“Should I choose JC over Poly?” is THE perennial question that all secondary students (or their parents) have to ask themselves.

Despite the pandemic, the 2021 batch of Sec Four and Sec Five students achieved the best O-level results in at least 30 years with close to 90% of the students attaining 5 or more passes. This is indeed impressive and reflects strongly the resilience of our students in Singapore.

According to the Ministry Of Education, over 50 percent of the 20,300 students who took O’levels in 2020, were posted to the five polytechnics. Another close to 40 percent of these O’levels holders were allocated slots in Junior Colleges and MI. Other 10 percent were posted to ITE. 

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In every cohort of graduating Secondary 4 and 5 students, there will always be some students who have long decided on a polytechnic education. More often than not, this group of students are aware of their career aspirations and are keen to go to poly to further their goals vocationally. They are almost certain of their career path and see poly as a natural stepping stone that provides key industrial insights to their future career. Typically, these students are motivated and have the blessings of their parents, and they would choose to go for Early Admissions Exercise (known as EAE or the DSA route to Poly) so as to secure their ideal course before the release of O’levels results. 

There exists another group (which arguably may make up the majority) where these Secondary Four students would hover on ambivalence, and would keep their options open till they receive their results. Like most typical sixteen and seventeen year olds, they are uncertain about their career path and see the O’level results as a push and determinant nudge towards their future. They adopt ‘see-how’ mindset and will only decide and take the final plunge when they received their results.

Whichever group you belong too, in today’s blog post, let’s look at the advantages of choosing JC over Poly vice versa. 

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Advantages of choosing JC  Disadvantages of choosing JC
1) Shorter duration – Two years over three years at a Polytechnic.  1) Potentially overwhelming workload – the JC Workload can be challenging and the pressure is on to perform above or within expectations within a span of less than two years for a high key national examination. 
2) A more direct route and better chance to enter local universities – With the current pandemic, it has become increasingly more appealing and competitive for students to stay in Singapore. Statistically, over 70 percent or more JC students get into Uni while 30% Poly students get into Uni (Local). There is admittedly more certainty to get into the local Universities when you go to JC.  2) No real change in the environment. The school rules continue, CCA remains similar and subjects available are still close to those offered in secondary. 
3) JC are more cost effective – It is cheaper (for Singaporeans especially). The cost of school fees for a non independent JC is less than $10 per month. School Fees for Polytechnic on the other hand is around $250 per month. Tuition grants are available for students. In addition to this, there is no need to factor in a ‘wardrobe budget’, in JC , you wear Uuniforms every day. Hurray for the budget and eco conscious. Another serious consideration that you need to have is that if you value a local University degree but have no budget to go overseas, JC is definitely a very attractive option. 3) Lack freedom, You feel ‘kiddie’ and a Fashionista nightmare – Unlike the Poly students, JC students can only wear their uniforms. Rules are stricter and you have your usual assembly and other familiar obligations. There are limited subjects to choose from and most are extensions from secondary school. 

 

4) It is similar to secondary school and you do not have to decide on your preferred course yet. A plus for students who have yet to decide on their career routes, JC would ‘buy more time’.  4) You will need to take another major national exams, the A’Levels in less than two years. You are stuck with subjects like GP which have gained the notoriety of being ‘hard to pass/score.’ Just as you are ‘recovering’ from O’Levels, you are ushered into another round of preparation for yet another National Exam. 

Choosing Poly or Jc is definitely a daunting task. Admittedly, It may seem more prestigious ‘to go on the ‘Junior College’ route, which is a path that leads to the studies of even more theoretical applications. However, it is pivotal to consider your own strengths and weaknesses before making the decisions. Do not choose a route because your best friend is choosing it. Talk to your seniors, parents or the school career counsellors, whatever your choice may be, our team of former and current MOE teacher tutors will be able to support you in your journey to academic excellence. Our online GP tuition starts from just $35 onwards. Get in touch with us today and let us support you in your academic endeavours with the best tutors in Singapore. 

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It’s finally here! Your O’levels results are released! 

Despite the pandemic, students who sat for the O-level examinations last year set a roaring new record, with over 80 per cent of the cohort attaining five or more passes. 

What should you do next?

For those of you who passed with flying colours, congratulations. For some who didn’t do as well as you like and aren’t sure what to do next. Grab a treat and read on.

 

Let’s start by look at some numbers.

How did the previous batch of candidates fare? In 2019, 85.2 per cent secured five or more passes, while the 2020 batch scored 85.4 percent, up 0.4 percentage points from the previous year.

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The Ministry of Education (MOE) said that of the 20,300 candidates who sat for O’levels in 2019, 52 per cent were posted to the five polytechnics here. Another 38 per cent were given places in the junior colleges (JCs) and Millennia Institute, and about another 10 per cent were posted to the Institute of Technical Education.

What to do after O’levels?

 

First and foremost, be brave, if results aren’t what you expected or you have changed in the last year and now want something different, then do it! Defer entry, travel, change your course just don’t feel trapped into doing something that isn’t right for you. If your results did not meet your expectations, chin up. Take comfort in the fact that local universities will no longer factor in O-level results for admission come 2020. 

There could be a myriad of reasons why O’levels did not go well for you. Perhaps, you were too stressed or ran out of time. Move forward. You can’t change the past, but you can make things better. 

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Here are some paths you can consider after your O’levels results. 

1. Consider retaking your O-levels

If you have an ambition to fulfil, a dream course or school in mind that you cannot get into after trying all avenues (like appeals), give this option some serious thought. Being a year behind your peers is perfectly okay; everyone takes different paths and you’ll see this especially in polytechnics, where you can have classmates twice your age!

If you decide that this is what you want to pursue, please be reminded that you’ll have to pay to sit for the exams again. There are two ways to go about it:

  • Retaking your O-levels as a private candidate 
  • Retaking your O-levels in your current secondary school, which needs you to meet certain criteria

Retaking as a private candidate demands a lot of self-discipline. You’ll need to work out a studying schedule and keep to it, find out when and where to register for the papers and remember that the extra year you’re taking is an investment of your time and money. Sign up for our preparatory courses for O’levels English or tuition classes and let our tutors guide you. Most of our tutors are former teachers who will definitely be able to give you sound advice. Click here to reach us. 

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Alternatively, ITE offers a General Education (GE) Programme that offers part-time classes for English, Combined Humanities, Maths, Additional Mathematics, Double Sciences, Literature, Geography, Chinese, Tamil as well as Principles of Accounts. Classes run up to 32 weeks.

2. Take a Foundation Course

Private institutions here offer foundation diplomas that you can take—these last anywhere from 6-12 months full-time and give you the qualifications to progress to relevant diplomas offered by the same institution. Admission criteria is manageable for foundation diplomas; typically, all you’ll require is one GCE O-level pass and an O-level grade in English ranging from A1-D7, depending on the private institution.

Alternatively, you can explore pre-university entry programmes from private universities like Kaplan, MDIS, James Cook or even foundation year programmes abroad (which give you the chance to gain admission to overseas universities).

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Do note that this option can be very costly and in times of Covid-19 pandemic, it may not be the best approach at the moment. 

3. Slow down and study in a Centralised Institute

How about joining Millennia Institute (MI)?A Centralised Institute offers three-year pre-university courses under three streams. These are the arts and science streams that a typical JC offers as well as an additional commerce stream. 

The three years will give you a little more time to catch up on your studies and mug for the A-levels if you need some time (again, you’ll still need self-discipline). You’ll need an L1R4 of 5-20 to be eligible for admission.

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Specific subject requirements are as follows:

English Higher Chinese/Malay/Tamil Chinese/Malay/Tamil Chinese Basic/Malay Basic/Tamil Basic E Math/A Math
A1-C6 A1-E8 A1-D7 Merit/Pass A1-D7

 

If you find yourself unable to meet these requirements, Millennia Institute has a conditional student programme which will require you to re-sit for the relevant language and/or mathematics papers O-levels. You can re-take them for 2 times before your offer is revoked.

4. Consider enrolling for Poly Early Admissions Exercise

You can consider studying for a NITEC or Higher NITEC in ITE, before applying for a place in a Polytechnic via the Early Admissions Exercise (EAE). The EAE is a centralised aptitude-based admissions exercise, which allows students to apply for and receive conditional offers for admission to polytechnics prior to receiving their final grades.

This will be a longer route that will require a lot of resilience, but there are many who have taken it before you and succeeded. It’s also a suitable option if you’ve already set your heart on a polytechnic course, or have narrowed down an area of interest. You might need to submit portfolios and undergo interviews and aptitude tests, so start preparing early!

Hopefully, this article clears your doubts and let us link you up with a team of best tutors to help you fulfil your dreams. We are currently offering a trial lesson for private candidates. Email us your interest today.

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