Which Is The Right JC For You? JC Cut-Off Points And Comparison (2023)

Thinking of going to Junior College after Secondary School? Want to find out what schools you can go to with your O Level result? Well, we’ve got it all sorted out for you! Read on to learn more about the latest JC cut-off points and top JC school comparisons in the second part of our post.

We all know how important the O Level results are for going to JC. Unless you are in the Integrated Programme or applying to Junior College through Direct School Admission (DSA), you will most likely be entering JC through the Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE), which looks at your O Level results.

To know which schools your O Level results qualify you for, understanding the JC cut-off points and JC rankings is important. This cut-off point can serve as a target for your studies if you are studying for the O Levels, or to guide your options with the results that you already have.

O Level cut-off points for Singapore Junior Colleges in 2023

The table below shows the 2023 O Level cut-off points for all junior colleges in Singapore for student admitted in 2023, arranged in order of their scores. You’ll find a total of 18 schools, with cut-off scores defined for the Science stream and Arts stream (learn more about JC subject combinations). All except 2 schools are A Level schools, while Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) and St Joseph’s Institution run the International Baccalaureate diploma programme.

Find out more about the IB programme in Singapore.

Notes:

• Millennia Institute has an additional Commerce stream with cut off point of 19 points in 2023.
• Anderson Serangoon JC and Temasek JC will be relocating to their respective temporary campuses from Jan 2024 to 2027 (tentative) due to upgrading works.

These 2023 JC cut-off points are based on the results of the students with the lowest O Level aggregate score that a school admits in a year. But it’s important to realise that it is not a fixed number. For example, let’s say that the cut-off point for School X in 2021 is 8 points. A student with 9 points may still be able to get into School X in 2022 – and this will raise the cut-off point for School X to 9 points or higher in 2022.

If you’re still unfamiliar about O Level score calculations, check out our previous post which explains how the O Level L1R5 scoring works.

Top ranking JCs in Singapore (2022)

With 18 Junior Colleges in Singapore, there’s not a particularly vast number of choices. Yet, it can feel like a dilemma trying to select the right school for yourself. First question you want to ask yourself is this: do you want to take the IB or A Levels?

Then, you can narrow down your choices based on factors like ranking, available subjects, school location, culture and CCAs.

To aid your decision-making, here’s a quick dive into the best JCs in Singapore (in terms of O Level cut off points). 

1. Hwa Chong Institution

Vying for the top spot with Raffles Institution, Hwa Chong Institution is a historically rich and extremely well-performing junior college in Singapore. It has produced 58 President’s Scholars and a huge percentage of students who end up in prestigious universities worldwide, including University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Harvard University, Stanford University, Yale University, Tsinghua University, and Peking University.

Hwa Chong Institution has a strong Chinese heritage and emphasis on bicultural learning, which explains its strong connections to schools in China as well as subject offerings like Chinese Translation and China Studies in Chinese. Students with particular interests or aptitudes in these areas will find Hwa Chong an ideal place to grow and find opportunities.

A highly competitive school, Hwa Chong Institution also offers plenty of talent programmes and H3 subjects in partnership with local universities and research labs. It is definitely a good place for brilliant students to challenge themselves and take a deep dive into their interests.

Niche subjects offered: Computing, China Studies in Chinese, Chinese Language and Literature

Translation (Chinese), English Language and Linguistic, Further Mathematics, Music, H3 Programmes (university-taught, or extended research)

Talent programmes offered: Humanities Programme, Chinese Elective Programme, Art Elective Programme, Bicultural Studies Programme, Science & Math Talent Programme, Gifted And Talented Education Programme (GATE), Computing Talent Programme (CTP)

IP Partner schools: Nanyang Girls’ High School, Hwa Chong Institution

Nearest MRT: Tan Kah Kee

O Level cut-off score: 5 (Arts), 4 (Science)

2. Raffles Institution

Tied in first place with Hwa Chong Institution, Raffles Institution is another brilliant junior college in Singapore. It is the oldest school in Singapore, and is probably the school with the most number of admissions to Ivy League schools and Oxbridge, as well as the most number of notable alumni who have gone on to become Prime Ministers and Presidents of Singapore.

Unlike the Chinese emphasis in Hwa Chong Institution, Raffles Institution offers more options in terms of language learning and literature subjects, including literature subjects in all three official mother tongue languages in Singapore.

In all other areas, Raffles Institution offers impressive performance and options as well, not to mention a plethora of talent programmes in areas of math, science, cultural studies, research – and interestingly – sports science.

Niche subjects offered: Art, Chinese Language and Literature, Computing, English Language & Linguistics, Further Mathematics, Malay Language and Literature, Music, Tamil Language and Literature

Talent programmes offered: Raffles Academy (Math and Science), Raffles Research Attachment Programme, Raffles Bi-cultural Programme (China), Regional Studies Programme, Raffles Humanities Programme, EWBIS Programme (Sports Science), and more

IP Partner schools: Raffles Girls’ School, Raffles Institution

Nearest MRT: Braddell

O Level cut-off score: 5 (Arts), 4 (Science)

3. Nanyang Junior College

Nanyang Junior College (NYJC) has seen a steady rise in standards through the past decade, putting it currently at the number 2 spot in terms of cut-off points in 2022. Due to its affiliation with Chung Cheng High School (Main and Yishun), JAE students from the two secondary schools can get a minus 2 points bonus if they choose NYJC as their top choice.

Like Hwa Chong Institution, Nanyang Junior College has retained its strong Chinese culture, which shows in its subject offerings and special programmes. It is one of the few junior colleges offering Translation in Chinese. But what’s even more interesting is the school’s partnership with Peking University, granting direct admission for its students to the prestigious Chinese university.

Besides the usual talent development programmes, a unique one is the NYJC Galileo programme, which is a holistic programme that aims to develop values and skills in students through activities like taking part in Meet the People sessions in their local community, community project work, seminars and dialogues with prominent figures in society, and leadership camps.

Niche subjects offered: Art, Chinese Language and Literature, Malay Language and Literature, Translation (Chinese), Computing, Further Mathematics

Talent programmes offered: Chinese Language Elective Programme, Art Elective Programme, Science Research Programme, NYJC Galileo

Affiliations: Chung Cheng High School (Main), Chung Cheng High School (Yishun)

Nearest MRT: Lorong Chuan

O Level cut-off score: 6 (Arts), 5 (Science)

4. Eunoia Junior College

The newest-formed junior college in Singapore, Eunoia Junior College takes in Integrated Programme students from its three partner schools, as well as JAE students from the O Level intake. For a school less than 10 years old to be ranking amongst the top junior colleges in Singapore, they must be doing something right!

The school offers some of the most comprehensive subject options, including China Studies, Translation in Chinese, Literature (in all 3 mother tongues), Art, Music, and Further Mathematics.

Besides the usual MOE talent programmes, Eunoia Junior College also organises a slew of their own personal development and talent programmes, ranging in foci from STEM research to global studies, as well as leadership and community engagement.

Niche subjects offered: China Studies in Chinese, Chinese Language and Literature, Translation (Chinese), Malay Language and Literature, Tamil Language and Literature, Music, Art

Talent programmes offered: Passion Pursuit, Life Coaching Programme, World Readiness Programme, GLIDE, STEM Research Programme, Programme Latitude, Programme Altitude, and Programme Magnitude.

IP Partner schools: Catholic High School, Singapore Chinese Girls’ School, and CHIJ Saint Nicholas Girls’ School

Nearest MRT: Bright Hill and Bishan

O Level cut-off score: 8 (Arts), 6 (Science)

5. National Junior College

The first government junior college to be set up in Singapore, National Junior College has the pride of calling Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong its alumni. A big part of the school’s ethos is providing equal opportunities to top-performing pre-university students, so NJC does not have any affiliation to other secondary schools or ties to any racial or religious groups. Currently, NJC accepts both IP students from its own high school section as well as JAE students.

NJC piloted many talent programmes in their early days, and today it continues to offer a wide range of them, including the Art Elective Programme, Humanities Programme, Language Elective Programmes, and more.

Niche subjects offered: Further Mathematics, Computing, Chinese Literature, Malay Literature, Tamil Literature, English Language and Linguistics

Talent programmes offered: Art Elective Programme, Music Programme, Research, Malay Language Elective Programme, Tamil Language Elective Programme, Humanities Programme

IP Partner schools: National Junior College

Nearest MRT: Tan Kah Kee

O Level cut-off score: 8 (Arts), 7 (Science)

6. Victoria Junior College

Victoria Junior College is a vibrant school located at the East Coast area of Singapore. In its heyday, it ranked amongst the top three junior colleges in Singapore, but has since been overtaken and is currently tied for 5^th place with National Junior College. Since 2012, Victoria Junior College offers the Integrated Programme, accepting IP students from Victoria School and Cedar Girls’ High School.

Up till 2005, VJC was the only JC in Singapore to offer Theatre and Drama as an A Level subject. Today, VJC differentiates its Theatre studies curriculum with a unique Drama Elective Programme, a one-of-a-kind programme for JC students in Singapore. It may seem that VJC is strong in the arts, as it is also highly reputed for their choir and dance CCAs, which have gone to win awards internationally.

Niche subjects offered: Art, China Studies in English, Chinese Language and Literature, Tamil Language and Literature, Theatre Studies and Drama, Computing, Further Mathematics

Talent programmes offered: VSMART (Math and Science Research), Humanities Programme, Drama Elective Programme, Regional Studies Programme

Affiliation: Victoria School

IP Partner schools: Victoria School, Cedar Girls’ High School

Nearest MRT: Kembangan

O Level cut-off score: 8 (Arts), 7 (Science)

Top IB JCs in Singapore

Two of the top-ranking junior colleges in Singapore run the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). Both are also IP schools which take in students from their partner secondary schools. Learn more about Singapore’s IB schools in our earlier article, or find out more about IB subject combinations in Singapore.

Make the smart choice in JC

Ultimately, choosing your JC is only one step of your A Level or IB journey. It will affect a lot of things, including the friends you make, the teachers you meet, the study environment you will be in, and even the opportunities you get.

However, there’s one more thing you can control – and that’s the tutor that you choose. When you engage an external tutor such as an IP Math tutor, you can ensure that your studies will be on track, even if you find out that your school teachers or learning pace may not be the best fit for you.

Future Academy conducts small group tuition, including JC Physics Tuition, that provides highly personalised tutoring for JC students, helping you identify problem areas early and devise strategies to help you overcome them – all in time for you to tackle your A Levels with confidence.