In the latest changes in schools to reduce the focus on exam grades and academic stress, the Ministry of Education in Singapore has announced a slew of changes to the JC and MI assessments (for students taking A Levels).
Amongst the changes to take place from the 2024 intake onwards: no more mid-year exams, pass-fail grade for project work, and an adjusted computation for the university admissions score. Potential JC students, educators, and parents – take note! Get your updates on these changes outlined below:
Mid-year exams will be scrapped from 2024 onwards
The mid-year exams have already been progressively removed in primary schools and secondary schools. The time has come for JCs and MI to do away with the mid-year exams.
If you think that schools will just replace the mid-year exams with other assessments under a different name, MOE has already pre-empted that. According to the ministry, JCs and MI are not supposed to replace the mid-year exams with other school-based assessments. Additionally, schools can only give allocate a maximum of one weighted assessment in each term.
The time freed up from preparing for the mid-year exams will be used instead for more varied learning experiences to increase student engagement with the subjects. Hopefully, this will mean that the JC curriculum will feel less hectic and give students more time to actually enjoy what they learn, rather than cram for the exams.
However, we can’t help but feel concerned about the removal of a key checkpoint leading up to the A Level exams. Some students need these types of assessments to keep their revision on pace and their standards up to mark. At Future Academy, we will keep a close eye on our students’ progress and continue to implement topical, termly, and semestral revisions to ensure our students are well on track towards the A Levels.
General paper will become compulsory for all A Level students
Under the current system, students can either take General Paper (GP) or use Knowledge and Inquiry (KI) to replace it. But for 2024’s new JC and MI students and beyond, GP will become compulsory for all students taking the A Levels in Singapore. Knowledge and Inquiry can be used as a contrasting core subject, but cannot be taken in place of GP.
The rational lies in MOE’s increasing emphasis on developing students’ critical thinking skills, which is also reflected in the way the changes to the GP exam syllabus. As a result, we think we might see more students needing help with GP and as more students will be taking it and the difficulty level may be higher.
Project Work will become a pass-fail subject
Starting with the students entering JC and MI in 2024, Project Work will no longer be given a letter grade. Instead, it will be awarded either a Pass or Fail.
This aims to reduce the pressure on students to get excellent grades for Project Work, which is a group-based project done in Year 1. However, students will need to get a Pass in order to be eligible to apply to university.
Score calculation for A Level will change
To further reduce the burden on students to do well for every subject, the A Level computation for the university admissions score (UAS) will also be adjusted.
Currently, the UAS is calculated as follows:
- Each H2 subject is worth 20 points
- Each H1 subject is worth 10 points
- Total score = 3x H2 core subjects + 1x H1 core subject + GP + PW = 90 points
- For students taking 4 H2 subjects, the subject with the lowest grade will be taken as the H1 core subject.
- For students taking Mother Tongue, it will be added to the total and the marks re-computed to a base of 90 points.
In the new system, which will apply starting with students entering JC in 2024, the score will be calculated as such:
- Each H2 subject is worth 20 points
- Each H1 subject is worth 10 points
- Total score: 3x H2 core subjects + GP = 70 points
- The H1 core subject (or lowest scoring H2 subject) and mother tongue subject will only be included in the total score if it improves the score. The total score will be averaged out to a base of 70 points.
- PW will not be included in the UAS score, but a Pass is required to apply to local unis.
Conclusion
These mark a monumental change in the history of Singapore’s A Level examinations, but it remains to be seen if it will be effective in reducing the emphasis on grades and examinations for students. We believe it will take some time for attitudes to change, and parents also need to shift their perspective and avoid putting too much pressure on their children.
At Future Academy, we are here to support students regardless of their academic goals. Even with fewer school exams, we help you stay on track and motivated with regular progress updates and revisions in classes like our A Level GP tuition and more. Most importantly, we believe learning should be enjoyable and meaningful, which is why our tutors are also passionate in what they teach.
Enquire today about our JC tuition classes, including JC Physics tuition and more, and be supported in every step of your JC journey.