Changes in Junior College Admission Criteria from 2028: What Parents Need to Know
Starting in 2028, students applying for junior colleges (JCs) will be assessed based on five O-Level subjects instead of six. The Ministry of Education (MOE) announced this adjustment to the admission criteria to provide students with greater flexibility in their subject choices and learning pace.
Currently, the L1R5 criteria require students to achieve a score of 20 or better across six subjects. These subjects include one language, one humanities, one science or mathematics, an additional humanities, science, or mathematics subject, and two other best-performing subjects.
From 2028, the new L1R4 system will replace L1R5. Students will need to score 16 points or better across five subjects, eliminating one of their best-scoring subjects from consideration. However, they must still achieve at least a D7 in their mother tongue language to qualify for JC admission.
For students applying to Millennia Institute (MI), the admission threshold will remain at 20 points under L1R4. However, they must include three subjects from both the humanities and science or mathematics subject groups to meet the new criteria.
Despite this change, MOE expects the proportion and profile of students qualifying for JC to remain largely the same. This adjustment aims to allow students to take fewer subjects or choose some at a less demanding level, reducing academic pressure.
With this change, students will have more time to explore their interests, strengthen their communication and collaboration skills through co-curricular activities, and discover their strengths through school programs.
As parents, you can support your child by guiding them in selecting subjects that align with their strengths and aspirations. Encourage them to make full use of the additional time to develop essential life skills and pursue activities that enhance their personal growth.
Stay informed about these changes and work with your child’s school to ensure they make the best choices for their future education and career pathways.
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How Will This Benefit Your Child?
📚 More flexibility – Students can take fewer subjects or study some at a less demanding level.
⏳ More time for personal growth – This change allows them to focus on CCAs, leadership roles, and skill development.
🎯 Stronger academic foundation – Subject requirements remain rigorous, ensuring students are well-prepared for JC.
What are some other important changes in JC Admission Criteria?
🔹 Bonus Points Adjustment – The maximum bonus points students can earn (e.g., for CCA or affiliation) will be reduced from 4 to 3 points. Bonus points are those that can be deducted from students’ overall raw scores if they meet certain conditions, to improve their final net scores.
🔹 Millennia Institute (MI) Admission Criteria – The scoring system of L1R4 will also apply to MI, but the qualifying score will remain at 20 points.
🔹 New SEC Examinations from 2027 – The Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) will replace O- and N-Level exams under the full subject-based banding system.
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With these new changes to JC entry, does this mean that it will be easier for my child to enter a Junior College?
Unfortunately no.
In 2024, there were 19,200 candidates who were posted to a post-secondary institution. Out of which only 39 percent managed to enter JCs and Millennia Institute (MI) according to figures from the Ministry of Education (MOE). The academic requirements for entering a JC remains and will be kept rigorous. The JC entry requirements change will allow students to focus on subjects that they are stronger in. Students will still need to score C6 or above for English. Instead of L1R5, now they only need L1R4 out of which they will still require English or higher mother tongue and three relevant subjects, including at least one each from mathematics/science and humanities.
The key difference is students now need to include only one additional best-scoring subject instead of two and the aggregate for entry to JC is 16 or below instead of 20.
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