 11, on par with Temasek Junior College but in 2021, Eunoia Junior College’s cut off point shoot up to 7 (same as traditionally top colleges like Victoria Junior College and National Junior College). This is not surprising, given the fact that the dominant student base of EJC hails from IP schools like Catholic High, Singapore Chinese Girls and CHIJ St Nicholas Girls.
What are the top 5 Junior Colleges in Singapore?
The top 5 or actually 6 junior colleges (three JCs share the same cut off points) in Singapore ranked according to their cut off points is presented below. The JC Cut Off Points in 2021 (according to MOE) for the top five junior colleges are all unsurprisingly below ten. They include:
Hwa Chong Institution (Cut off Points for Science 4, Art 5)
Raffles Institution (Cut off Points for Science 4, Art 5)
Nanyang Junior College (Cut off Points for Science 6, Art 6)
Eunoia Junior College, National Junior College (Cut off Points for Science 7, Art 8)
Victoria Junior College (Cut off Points for Science 7, Art 8)
How do you choose a Junior College that suits you?
We interviewed our students from different JCs and this is what they have to say.
1) CCA
“I was lucky enough to get my top choices. I was considering RI and HCI as my first choices, but I ended up choosing RI because of my CCA. Through the help of my seniors, I went for a CCA tryout session at RI and found out more their CCAs, training programme et cetera. I was also attracted by the “prestige” of the RI name.” said Zarmin, Year 5 student from RI
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2) Family Influence
“My dad was from ACJC and he met my mother there. Naturally, it was their first choice for me since I was from ACS and all.” said Christopher Gomez, Graduate from ACJC.
3) School Culture
“I chose VJ over HCI even though I could qualify for both due to the school culture. I felt that for some reason, VJC’s performing arts culture beckons to me more and it helps that my friends were going there too. ” said Tan JY, who chose the drama elective programme in VJC.
It is paramount to note that the cut-off points do not reflect the quality of the JCs and their programmes. Going to top ranking colleges do not promise top A’Levels results. In fact, top colleges give students more independence and ‘free rein’ compared to the middle or lower ranking colleges. According to MOE and SEAB, “(they) encourage students to continue choosing JCs based on each school’s distinctive programmes, CCAs (co-curricular activities) and school culture – factors that can further develop their strengths and interests,”.
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What happens if I cannot make it to the top 5 Junior Colleges?
Que será, será, whatever will be, will be. Fortunately, your choice of a Junior College will not define you. Going to a “lower tiered” junior college, going MI or taking A’levels as a private candidate, ultimately leads you to A’levels and your future depends on yourself. Take heart, the outrageously talented Asian Comedian from The Daily Show, Ronny Chieng was a graduate from Pioneer Secondary School and Pioneer Junior College. He eventually took a law degree in Australia and is currently working side by side with top comedians like Trevor Noah. Kid, The world is your oyster.
Whatever JC you choose, the ultimate challenge of A’Levels awaits in less than two years. To help you prepare effectively for your A’levels, we are offering a one time trial of just $60 for all Year 5 or JC 1 students (Usual Price $90 per lesson valid till 30 June 2022) for our General Paper Online Tuition. You will gain access to our team of top JC Tutors and Lecturers, receive model essays and exclusive notes. Whatsapp or email us today. For existing secondary students who are keen to continue GP tuition with us, you will enjoy a special discount for our GP classes, watch out for our eDM in January 2022.
Click here to find out more about H1, H2 and H3 subjects at A’Levels
“We can never close the gender divide.” Do you agree?
(For JC GP Prelims Questions 2020, subscribe to our newsletter and YouTube channel. You will be the first to get the latest essays and questions!)
GP Essay Question: Model Essay
As the COVID-19 pandemic pushes on and persists to affect lives and livelihoods around the world, we are witnessing a tide of economic fallout, which has a regressive effect on gender equality. According to Mckinsey Research, women’s jobs are 1.8 times more vulnerable in this crisis compared to men’s jobs and It is predicted that women make up 39 percent of global employment, will account for 54 percent of overall job losses. Some put forth the view that we can never close the gender divide due to such economic realities, legislative barriers and sexist mindsets that pervades in our society today, creating an irreconcilable chasm between males and females. This has led some to believe that the gender divide is insurmountable. However, it is my conviction that while closing the gender divide will be difficult, it is not out of the question, mainly attributed to changing attitudes in legislature and shifts in societal mindsets towards women. Ergo, it will be difficult, but closing the gender divide is indeed possible.
Some espouse the opinion that it is not possible to close the gender divide largely due to the existence of legislative barriers that institutionalise gender discrimination and perpetuate gender inequality. In Singapore, for instance, although the Government has taken steps in the recent years to educate and incentivise employers to be fair and to promote flexible work arrangements so that, yet there is still an absence of legislation that clearly lays out employer duties and responsibilities, this results in many companies being able to get away with little more than superficial commitments to be more inclusive. The situation is even more bleak in less developed countries like India. In the recent years, the numerous cases of rape across the country once again exposed the failures of the criminal justice system. Nearly six years after the government amended laws and put in place new guidelines aimed at justice for survivors of rape and sexual violence, yet girls and women continue to face barriers to reporting such crimes. Victim-blaming is also rampant, and the lack of witness and victim protection laws make girls and women from marginalized communities even more vulnerable to harassment and threats. Across the spectrum, from developing to more developed countries, what persists is a disturbing observation that legislation either explicitly hurts women and promotes sexism, or it condones behaviours that hurt women and promote sexism. It remains a deeply painful and saddening reality that the patriarchy continues to be entrenched in legislature, and ingrained in societal institutions, leading some to think that it is a futile quest and that we can never close the gender divide. In view of all these challenges, it does seem like an uphill task when it comes to closing the gender divide. But to say that it is an impossible dream would be too fatalistic. I strongly stand by the view that closing the gender divide is not completely impossible- there is definitely more than a glimmer of hope. First and foremost, there have been changing attitudes in legislature that have led to tremendous progress for women’s rights on paper. Right here in Singapore, the government has just announced that they will embark on a review of women’s issues showing a strong committed step towards greater gender equality. In the pipeline are a series of engagements termed as “Conversations on Women Development” scheduled to take place between the public and private sectors, as well as non-governmental organisations, with the objective of identifying and tackling issues concerning women in Singapore.These will culminate in a White Paper to be issued by the Government in the first half of 2021.
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Across the globe, in terms of the right to political representation, the presence of womenhas been growing- in the upcoming US Presidential elections, Kamala Harris’s nomination as the Vice President for the democratic party is a milestone. She is the first woman and the first person of colour to serve as vice president.In Canada, Justin Trudeau made half the ministers in his cabinet women. Similarly, in Singapore, other than having a first female president, the recent election 29 per cent of the 93 seats for elected Members of Parliament (MPs), 27 – or elected seats – went to women, compared to 21 out of 89 seats after the 2015 polls. Even in countries without a female head of government, changes in legislature have indeed been growing to ameliorate gender inequality and boost the rights of women. Japan has adopted new legislation to promote women’s political participation by urging political parties to make the number of male and female candidates as equal as possible and set targets for gender parity. Notoriously patriarchal countries like Afghanistan had a record of 417 female candidates that participated in the October parliamentary elections in 2018. These are all concrete evidence that legislature has been changing to increase rights for women and enact gender parity, closing the gender divide. With more female representation in politics and in view of these steps towards women representation, it is still very much possible for us to close the gender divide in the near future.
In addition to this, it is definitely possible to close the gender divide because there has also been shifting societal attitudes towards women. At a societal level, the #MeToo movement directed unprecedented attention to the historic injustices and inequalities experienced by women, specifically those related to sexual harassment in the workplace. Led by grassroots activists, this movement gained traction across Asia, opening space for countless stories of harassment and new opportunities to hold perpetrators to account. Even countries that have been traditionally patriarchal in nature like South Korea is making headways in gender equality. Enterprising Korean women are increasingly visible in a traditionally male dominated country like South Korea. More young women are earning university degrees than men. More than 70% of women between 25 and 34 are active in the workforce. Young women are far more vocal than previous generations in challenging the conservative social mores that hold them back. For instance, two female Youtube Influencers Jung Se-young and Baeck Hana, are part of a wave of feminist activism that has swept South Korea. These ladies have cut their hair, thrown away their make-up and sworn off relationships with men. With the advent of social media, the influence of feminism is increasing spreading across social media platforms and society is waking up to the fact that young digital natives no longer want these conservative traditions, and women are free to reject them. Thus, it is highly possible that due to shifting societal attitudes that promote gender equality, the gender divide will be definitely be closed.
All in all, although the path towards gender equality may seem frustratingly slow. But the fact that inequality is now being openly discussed is progress in itself. In these recent years, societies and government worldwide have been placing gender equality issues on their agenda. With this growing trend towards more rights for women on paper, coupled with the shifting societal mindsets, it is completely possible that our generations will be able to close the gender in our lifetime. The journey towards gender equality may be winding. There is no silver bullet and admittedly there is a lot to do in the field of equality, but nothing is impossible. We must and can continue to fight and narrow the gender divide.
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(This essay has been reviewed and marked by GP Tutors. For GP tuition by school teachers or full time tutors, contact us today.)
Are you entering Junior College soon? Mystified by all the jargons? Read this article and you will be able to fully understand the curriculum of the Singapore Cambridge GCE A-Level. Let us explain in this article what does H1, H2, H3 mean exactly and what are the cut-off points required to enter JC?
Advanced level, better known as the A’levels is the national exam that students will take after the GCE Ordinary Level aka O’levels. Alternatively, secondary students in Singapore can proceed to other forms of tertiary education, which is any one of the following: ITE and Polytechnic.
There are 3 different tertiary options for a student after their O Level results; ITE (Nitec or Higher Nitec), Polytechnic and Junior College (JC) or Millennia Institution (MI).
Junior College
The rumour in the grapevine has always been that by passing your O’levels you prove that you’re not an idiot… but by passing your A’ levels you prove that you’re smart”. Whether this holds any truth remains open to speculation, but what is real is that in order to enter any Junior Colleges in Singapore, students have to either go through the traditional academic route (usually the top 20 percent of the cohort) where they will have to excel at their L1R5 which means first language plus best other 5 subjects (The L1R4 would be for Polytechnic/ITE entry). Do note that a maximum of 4 points can be deducted from a student’s raw L1R4/5 score. (The Raw Scores is the score students have obtained without any deduction of points from CCA or Higher Mother Tongue Language (HMTL).
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Students can also enjoy 2 points from their CCA achievements (usually leadership, competition participation etc) and 2 points can also be deducted from passing their Higher Mother Tongue Language in Secondary school.
What does entering Junior College in Singapore mean?
When students choose to join a Junior College, this means students will embark on a 2-year programme and take the GCE Cambridge A-Level examinations after that. The Singapore GCE Cambridge A-Level is slightly different from the International Cambridge A-Level. For students who are from IP schools, they will join their affiliated junior colleges where some students are from the O’levels. For instance, a student from Temasek IP Programme will progress to Temasek Junior College while students from RI and RGS will join Raffles Junior College, now known as Raffles Institution located at RI. Some schools like River Valley High School offers both Junior and Senior High, students will stay within their school (usually moving to a new building for their final two years).
Not sure about what are the cut-off points requirements to enter Junior College?
These are the cut-off points for your reference.
Below is a table stating the cut-off points for 2021 for the different streams in JC, ranked according to alphabetical order. Please note that you will need to check the requirements each year with your choice colleges. For cut off points in 2022, you will need to check back here again.
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List of Junior Colleges in Singapore
Arts
Science / IB
Anderson Serangoon Junior College, ASRJC
11
11
Anglo-Chinese Junior College, ACJC
9
8
Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), ACSI
–
5
Catholic Junior College, CJC
13
13
Dunman High School, DHS
9
8
Eunoia Junior College, EJC
8
7
Hwa Chong Institution, HCI
5
4
Jurong Pioneer Junior College, JPJC
16
15
Nanyang Junior College, NYJC
6
6
National Junior College, NJC
8
7
Raffles Institution, RI
5
4
River Valley High School, RVHS
9
8
St. Andrew’s Junior College, SAJC
11
10
St. Joseph’s Institution, SJI
–
8
Tampines Meridian Junior College, TMJC
13
13
Temasek Junior College, TJC
9
9
Victoria Junior College, VJC
8
7
Yishun Innova Junior College, YIJC
20
20
Millennia Institution (MI) – An Alternative to Junior College
Junior colleges are not the only way to A’levels. O’level graduates can also pursue a three-year course at Millennia Institution (MI), the only three-year pre university institution in Singapore Some parents may remember days where there used to be another Pre-University Insitute known as the Jurong Institute (JI). At MI, the school offers the same subjects and curriculum as the Junior Colleges in Singapore. However, the only difference they have is that the Milennia Institution is a 3-year Pre-U course, while the other Junior Colleges offer only 2 years. To enter MI, the school will consider the student’s L1R4 instead of their L1R5.
Millennia Institute is the only Centralised Institute offering a 3-year Pre-University course, leading to the GCE ‘A’ Level certification. For students who took the GCE ‘O’ Level examination and are eligible to apply for admission through the Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE), the minimum requirements specified below must be met.
Aggregate Range for L1R4 ≤ 20.
Meet Subject Requirements:
Subject
Requirement
English Language
A1 to C6
Mother Tongue Language:
Chinese Language, Malay Language, Tamil Language
OR Higher Chinese Language, Higher Malay Language, Higher Tamil Language
OR Chinese Language ‘B’ Syllabus, Malay Language ‘B’ Syllabus, Tamil Language ‘B’ Syllabus
A1 to D7
A1 to E8
Merit or Pass
Mathematics:
Mathematics
OR Additional Mathematics
A1 to D7
A1 to D7
Students who satisfy the conditional admission criteria and are conditionally admitted to Millennia Institute would be required to re-sit for the relevant language and/or mathematics papers by the following year’s GCE ‘O’ Level Examination.
For more information, please access the MOE website
Your ultimate guide to Singapore GCE Cambridge A-Level Curriculum
Step 1: Choose a stream.
Depending on your score, you will be eligible for different streams Science or Arts when they are choosing for their post-secondary choices. For students, who wish to pursue Business Management at A’level, the option will be to join MI as most JCs do not offer this subject.
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Step 2: Find a college that offers you the best standing
Consider your preferred stream over your dream Junior College. Most students, if not all, have their ideal Junior Colleges that they want to enter. Some are doing so because of a particular school’s brand name or heritage, others want to keep their family tradition and join their parent’s alma mater, whatever the motivation, it is worth to take a moment and consider “What’s at stake?”. Ultimately, you are looking for entry to University and it is pivotal to note that some students do consider entering a lower-tier JC so that they can stay in the science stream which offers them more options to courses in University.
Step 3: Decide on what are your H1, H2, H3 subjects
The H in H1, H2 and H3 stands for Higher.
To enter University, you need this minimum subject combination:
Three H2 content-based subjects
One H1 content-based subject
Compulsory H1 subjects
Mother-Tongue Language (MTL) if you did not take higher Chinese at O’levels
General Paper
Project Work
Do note that A-Level students must take at least one contrasting subject. What is considered a contrasting subject? For Science stream students, you must take at least one subject from the Humanities & the Arts. On the other hand, Arts stream students must take at least one Science subject, usually H1 or H2 Mathematics.
What is the difference between H1 and H2 subjects?
The difference between H1 and H2 subjects is similar to IB Standard Level versus IB Higher Level. H1 subjects cover lesser topics compared to H2 subjects. For instance, H2 Economics is worth 20 rank points and will cover more topics and there are P1 and P2 (Essays). Economics is a challenging subject but most students will choose to take it because it is a practical subject. If you need help in Economics tuition, contact us today via whatsapp us or email.
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Why do some students take four H2 subjects?
Some students can take four H2 content-based subjects if they meet a minimum cut-off points requirement and for students who truly excel in a particular domain, they can choose to pursue H3 content-based subjects if they are eligible.
How will H3 subjects be graded?
H3 is an additional subject on top of all your H1 and H2 subjects, therefore, you have to be mentally prepared to devote more and sufficient time to all your subjects. H3 subjects are not graded into the rank points. They are additional subjects that are taken on top of their H1 and H2 subjects. H3 subjects can allow students to be exempted from modules in their university, depending on the course and module taken by the student.
Grading
H3 Grade
Marks (%)
Distinction
70 to 100
Merit
55 to 69
Pass
45 to 54
Ungraded
0 to 44
Frequently Asked Questions by JC Students:
What is H1, H2, H3?
H1 subjects are worth 1 point and H2 subjects are worth 2 points. H3 subjects are ONLY offered to students who are academically able to cope with the additional subject(s) on top of their H1 and H2 subjects. Usually, schools will decide who are the students they will be “inviting” to take H3 subjects. Students who choose to take H3 subjects usually want to stand out among competitors who are choosing a similar University course. However, it is important to note that the demands of H3 subjects are considerable, if students are not able to excel in H3 subjects at A’levels it may backfire instead.
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What are rank points?
The maximum number of rank points (RP) for admission to university is 90. A higher score would place a student in a better position for admissions to university.
Grade
Scores
H1 Ranking Points
H2 Ranking Points
A
70% and above
10
20
B
60% to 69%
8.75
17.5
C
55% to 59%
7.5
15
D
50% to 54%
6.25
12.5
E
45% to 49% (passing grade)
5
10
S (sub-pass)
40% to 44%
2.5
5
Ungraded
39% and below
0
0
GCE a-level Rank Points Calculation
Overview of the GCE A-Level curriculum
H1, H2 and H3 refer to the depth of the subject taken by the student, with H1 subjects being briefer than H2 and H3 subjects and H3 being a more advanced level of the subject.
For example, an H2 Chemistry subject would have more topics than H1 Chemistry but their difficulty level of the questions asked would roughly be the same.
As for H3 Chemistry, the topics learned will not be more than H2 Chemistry since H3 subjects are an extension to H2 subjects. This would mean, learning would be more in-depth and specific when it comes to taking an H3 subject.
Arts/Science Stream Criteria
One of the four content-based subjects must be from a contrasting discipline. In other words, you are not allowed to take all Science-based subjects as such; Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
H1
The compulsory subjects that should be taken by all students would be General Paper and Project Work. Students may also offer Knowledge and Inquiry in place of General Paper (GP), or offer Mother Tongue Language and Literature at H2.
Students can be exempted from taking H1 Mother Tongue if they have passed their Higher Mother Tongue in Secondary School, but it still counts as 1 point. However, if the student did not undertake Higher MTL in Secondary school ‘O’ Level, it is compulsory for him/her to complete H1 MTL in JC.
National Examinations for H1 subjects will be taken at the end of JC2 (second year of JC) with the exception of H1 Mother-Tongue Language and H1 Project Work which will be taken in JC1.
H2
Taking 4 H2
Students can be offered to take up 4 H2 instead of the standard combination of 3 H2 and 1 H1 at the beginning of their J1. Schools will determine whether a student can be offered to take up 4 H2s, determining factor being the student’s raw cut-off points when they enter the JC. This differs from JC to JC.
How to calculate your GCE A-level Rank points
Some Junior colleges include the students’ rank points in their results. If your college does not, do not fret, here’s how you can calculate it.
Rank Points for Students take 4H2 Subjects → For students that are offered 4H2 subjects instead of 3H2 and 1H1? RP is calculated this way:
Should the scenario arise when a 4H2 student do not have an H1 content-based subject, the student’s weakest H2 subject will then be computed as an H1 content subject. This means the rank points of the H2 subject would be halved (calculated as /10 instead of /20).
3 H2 + weakest 1 H2 calculated as H1 + H1 GP + H1 PW
= (20 + 20 + 20) + (17.5/20 x 10) + 10 + 10
= 88.75 RP
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Technology save lives every day. From seat belts and airbags to medical instruments like MRI and medical lasers. More often than not, people tend to take beneficial technology for granted and prefer to pontificate on issues like invasive technology, loss of privacy that comes with the prevalence of surveillance cameras and such. It is an undeniable fact that we as a society is increasingly dependent on technology. Gadgets like mobile phones, tablets have become omnipresent. Technology has come a long way in helping mankind. It has enabled mankind to be more efficient and more recently, in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, technology ranging from digital payments, telehealth to robotics. has played a pivotal role in reducing the spread of the coronavirus while helping businesses stay open. It has helped make our society more resilient in the face of pandemic and other threats. On the flip side, just as technology has been a boon for us. It has made us more vulnerable and in particular, reduced our privacy. Our over-reliance on technology could potentially have huge consequences if the very machines we rely on were to fail. Indeed, just as technology empowers us, it has also made us more at risk.
Source: CNET
Technology, particularly Artificial Intelligence has helped us greatly in our current fight to quell the Covid-19 pandemic. Healthcare facilities and technology companies here are tapping AI technology in the fight against the Covid-19 outbreak. Hospitals such as the National University Hospital (NUH) are using a clinical chat assistant smartphone app by Singapore AI startup Bot MD, which helps doctors and front-line healthcare workers stay abreast with the fast-changing information around Covid-19. The app uses AI to power its natural language interface and to extract clinical information from large swathes of content from different data sources. In doing so, whenever clinical staff requires an answer to questions like who’s on-call or guidelines on hospital-specific protocols, they can simply type a query (and the app) will instantly respond with the right answer. In addition to this, AI is also used in temperature screening here. The IHiS and local medical tech start-up KroniKare have developed a solution called iThermo that uses AI to spot febrile people in a crowd, reducing the need for a manual process. Evidently, AI is a highly effective technology to battle the Covid-19 pandemic.
Another aspect in which technology has greatly empowered man is in the area of the military. With the advancement of technology, militaries around the world; from the nuclear technology of the Cold War between this US and the Soviet Union to unmanned drones today. Militaries are quick to embrace those as not only do they help in reducing casualties, but they can also help commanders make better choices. One such case would be the usage of unmanned aerial drones in battlefields such as in Afghanistan by the US military and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) for surveillance and battle purposes. These drones provide real-time footages of the battlefield and can be used to launch missiles to aid soldiers. Attacks by drones have led to success in killing key extremist leaders in Pakistan as well as Afghanistan. Even on the ground, guns are more advanced with functions such as ‘corner shot’ where a soldier can bend his weapon so as to look around corners without putting himself In the line of fire. This would most certainly be an impossibility in the past. Technology has greatly enabled the military to carry out tasks easily although ironically their reliance on it could also be their undoing.
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Our over-reliance on technology has increased our vulnerability. Apps like the SafeEntry digital check-in system, which logs employees’ and visitors’ entry into businesses to facilitate contact tracing, can potentially help trace and prevent new clusters from developing.At the same time, this check-in system logs the names, NRIC/FINs and mobile numbers of individuals visiting hotspots, workplaces of permitted services,in order to facilitate contact tracing efforts. As we all should know, apps on cell phones emit a constant trail of longitude and latitude readings, making it possible for app developers to follow consumers through time and space. Location data are often triangulated with other, seemingly innocuous slivers of personal information.
In conclusion, it is beyond doubt that technology is greatly beneficial and Man should be truly grateful for that. But it is also important to acknowledge that we have become more vulnerable to new threats from cyber-attacks to solar flares.
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Application Question: Former RGS/RI GP Teacher shares insiders’ tips on A’levels AQ questions and common mistakes mentioned in examiner reports.
The Application Question, more commonly known as the AQ is a 10 marks question in Paper 2. Entire paper is 1 hr and 30mins.
How do you tackle the AQ?
A rule of thumb. Always remember to think of AQ 2 separate parts. The first part always requires students to identify and evaluate the author’s claims. The next part is to apply and explain if the points are relevant to Singapore. This is where your current affairs knowledge of your country (typically Singapore, foreign students can use their own home country as a basis for comparison, but I always encourage students to use Singapore, simply because
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1)Your GP tutors will most definitely be using Singapore in their course of teaching, so it will be easier for you to catch on.
2) You have two years or more to familiarise yourself with this country, reading the local papers is the very least you could do. You will provide Singapore examples to show whether the points hold true. When evaluating always try and provide reasons for your view, do not just simply state the examples.
What are the three most common mistakes that most students make in AQ?1) Unable to identify the ‘correct’ claim
1) Wrong Claim or No Claim
Some students have difficulty establishing what the writer’s opinions/claims are exactly. Seemingly basic, and almost a fundamental requirement (this was taught to my girls in RGS for in year one!).
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In my years of teaching GP, I have seen many students who have yet to acquire this basic but key skill. This may be largely attributed to the lack of practice or frankly, they have not been taught (properly?)
2) Bad Time Management
Due to a lack of confidence, some students tend to focus on the Short Answer Questions (SAQ) because they feel that they are more confident in gaining marks for those. Many leave too little time to do the AQ and tend to rush through. This is certainly a recipe for disaster. Always annotate ahead and leave at least 20 minutes for this 10 points question.
3) Lack of evaluation
Many students lack the ability to analyse in AQ. They merely plaster in examples and *fingers crossed* hope that by writing excessively, giving so much details of the examples, they will be safe. (I ‘ve seen three to four pages AQ which failed tragically, usually scoring three or four marks)
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