Singapore Adopts The International Baccalaureate Model.

Singapore; March 2026: The Singaporean Government has decided to adopt a New Educational Policy aligning the scholastic system with the International Baccalaureate Model.

Current Secondary 3 students will be the first to go through a simplified application exercise in early 2028, for admission into post-secondary institutions. Instead of applying in separate exercises held on different dates, and navigating multiple online portals, students will use one common platform to submit up to 12 choices as part of the new Post-Secondary Admission Exercise. This includes courses at junior colleges (JCs), Millennia Institute, polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE).

Currently, students navigate a timeline of examinations and admissions that stretches from September through January of the following year.

Speaking at the debate on the Education Ministry’s budget today morning (Singapore Local Time), Senior Minister of State for Education David Neo said needing to keep track of the different application processes and timelines may create more uncertainty for students regarding their posting choices.

With all pathways and courses available for selection on a single platform, students can select and rank their choices based on their preference, he added. They will no longer need to keep track of various admissions exercises.

This administrative shift follows the move away from placing students in the Express, Normal (Academic) (NA) and Normal (Technical) (NT) streams. The 2024 Secondary 1 batch were the first to experience full subject-based banding that year. Instead of being sorted into academic streams, they take subjects at varying difficulty levels – G1, G2 or G3, depending on their PSLE scores and strengths.

They will also sit the new Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) examinations starting in 2027, which will replace the current Singapore-Cambridge General Certificate of Education (GCE) exams. The SEC written exams for English and mother tongue language will be held in the second week of September, one month ahead of other subjects to spread out the exam load. There will also be one common exam period for the written papers of other subjects, starting in October.

Students will receive their SEC results in mid-January in 2028, which can be used to apply for various education pathways via the new Post-Secondary Admission Exercise (PSE). They will then use the PSE application portal, open over six days and accessible by Singpass, to submit up to 12 choices of post-secondary courses they are eligible for, listed in order of preference.

Posting results for all students will be released at the same time, between end-January and early February in 2028.

Students posted to the JCs and Millennia Institute will report to school the next school day. Those posted to the polytechnics and ITE will report later in April.

Mr Neo added that to encourage students to prioritise schools and courses based on their strengths and interests, choice order – whether a student indicates a school as his or her first choice – will be introduced as a posting tiebreaker for the PSE. This is similar to the Secondary 1 posting exercise.

He said choice order will be considered after citizenship, followed by gross aggregate score, and computerised balloting.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) offers four rigorous, globally recognised educational programs – namely: PYP – Primary Year Program; MYP – Middle Year Program; DP – Diploma Programme; CP – Career Related Programme for students aged 3–19. Focused on critical thinking and holistic development, the IB operates in over 5,400 schools worldwide, emphasising international-mindedness and preparing students for university.

Key aspects of the IB program include:

Programs: The Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), Diploma Programme (DP), and Career-related Programme (CP).

Core Components (DP): Theory of Knowledge (TOK), the Extended Essay, and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS).

Assessment: DP subjects are graded 1-7, with a maximum total score of 45, including bonus points.

Recognition: The Diploma Programme is widely accepted by universities globally and is considered equivalent to 12th-grade education in India.

Focus: The curriculum is concept-based, emphasizing research, critical thinking, and a global perspective.

The IB aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people, preparing them for success in higher education and life.

Team Maverick.