These eight examples come from the schools’ own published information. Click the school name to inspect the source. This is a starting set for investigation, not a complete list of Singapore’s PG1 schools. Your home location, your child’s needs and the latest admission information should narrow it further.

What Springfield’s asterisk means: the school explains that its last admitted student’s score was better than 30. It nevertheless displayed a cut-off of 30 because vacancies remained after that posting exercise and an S1-eligible student with 30 could have been admitted. The display therefore does not establish that a student scoring 30 was actually posted there. It also says nothing definite about vacancies in the next exercise.

Some source pages were written for registration or transfer appeals. Here, their dated school figures provide historical evidence. Follow current MOE and school instructions for the exercise your child is entering.

MOE’s PG1 band includes PSLE totals of 26–30 with AL7 or better in both English Language and Mathematics. “Better” means a lower numerical AL. A child with English AL6 and Mathematics AL7 satisfies those two subject conditions. A child with English AL8 does not satisfy the English condition merely because the four-subject total is 26. Check the eligibility information issued with the results and ask the primary school if anything is unclear. See MOE’s Posting Group explanation.

There is an important difference between 25 and 26. A total of 25 is an option band for PG1 or PG2. A total of 26 does not itself provide that PG2 option. Families should use the eligibility shown for their child rather than copy the choices of a friend whose total is one point lower.

When students are eligible for two Posting Groups, they choose one group for all their school choices; they cannot mix PG1 and PG2 entries within the six-choice submission. This is stated in the MOE S1 Internet System guide. For an eligible score-26 PG1 applicant, compare each school’s PG1 information throughout the shortlist.

Keep the results slip beside you while researching. Write down the total, each subject’s result, whether a subject was taken at Standard or Foundation level, and the stated posting eligibility. Those details answer different questions and should remain visible together.

A historical range records an outcome from an earlier cohort. In an ordinary range such as 25–28, the final number is the cut-off point. It does not describe a fixed admission requirement that a school has promised to repeat. MOE explains that ranges depend on the cohort and its choices in its explanation of PSLE score ranges.

At score 26, a school with historical COP26 deserves careful attention if your child wants to attend. The comparison is an exact match: you have no numerical margin against that particular historical figure. A school with historical COP28 gives a different comparison because 26 is two points better. That is useful information, but it cannot be converted into an honest percentage chance without evidence about the coming applicants and places.

A workable research sheet can use three labels: “at the historical cut-off,” “better than the historical cut-off,” and “requires further checking.” These describe what you know. Avoid replacing them with claims about certain entry.

Also keep school quality separate from the arithmetic. A COP28 school may suit a child better than a COP26 school because the journey, learning arrangements or available activities fit better. The historical admission number does not answer those questions.

Before retaining a school, record the year, the correct Posting Group and whether the number is a full range or a cut-off alone. If an asterisk appears, read its explanation. This small habit prevents comparisons between unlike figures.

Begin with a longer list, perhaps eight to ten schools, then reduce it through actual checks. Use SchoolFinder to explore schools and follow through to their official websites. Check the PG1 entry information, travel, subjects, activities and practical arrangements that matter to your child.

MOE’s Parent Kit on choosing a secondary school recommends using all six choices and including two or three schools where the child’s score is better than the schools’ cut-off points. At score 26, the historical COP27, COP28 and COP29 examples above show how that comparison works. Their suitability still needs checking.

Do not fill every place with an exact COP26 match simply because those schools share your child’s number. Equally, there is no reason to remove a well-suited COP28 school from first place just because another school’s old cut-off was more stringent. Preference order should reflect where the child would most want to go among the researched options.

For every school retained, finish this sentence: “We would be comfortable accepting this school because…” A real answer might mention a manageable journey, a relevant activity and a clear response to a learning-support question. “We needed something for sixth choice” calls for more research.

Compare the final six as a whole. Have you included numerical room against historical cut-offs? Have you checked the journey for every school? Can the child explain why each remains on the list? Are the final choices schools you would actually accept?

Then order them once more without looking at the cut-off column. This helps reveal whether prestige, hearsay or the convenience of copying another family’s list has quietly replaced your own priorities.

The posting process considers academic merit first. Among students with the same PSLE score competing for the last available places, the tie-breakers are citizenship, school choice order and then computerised balloting. Citizenship priority is Singapore Citizen, Permanent Resident, then International Student. See MOE’s explanation of the posting rules and the official Pasir Ris Secondary admission FAQ.

Consider a simple illustration. Amir scores 26 and puts a school fourth. Beth scores 27 and puts it first. Assuming they are eligible applicants in the same Posting Group and admission category, such as two non-affiliated PG1 applicants, Beth’s first choice does not overturn Amir’s better PSLE score. Choice order matters at the tie-breaking stage, not ahead of merit.

Now suppose Amir and Chloe both score 26, have the same citizenship status and are competing for the last place. Chloe places that school first and Amir places it fourth. Choice order can distinguish them. If the score, citizenship and choice order remain tied, balloting may be needed.

These examples explain why families should take preference order seriously without imagining that it changes the child’s marks. Put a school first because it is the strongest overall fit among your researched choices. Keep the remaining choices thoughtful, since they are meaningful parts of the submission.

No one can infer the next posting outcome from a single old cut-off and the words “first choice.” Resist advice that claims otherwise without showing current evidence.

PG1 is a Posting Group; G1 is a subject level. The Posting Group guides entry and initial subject levels. Under Full Subject-Based Banding, students can take different subjects at different levels. The distinction matters because a total of 26 can contain a subject in which the child is substantially stronger. Read MOE’s explanation of the secondary-school experience.

These starting options concern English Language, Mother Tongue Languages, Mathematics and Science. The thresholds are stated in the joint MOE–SEAB explanation of PSLE results; current school explanations also describe the subject-specific arrangements, including Damai’s information for its 2026 S1 cohort. Check your child’s actual offer with the secondary school.

For example, imagine a Standard-subject profile of English AL5, Mathematics AL7, Science AL6 and Mother Tongue AL8. The total is 26 and both English and Mathematics meet the PG1 progression condition. The English and Science results also deserve separate attention when discussing starting subject levels. This fictional example illustrates why looking only at the total loses useful information.

Accepting a more demanding subject should involve a practical conversation: What will the lessons require? What does the child’s recent work show? How will progress be reviewed? What support is available if the pace proves difficult? An eligible offer is an opportunity to consider carefully, not a reason to take every possible additional challenge at once.

Full SBB also allows later adjustments based on performance and school assessment. Meridian Secondary’s current explanation describes opportunities beyond the start of S1, including more demanding Humanities from S2 for eligible students. Discuss the applicable criteria with the school; do not treat a future level change as automatic.

One page per school is enough. The aim is to record evidence that the family can compare, including unanswered questions. An empty box is useful if it tells you what to investigate next.

Try the journey at a relevant time where practical. A route that looks straightforward on a map may involve a long walk or an awkward transfer. Record the actual experience rather than arguing about an estimate.

At an open house, ask specific questions. “How does a new student ask for help with unfinished work?” invites a more useful response than “Is this a good school?” Write down the answer and who gave it, then compare it with your child’s needs.

Imagine Maya has an eligible total of 26. She enjoys practical projects, wants an activity she can continue regularly and finds long journeys tiring. Her family starts with ten schools and removes those whose travel arrangements they cannot sustain. The following school letters are fictional; the table demonstrates a decision process rather than a recommended ranking of real schools.

Notice that the numbers do not run neatly from 26 to 29. The family has already used the score information to assess the list. They then order the remaining schools by preference. School A stays first because it is their strongest fit, even though School B has a more stringent historical cut-off.

Before submission, Maya’s family performs one final check: the school identities and codes are correct, each choice uses PG1, the historical years are understood, and all six options remain acceptable. They also check the current submission instructions and retain the confirmation. The care is in the decisions and verification; the illustration makes no prediction about where Maya will be posted.

Once the school choices are settled, shift attention to a manageable start. The following is a suggested family routine, not an MOE requirement. Adjust it to the child’s actual work and the school’s advice.

Find one repairable problem in English

Read a short passage together and ask the child to explain what happened, which sentence supports the explanation and which word was unfamiliar. Then try a short written response. You are looking for a specific next step: understanding the question, locating evidence, explaining a word or writing a complete sentence.

If the answer is unclear, ask the child to explain it aloud before rewriting. Record one useful correction. A small collection of understood examples is easier to use than a pile of corrections that the child cannot explain.

Check the mathematics underneath the next topic

Choose a few examples involving whole-number operations, fractions, decimals, percentages or simple word problems, according to the child’s needs. Ask for the steps and the reason behind them. If a mistake recurs, return to that step rather than immediately adding harder questions.

For instance, a child who can calculate accurately but cannot identify what a question asks needs different practice from a child who chooses the right operation and then makes calculation errors. Keep those observations separate in a short notebook. They can support a focused conversation with a teacher.

Practise explaining and organising

For Science, invite the child to describe an observation and explain a possible reason using a familiar topic. For Mother Tongue, choose a short reading or conversation activity that the child can sustain. Ask for clarification when an explanation is incomplete; the goal is to make the thinking visible.

Then rehearse ordinary school routines: packing a bag, checking tomorrow’s timetable, recording a task and asking what to do when an instruction is unclear. These are practical preparations that the family can adjust immediately.

Keep a first-month check-in simple

Once S1 begins, ask three questions: “What made sense this week?”, “Where did you get stuck?” and “Who could help with that?” If the same difficulty persists, bring a concrete example to the relevant teacher. Keep the conversation focused on the task and the next action.

The PSLE total does not tell you which of these preparations matters most. Your child’s work, explanations and experience during the transition will give you a more useful starting point.

The Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board explains that the Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) begins in 2027. Students take subjects at their respective G1, G2 or G3 levels, and the certificate reflects their subjects and levels. This is why subject choices and progress remain relevant after the initial PG1 posting.

A child who enters S1 in 2027 would ordinarily reach S4 in 2030: S1 in 2027, S2 in 2028, S3 in 2029 and S4 in 2030. Individual progression can differ. The first SEC examinations in 2027 therefore belong to an earlier secondary-school cohort; they are not the leaving examinations for children just entering S1 that year.

You can inspect SEAB’s published 2027 G1 syllabuses to understand the kind of official subject information available. Check the syllabus and requirements for your child’s actual examination year when they are relevant, together with guidance from the school.

For future study decisions, return to current official entry requirements and the child’s actual subject results. A prediction based only on “26 at PSLE” leaves out the learning and choices still to come. The useful question in S1 is which foundations, interests and routines the child needs to develop next.

Can my child enter a school whose previous PG1 cut-off was 26?

The child matches that historical cut-off, assuming the other relevant eligibility requirements are met. It is a reasonable school to investigate if it suits your child, but its upcoming cut-off and available places are not established by last year’s figure. Keep the full six-choice list balanced and carefully researched.

Should every choice have a cut-off of 27 or above?

There is no universal list that fits every score-26 family. MOE’s advice to include two or three schools where the child’s score is better than the historical cut-off helps you review the overall mix. You can still investigate a COP26 school that is a genuine preference.

Does a displayed range of 25–28 mean 26 is too low?

No. Lower numerical PSLE scores are better. In that historical range, 26 falls between 25 and 28 and is better than the historical cut-off of 28. Read the correct Posting Group and cohort year before applying the comparison.

Can a child with 26 choose PG2 because one subject is strong?

The aggregate posting eligibility and individual subject-level offers are separate. Score 26 falls within the PG1 band subject to the English and Mathematics conditions. A strong individual subject may create a more demanding subject option within Full SBB; it does not turn the total into the score-25 PG1/PG2 option band.

Is it sensible to put a COP28 school above a COP26 school?

Yes, if it is the school your child and family genuinely prefer after checking suitability. Historical cut-offs help you evaluate the list; they do not require you to sort schools from the most stringent cut-off downwards.

What if an older page uses a different school figure?

Check whether it describes a different intake, a different Posting Group or a different type of admission information. Use the latest applicable SchoolFinder information and clarify conflicting figures with the school. Keep the source and year beside every number you record.

1. Confirm eligibility. Check the total, the English and Mathematics results, and the Posting Group stated for your child.
2. Build a longer shortlist. Start with the official school examples above and use SchoolFinder to identify further suitable options.
3. Record the evidence. Keep each PG1 figure, its cohort year, its official source and any explanatory asterisk together.
4. Check daily fit. Investigate travel, subject offers, learning support and an activity the child would enjoy.
5. Select and order six real preferences. Review the numerical spread against historical cut-offs and make sure every choice is acceptable.
6. Follow the current submission instructions. Check school identities, codes, order and the applicable deadline, then retain the confirmation.
7. Prepare one manageable learning step. Use actual work to choose what needs attention first, and discuss subject-level offers with the secondary school.

At score 26, the most helpful decision is a well-researched school list paired with a clear understanding of your child’s subjects. Keep both in view: where the child could enter, and what would help the child learn well after arriving.