Studying in Singapore: Basic things you need to know
Singapore's education not only inherits the Commonwealth's education system, but also has unique advantages such as bilingual teaching, accompanying study policy and low tuition fees.
With these advantages, Singapore has undoubtedly become the first choice for Chinese parents to study abroad!
For a while, Singapore was the most popular country among all the overseas study countries, attracting a large number of overseas students to study here every year.
However, the application process at each stage is very hot, so if you want to study in Singapore, you must understand and plan ahead. If you miss the application deadline, you will have to wait until next year! So make sure you plan well!
1. Kindergarten Application
Singapore's preschool education can be divided into 6 stages according to the age of the child :
Infant care: 2 months to 18 months
Play Group (PG): 18 months to 3 years old
Nursery 1 (N1): 3 years old
Nursery 2 (N2): 4 years old
Kindergarten 1 (K1): 5 years old
Kindergarten 2 (K2): 6 years old
Kindergartens in Singapore are mainly divided into three categories : government kindergartens, private kindergartens and international kindergartens. Their fee standards are also different.
Except for those kindergartens set up by foreign education groups, the school calendar is arranged according to the regulations of the formal education system. Each school year consists of 4 10-week semesters, and the first semester starts on January 2nd of each year.
2. Application for Primary and Secondary Schools
For international students who want to attend Singapore’s government primary and secondary schools , the main ways are primary school entrance and the Singapore Government Primary and Secondary School International Student Unified Entrance Examination ( AEIS Examination).
The admission process for primary and secondary schools can be divided into three major stages each year. International students are in the third stage and the competition is quite fierce.
Families of international students who wish to participate in Phase 3 must remember to submit a "Statement of Intent" at the end of May each year. Foreign children who have submitted a "Statement of Intent" and received notification from the Ministry of Education in October that they have been awarded a place in Primary 1 must register at the school.
International students in grades other than Primary 1 need to take the AIES exam. The Admissions Exercise for International Students (AIES) is an entrance exam organized and arranged by the Singapore Ministry of Education for international students who intend to apply to study in Singapore's government primary and secondary schools. The exam is held in mid-September every year.
International students who successfully pass the exam will be able to directly enroll in Singapore’s government secondary and primary schools in January of the following year.
In addition, there is the S-AEIS exam, which is a supplementary exam and is held in February every year. Students who pass the exam will be admitted in June of the following year. Like the AEIS exam, the S-AEIS exam will also be organized and held by the Singapore Ministry of Education.
3. Singapore Junior College
Junior colleges in Singapore are equivalent to high schools in China. After 4-5 years of courses, students take the Cambridge O-level exam . Students with excellent grades can continue their studies at junior colleges. After two years of study, they take the A-level exam and apply for Singapore universities based on their scores.
Singapore Cambridge O Level, referred to as GCE 'O' Level, is a unified examination jointly organized by the Ministry of Education of Singapore and the University of Cambridge Examinations Board of the United Kingdom.
O-level is also an examination that secondary school students in Singapore take after completing 4 years of secondary education. The examination is held once a year and the examination results are recognized and accepted by various Commonwealth countries.
The O-level examination is held once a year, starting in July and ending at the end of November. The examination results are recognized and accepted by all Commonwealth countries.
The examination results will be announced in late January or early February of the following year, and the examination certificates will be issued in May.
4. National University of Singapore
For students studying in Singapore public universities, the application period is from mid-October to February of the following year.
Students can apply in October of the first half of their senior year , and then submit their college entrance examination scores after receiving them.
Note: The application period of Singapore’s online application system is not long. Students who want to study in Singapore must complete the application as soon as possible.
Students can use their college entrance examination scores to apply for university.