edu|Kate Singapore · PSLE School Choice · Posting Group 3

A PSLE score of 13 belongs to Posting Group 3 (PG3), not Posting Group 2. For the 2025 PSLE cohort entering Secondary 1 in 2026, selected non-affiliated PG3 programmes had a cut-off of 13: Crescent Girls’ School, Tanjong Katong Girls’ School, Tanjong Katong Secondary School, Clementi Town Secondary, Commonwealth Secondary, Fuhua, Xinmin, Yishun Town and Presbyterian High, among others. These are historical data points, not admission guarantees.

At score 13, a family has a practical advantage in how it can research school fit: there are girls’ schools and co-educational schools, different parts of Singapore, and options whose previous COP was 14–18. We explain how to create a school-choice list that respects the student’s real preference while accounting for gender eligibility, affiliation rules, travel, Full Subject-Based Banding and the later SEC examination.

Immediate answers for parents:

• Score 13 is PG3, normally starting with G3 subjects.
• Previous COP 13 examples include Crescent Girls, Tanjong Katong Girls, Tanjong Katong Secondary, Clementi Town and Xinmin.
• Verify single-sex eligibility and any affiliated range: CHIJ St. Theresa’s Convent had non-affiliated 13 and affiliated 20 in the reference exercise.
• Compare previous COPs 14–18 as alternatives without treating a one-point gap as a mathematically proven admission probability.

Historical data date: Numbers here refer to the PSLE cohort of 2025 posted to Secondary 1 in 2026. Checked on 4 November 2026. The score ranges and actual cut-offs for 2027 Secondary 1 entry are not yet known. Verify school specifics through MOE SchoolFinder. This is independent educational guidance; it is not MOE or SEAB.

1. At a glance: schools and previous PG3 cut-offs

These 35 examples include 10 schools with a non-affiliated historical PG3 cut-off of 13 and other programmes with numerically less stringent earlier cut-offs. They are curated for this guide; they do not represent every eligible school. The first and last scores reflect previous posted pupils, and affiliations must be read separately. MOE explains why cut-offs are not predetermined.

Secondary school · official school site	Intake	2025 PSLE cohort PG3 range	Historical cut-off category	How score 13 compares
Crescent Girls’ School	Girls	7–13	Non-affiliated 13	At the previous numerical cut-off (13); admission is not assured.
Tanjong Katong Girls’ School	Girls	7–13	Non-affiliated 13	At the previous numerical cut-off (13); admission is not assured.
Tanjong Katong Secondary School	Co-educational	7–13	Non-affiliated 13	At the previous numerical cut-off (13); admission is not assured.
Yishun Town Secondary School	Co-educational	5–13	Non-affiliated 13	At the previous numerical cut-off (13); admission is not assured.
Clementi Town Secondary School	Co-educational	8–13	Non-affiliated 13	At the previous numerical cut-off (13); admission is not assured.
Commonwealth Secondary School	Co-educational	8–13	Non-affiliated 13	At the previous numerical cut-off (13); admission is not assured.
Fuhua Secondary School	Co-educational	8–13	Non-affiliated 13	At the previous numerical cut-off (13); admission is not assured.
Xinmin Secondary School	Co-educational	8–13	Non-affiliated 13	At the previous numerical cut-off (13); admission is not assured.
Presbyterian High School	Co-educational	8–13	Non-affiliated 13	At the previous numerical cut-off (13); admission is not assured.
CHIJ St. Theresa’s Convent	Girls	11–13	Non-affiliated 13; affiliated 20	At the previous numerical cut-off (13); admission is not assured.
Dunman Secondary School	Co-educational	6–14	Non-affiliated 14	Numerically below the previous cut-off (14); still verify the current rules and fit.
Edgefield Secondary School	Co-educational	5–14	Non-affiliated 14	Numerically below the previous cut-off (14); still verify the current rules and fit.
Hua Yi Secondary School	Co-educational	8–14	Non-affiliated 14	Numerically below the previous cut-off (14); still verify the current rules and fit.
Pei Hwa Secondary School	Co-educational	7–14	Non-affiliated 14	Numerically below the previous cut-off (14); still verify the current rules and fit.
Riverside Secondary School	Co-educational	8–14	Non-affiliated 14	Numerically below the previous cut-off (14); still verify the current rules and fit.
St. Hilda’s Secondary School	Co-educational	12–14	Non-affiliated 14; affiliated 22	Numerically below the previous cut-off (14); still verify the current rules and fit.
CHIJ St. Joseph’s Convent	Girls	8–14	Non-affiliated 14; affiliated 20	Numerically below the previous cut-off (14); still verify the current rules and fit.
Holy Innocents’ High School	Co-educational	11–14	Non-affiliated 14; affiliated 22	Numerically below the previous cut-off (14); still verify the current rules and fit.
Kranji Secondary School	Co-educational	10–14	Non-affiliated 14	Numerically below the previous cut-off (14); still verify the current rules and fit.
CHIJ Katong Convent	Girls	11–14	Non-affiliated 14; affiliated 20	Numerically below the previous cut-off (14); still verify the current rules and fit.
Geylang Methodist School (Secondary)	Co-educational	11–14	Non-affiliated 14; affiliated 21	Numerically below the previous cut-off (14); still verify the current rules and fit.
Yusof Ishak Secondary School	Co-educational	7–15	Non-affiliated 15	Numerically below the previous cut-off (15); still verify the current rules and fit.
Bukit Batok Secondary School	Co-educational	8–15	Non-affiliated 15	Numerically below the previous cut-off (15); still verify the current rules and fit.
Evergreen Secondary School	Co-educational	10–15	Non-affiliated 15	Numerically below the previous cut-off (15); still verify the current rules and fit.
Hai Sing Catholic School	Co-educational	11–15	Non-affiliated 15	Numerically below the previous cut-off (15); still verify the current rules and fit.
Gan Eng Seng School	Co-educational	9–15	Non-affiliated 15	Numerically below the previous cut-off (15); still verify the current rules and fit.
St. Gabriel’s Secondary School	Boys	10–15	Non-affiliated 15; affiliated 22	Numerically below the previous cut-off (15); still verify the current rules and fit.
St. Anthony’s Canossian Secondary School	Girls	12–15	Non-affiliated 15; affiliated 22	Numerically below the previous cut-off (15); still verify the current rules and fit.
Greendale Secondary School	Co-educational	11–16	Non-affiliated 16	Numerically below the previous cut-off (16); still verify the current rules and fit.
Jurong Secondary School	Co-educational	12–16	Non-affiliated 16	Numerically below the previous cut-off (16); still verify the current rules and fit.
Ang Mo Kio Secondary School	Co-educational	12–16	Non-affiliated 16	Numerically below the previous cut-off (16); still verify the current rules and fit.
Bedok View Secondary School	Co-educational	12–16	Non-affiliated 16	Numerically below the previous cut-off (16); still verify the current rules and fit.
Bowen Secondary School	Co-educational	12–16	Non-affiliated 16	Numerically below the previous cut-off (16); still verify the current rules and fit.
Jurong West Secondary School	Co-educational	11–16	Non-affiliated 16	Numerically below the previous cut-off (16); still verify the current rules and fit.
Deyi Secondary School	Co-educational	9–16	Non-affiliated 16	Numerically below the previous cut-off (16); still verify the current rules and fit.

Important: School URLs in the first column open official school websites where available. Check the actual SchoolFinder programme and the school code, not just the name. If a listed programme has a separate affiliated COP, that category is available only to pupils who meet its current conditions. A historical margin is not a guaranteed placement.

2. Girls’ schools, mixed intakes and why a school name is insufficient

Crescent Girls’ School and Tanjong Katong Girls’ School both had non-affiliated COP 13 for the PSLE 2025 cohort. Tanjong Katong Secondary School also ended at 13 but has a co-educational Secondary 1 intake. These three schools should not be collapsed into the phrase “Tanjong Katong area schools” because they provide different student experiences and have their own programmes.

CHIJ St. Theresa’s Convent had a non-affiliated COP of 13 and a separate affiliated COP of 20. It is a girls’ school with a particular school heritage and affiliation arrangement. A family can be misled by a table that reports only the affiliated number. This guide always identifies which category is being compared.

The child should explain what they value in a girls’ or co-educational setting, if they have a choice. Do they prefer the school’s teaching style, student leadership opportunities, activities or location? A school with a strong reputation will not automatically be a strong fit if the student is unenthusiastic about its normal routines. Check who can enter before discussing the historical cut-off.

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3. The 13-point comparison looks different in different parts of Singapore

Clementi Town, Commonwealth and Fuhua are useful western-Singapore research examples at the old COP of 13. Yishun Town, Xinmin and Presbyterian High may enter a northern or north-eastern shortlist. Tanjong Katong Girls and Tanjong Katong Secondary are relevant eastern comparisons. This is a broad geographic spread, not a claim that these schools have equivalent transport connections.

Use a realistic door-to-door journey. School begins at a particular time, and CCAs can end later than ordinary lessons. A single transfer can be smooth at one time of day and slow at another. Add walking from the station, a safe road crossing and whether the child can get home independently.

The school-choice list must not become a map of fashionable names. At score 13, compare one or two suitable programmes within the child’s comfortable travel zone with options that offer something distinctive. If a more distant school has a subject or CCA the child particularly values, weigh its benefits against the travel commitment. Time and energy matter across four years of school.

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4. What a previous cut-off of 13 actually means

A non-affiliated PG3 range of 7–13 means that, in the completed 2025 posting exercise, the first admitted pupil in that category had score 7 and the last had score 13. The first number is not a minimum entry threshold. A stronger score of 6 would not be excluded for being below 7.

The last number is the cut-off point (COP). If a new applicant has score 13, they match the historical numeric endpoint. MOE explicitly says meeting a previous COP does not guarantee admission: the next cohort’s choices and vacancies are not identical, and some applicants at a completed year’s cut-off were tie-broken out.

A school with a previous COP of 14 is numerically less stringent by one point. At 15 it is two points; at 18, five. The differences help diversify the shortlist, not assign numerical chances. Use the year and category every time you quote a COP, and stop an unlabelled screenshot from being mistaken for the latest official posting outcome.

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5. How the affiliated and non-affiliated tables can tell different stories

CHIJ St. Theresa’s Convent illustrates the distinction: non-affiliated 11–13, and a separate affiliated outcome reaching 20 in the 2025 cohort. A non-affiliated score-13 pupil should use the non-affiliated outcome for the historical comparison. The affiliated figure may apply only to a pupil whose recognised affiliation and choice conditions are met.

Families sometimes assume that attending a primary school with a similar name automatically grants the relevant priority. It does not. Check MOE’s school-specific affiliation information and the current conditions. Also distinguish primary-school affiliation from DSA: DSA is its own route with selection, offers, final allocation and commitments.

The purpose of looking at affiliation is to avoid false expectations. If the child is not affiliated, discard the affiliated number from the probability discussion entirely. If the child is affiliated, learn the current requirements and weigh the school as a genuine educational choice. An advantageous category does not obligate a child to attend that school.

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6. PG3 is a strong mainstream route, not a fallback for missing IP

Some families search for an Integrated Programme (IP) automatically when they see a PG3 score. The selected 2025 non-affiliated IP programmes discussed in this series had numerical cut-offs between 6 and 9, rather than 13. Score 13 is numerically beyond those historic outcomes, and a parent should not build their standard choice list around an assumption that an IP cut-off will move that far.

The PG3 route leads into Full Subject-Based Banding. Subject levels are not identical to the posting label. Most students entering through PG3 begin G3 subjects, with future decisions about their learning needs handled through school systems. The destination for a typical four-year route is the new Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate, subject to the student’s future choices.

A good SEC-track school can provide demanding work, co-curricular experiences, leadership opportunities and supportive teaching. These are educational qualities to investigate directly. Asking “Will this school help my child develop?” is more productive than asking only whether the acronym in its programme name sounds prestigious.

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7. A worked six-choice thought experiment for score 13

Imagine a pupil who lives in the west, enjoys science investigations and is keen to continue a performing-arts CCA. The family likes Clementi Town and Commonwealth, is interested in Fuhua, and has visited a school with a previous COP of 14. They should not automatically write the four names in ascending COP order. The rank should reflect which programme the child genuinely wants.

Suppose the top two choices both had old COPs of 13. That is a legitimate expression of preference, but it leaves a potential boundary risk. The family should then investigate two or three acceptable schools with less stringent historic cut-offs, such as 14, 15, 16 or 18, if those schools offer the activities, travel and support needed.

A hypothetical eastern family would produce an entirely different list. This is not indecision; it is the S1 system doing what it is intended to do, allowing preferences informed by academic eligibility and vacancies. Use the table as a research map, not as a final list generated by an algorithm.

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8. How to read the historical score table responsibly

The total score at the Primary School Leaving Examination is the sum of the four subject Achievement Levels. A lower PSLE total is stronger. The usual secondary posting category for a total from 4 through 20 is Posting Group 3. The table on this page shows selected schools and the completed posting outcome for the 2025 PSLE cohort, whose pupils entered Secondary 1 in 2026. It does not show a forecast for 2027.

The number before the dash is the score of the first posted pupil in that category; the number after it is that of the last pupil posted. The latter is the cut-off point or COP. A previous 8–14 does not imply that a child who scores 7 is ineligible. It only means the highest-scoring pupil who actually enrolled through that category that year had 8. Schools may have stronger pupils through other routes, too.

A previous COP does not operate like a published admission contract. It is determined only after that year’s scores, ranked choices and school vacancies become known. If a family’s planned score changes after the actual result comes out, revise the shortlist. Never treat a chart copied without its intake year, programme and affiliation status as a final source. MOE explicitly cautions that some applicants who met a previous COP were not posted because they were tie-broken out. Read MOE’s full explanation of score ranges.

9. How academic merit, citizenship, choice order and balloting work

Under the general Secondary 1 posting system, PSLE academic merit is considered before other normal tie-breakers. Pupils with stronger scores receive priority for places in their eligible posting group. When applicants with the same total compete for the final vacancies at the same school, citizenship comes first: Singapore Citizens, then Permanent Residents, then International Students. School-choice order follows, with computerised balloting if the other conditions remain equal.

Consider two Singapore Citizen pupils with the same PSLE total and no special school priority, both competing for the final place. If one listed the school as first choice and another as third, the earlier choice has priority. That does not mean a worse PSLE result can outrank a stronger result merely through a higher preference. It means that at a relevant tie, the order selected by the family becomes meaningful.

The school list should therefore be made thoughtfully, not alphabetically or in ascending COP order. Start with programmes the child genuinely prefers, then examine historical score ranges to ensure there are also suitable options at less stringent cut-offs. MOE’s general parent guidance recommends using all six choices and including two or three suitable schools where the child’s score is numerically better than the school’s previous COP. Do not confuse this planning advice with an admission guarantee. Check MOE’s posting and tie-breaker rules.

10. PG3, G3 and SEC are three different ideas

Posting Group 3 (PG3) describes how a pupil is posted to secondary school. G3 describes the general level of academic demand for individual secondary-school subjects. The Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) is an examination qualification. They are connected in a student’s educational journey but are not synonyms.

With Full Subject-Based Banding, students have more flexibility to learn at subject levels suited to their strengths and needs, following the available school provisions. MOE states that students posted through PG3 typically take their subjects at G3 at the start of Secondary 1. It is unhelpful to describe PG3 as though it were a permanent personal identity or an exclusive class in which every lesson must always be arranged in the same way.

The SEC examination begins for the 2027 graduating cohort, not for every child who starts Secondary 1 in 2027. A child joining S1 in 2027 would usually be in S4 in 2030, depending on their own educational path and future rules. SEAB’s SEC information explains that subjects are recorded at the level actually examined and that the examination continues to be jointly awarded by the relevant authorities. Families should read the syllabus relevant to the student’s examination year when that year approaches. MOE posting groups and SEAB’s SEC explanation are the primary sources.

11. School fit: the questions students, parents and tutors can use

The child’s interests and strengths should lead the discussion. Ask for an example of a topic they liked in Primary 6 and what made it interesting. Then ask them to name one activity they hope to do in Secondary 1 and one uncertainty they have about the new school. These are better prompts than simply asking whether a popular school is “good”.

Ask each school how it helps pupils adapt to multiple teachers, longer projects and independent schedules. Who can a child approach when a homework question is confusing? How do teachers notice quieter pupils who have stopped seeking help? How does the school help students balance co-curricular activities and classroom learning? Schools may handle these differently, and a campus visit is the best place to ask for concrete examples.

The family’s routine belongs in the decision. Test the travel route, account for morning crowds, and consider a return journey after CCAs. Check fees and assistance, device arrangements and whether any special educational needs can be supported. The most impressive open house can only offer a glimpse; a sustainable ordinary Tuesday matters more. School choice is not simply a calculation of the shortest numerical distance between a child’s score and an old cut-off.

12. Preparing the move from Primary 6 to Secondary 1

Start with a simple inventory of learning rather than buying a stack of unfamiliar materials. The PSLE total tells the family how the four ALs combined, but it hides where mistakes happened, which topics are secure and whether the child can explain their own reasoning. Read a few actual P6 assignments and listen while the child describes how they approached a difficult question.

For Mathematics, the move toward algebra is often easier when a pupil can reason clearly about number relationships, ratio, units and what each symbol represents. For English, the child will meet a wider range of explanatory, argumentative and subject-specific texts. For Science, precise observation, evidence and causal explanation become increasingly useful. These are preparation examples, not diagnoses for every score.

An effective preparation plan names a small number of skills, makes the practice regular and checks whether understanding transfers into new questions. The family can ask the school how Secondary 1 students handle missed work, class routines and the process for getting clarification. The aim is continuity of learning, confidence to ask questions and the ability to build on what the child already knows, not to recreate the entire secondary syllabus during the holidays.

13. What to check before submitting the six school choices

First, use the actual PSLE result, not a predicted total. Confirm the Posting Group, the student’s citizenship status for posting, any third-language eligibility and any Higher Chinese result that may matter for particular schools. Read current official documents carefully because the website can be updated for the live cohort.

Second, check whether the child has been successfully allocated a place through Direct School Admission (DSA-Sec). An early DSA offer and the final allocation are different stages; successful allocations carry commitments and affect participation in the ordinary S1 choice exercise. For affiliation, confirm a recognised primary-secondary relationship and its current terms; do not infer eligibility from a similar name.

Third, check each exact school and programme code, including any different Integrated Programme or SEC route offered by the same institution. Put six eligible schools in real preference order. Keep the final confirmation. The primary school can help with questions about the official S1 Internet System, while MOE provides the definitive dates and instructions. Avoid relying on a past year’s submission window or a screenshot with no date. Visit the current MOE S1 Posting page and the DSA-Sec guide.

14. Questions parents ask about score 13

Is 13 in PG3 or PG2?

PG3. Under current MOE rules, PSLE 4–20 enters PG3. The 21–22 overlap is a different situation.

Does score 13 guarantee Crescent Girls’ School?

No. The previous 2025 cohort’s non-affiliated COP was 13; future posting outcomes are determined after the new exercise.

Can a boy apply to Tanjong Katong Girls’ School?

Not through its girls-only Secondary 1 intake. Tanjong Katong Secondary School is a different school.

Why is CHIJ St. Theresa’s affiliated COP so different?

Because it represents a different eligible applicant category. Non-affiliated families should not use the affiliated outcome as their benchmark.

How should the six choices be ranked?

By genuine preference among eligible schools, with a variety of acceptable historical cut-offs. Choice order matters in MOE’s tie-breaker process.

15. Official information, related scores and next steps

MOE is the authority on PSLE posting and school information, while SEAB publishes the examination information. Read how S1 posting works, Posting Groups and subject levels, PSLE score ranges, SchoolFinder, DSA-Sec, and the SEC examination. Dates and school programmes change. Do not substitute this independent explanation for a live MOE instruction.

For transparency, the historical school-row data were cross-checked against independently reproduced 2025 cohort lists at this detailed school-range compilation and this PG3 cut-off reference. Neither source is an official posting offer. Where a table has no separately confirmed HCL grade or admission feature, none has been invented. Check MOE SchoolFinder and the school itself for the final choice.

For the newer education timeline, MOE’s 2026 policy announcements explain post-secondary admissions changes beginning in 2028; MOE’s 2025 announcements explain the expanded Higher Mother Tongue opportunity for Secondary 1 students from 2026. Those national updates are different from the individual child’s 2027 entry and later SEC examination year.

Editorial note: Edu|Kate Singapore’s purpose is to help families understand a changing education system in plain language. The school table is not a ranking of school quality. We cannot know or promise the next cohort’s cut-offs or the outcome of a particular student’s posting.