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

A PSLE score of 15 is eligible for Posting Group 3 (PG3), and the normal starting level for subjects is G3. In the 2025 PSLE cohort’s posting results for Secondary 1 entry in 2026, the non-affiliated PG3 cut-off was 15 at Bukit Batok Secondary School, Yusof Ishak Secondary School, Evergreen Secondary School, Gan Eng Seng School, Hai Sing Catholic School, St. Gabriel’s Secondary School and St. Anthony’s Canossian Secondary School. Those figures describe last year’s results—not a fixed 2027 admission threshold.

At score 15, parents should compare actual school programmes and children’s daily lives while building a choice list that also includes acceptable schools with past cut-offs of 16, 18 or 19. This guide makes the six choices practical, distinguishes affiliations from ordinary applicants, and explains why PG3 does not lock a child into a single lifelong learning track.

Immediate answers for parents:

• Score 15 is PG3, not PG2. Most initial subject levels are G3.
• Previous COP 15 examples: Bukit Batok, Yusof Ishak, Evergreen, Hai Sing Catholic, Gan Eng Seng, St. Gabriel’s and St. Anthony’s Canossian.
• St. Gabriel’s and St. Anthony’s Canossian had separate affiliated outcomes; confirm the correct category.
• Investigate school fit and two or three acceptable options with less stringent historical COPs, such as 16–19.

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 23 examples include 7 schools with a non-affiliated historical PG3 cut-off of 15 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 15 compares
Yusof Ishak Secondary School	Co-educational	7–15	Non-affiliated 15	At the previous numerical cut-off (15); admission is not assured.
Bukit Batok Secondary School	Co-educational	8–15	Non-affiliated 15	At the previous numerical cut-off (15); admission is not assured.
Evergreen Secondary School	Co-educational	10–15	Non-affiliated 15	At the previous numerical cut-off (15); admission is not assured.
Hai Sing Catholic School	Co-educational	11–15	Non-affiliated 15	At the previous numerical cut-off (15); admission is not assured.
Gan Eng Seng School	Co-educational	9–15	Non-affiliated 15	At the previous numerical cut-off (15); admission is not assured.
St. Gabriel’s Secondary School	Boys	10–15	Non-affiliated 15; affiliated 22	At the previous numerical cut-off (15); admission is not assured.
St. Anthony’s Canossian Secondary School	Girls	12–15	Non-affiliated 15; affiliated 22	At the previous numerical cut-off (15); admission is not assured.
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.
Hillgrove Secondary School	Co-educational	13–18	Non-affiliated 18	Numerically below the previous cut-off (18); still verify the current rules and fit.
Unity Secondary School	Co-educational	12–18	Non-affiliated 18	Numerically below the previous cut-off (18); still verify the current rules and fit.
Beatty Secondary School	Co-educational	12–18	Non-affiliated 18	Numerically below the previous cut-off (18); still verify the current rules and fit.
Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School	Co-educational	11–18	Non-affiliated 18	Numerically below the previous cut-off (18); still verify the current rules and fit.
North Vista Secondary School	Co-educational	11–18	Non-affiliated 18	Numerically below the previous cut-off (18); still verify the current rules and fit.
Pasir Ris Crest Secondary School	Co-educational	10–18	Non-affiliated 18	Numerically below the previous cut-off (18); still verify the current rules and fit.
Kent Ridge Secondary School	Co-educational	13–18	Non-affiliated 18	Numerically below the previous cut-off (18); still verify the current rules and fit.
Punggol Secondary School	Co-educational	13–19	Non-affiliated 19	Numerically below the previous cut-off (19); still verify the current rules and fit.
Seng Kang Secondary School	Co-educational	14–19	Non-affiliated 19	Numerically below the previous cut-off (19); 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. The school options at the historic cut-off of 15

Seven examples show how much variety can exist at one historical cut-off. Bukit Batok Secondary School had a non-affiliated range of 8–15, Yusof Ishak 7–15, Evergreen 10–15, Hai Sing Catholic 11–15, Gan Eng Seng 9–15, St. Gabriel’s 10–15 and St. Anthony’s Canossian 12–15. They differ in student intake, campus location, school culture and programmes.

St. Gabriel’s has a boys’ Secondary 1 intake and St. Anthony’s Canossian a girls’ intake. The others listed here are co-educational. A school that a child is not eligible to enter should not occupy one of the six standard choices simply because the number looks attractive.

A historical end point of 15 means the child would be on that earlier numerical boundary, not that an offer will follow. Compare the school itself: what subjects will the pupil study, which CCAs are realistically accessible, how long is the journey, and how does the school help new students organise their work? Those answers matter far more than a league-table position inferred from the COP.

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3. Why the ranking order of schools becomes important at 15

The general MOE S1 posting system first considers PSLE score. Better scores take priority for vacancies in the eligible Posting Group. When pupils with the same score compete for the last places, citizenship is considered first, then the order of school choices, then computerised balloting if a tie remains.

Imagine two Singapore Citizen pupils with score 15 applying for the final place at one eligible school, with neither having a separate priority. One listed it first and the other fourth. Choice order may decide between them. But a pupil with score 14 is not overtaken by a score-15 pupil merely because the latter wrote the school first.

This is why parents should not rearrange schools using a myth that the system ‘rewards’ easy-to-enter first choices. Put eligible schools in true preference order. Then assess the overall balance by previous cut-offs. An honest preference list can include a desired boundary school first and several different-school alternatives later.

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4. At score 15, affiliation can alter the relevant historical comparison

St. Gabriel’s and St. Anthony’s Canossian Secondary each had a 2025 non-affiliated PG3 COP of 15 and a separate affiliated COP of 22. That difference is not a universal relaxation of entry criteria. It belongs to a defined category of applicants subject to its specific rules.

To check affiliation, confirm the student’s actual primary-school link in MOE’s current school information and understand any choice-order condition. Do not assume because a family member attended the secondary school that the pupil is affiliated. Never subtract the difference between 22 and 15 from a PSLE total or treat it as extra score credit.

If the child is non-affiliated, the reference comparison is 15. If genuinely affiliated, consider the applicable affiliated posting conditions and whether the child would actually benefit from attending that school. The correct category is essential, but school fit remains a separate decision.

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5. Why a previous cut-off of 16 can be useful without being a promise

Several examples had old PG3 cut-off 16: Greendale Secondary, Jurong Secondary, Ang Mo Kio Secondary, Bedok View, Bowen, Jurong West and Deyi. With score 15, the child is numerically one point stronger than that previous endpoint. This is a legitimate way to compare historical entry outcomes, not a statement that all these schools are equally suitable or that each offers the same chance.

The first-admitted scores vary from school to school, but the first number is descriptive, not a minimum entry threshold. A child who scores better than the first pupil in last year’s range is not automatically too strong to apply. Schools do not exclude stronger applicants solely for this reason.

Narrow the research by transport and interests, not just the number. If a school has a programme in a subject the child likes, examine it. If its location makes a regular commute difficult, include the hidden daily cost. The numerical gap gets a school onto the research list; a meaningful education and feasible routine get it onto the final six.

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6. The practical case for comparing cut-offs of 18 and 19

A 2025 cut-off of 18 is three points numerically less stringent than 15, and 19 is four. The examples in the table include North Vista, Ahmad Ibrahim, Beatty, Unity, Hillgrove, Pasir Ris Crest, Kent Ridge, Punggol and Seng Kang. These are not guaranteed alternatives and are not necessarily near one another.

MOE recommends using all six choices and including two or three suitable schools whose previous cut-off was less stringent than the pupil’s score. For score 15, a few well-researched options at 16, 18 or 19 can help make the list more balanced than selecting six schools whose previous COP was exactly 15.

Parents should resist treating a higher COP as a judgment on teachers, student character or future achievement. A school’s historical posting pattern is a product of vacancies and choice behaviour. Investigate how the school teaches, supports strengths and organises activities. An option is useful only if the pupil could join it and build a life there.

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7. What G3 and the future SEC examination mean for this child

Posting Group 3 is a method of posting pupils to secondary school and guiding the initial level of study. It is not a grade on an examination certificate. G3 describes a more academically demanding subject level under Full Subject-Based Banding. A child in PG3 will generally take subjects at G3 when starting Secondary 1.

The Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) replaces the N(T), N(A) and O-Level examinations for the first time for students graduating in 2027. It reports the subjects and the G1, G2 or G3 levels actually taken. A child entering Secondary 1 in 2027 would normally reach Secondary 4 in 2030, so do not incorrectly state that their final examination must be in 2027.

Learning is not a fixed identity from age 12. Subject strengths can develop unevenly, teachers offer feedback, and later progression depends on achievement and the education routes in place for that cohort. Read the rules applying in the student’s eventual examination year rather than applying every 2027 change to a new Secondary 1 pupil without regard to timing.

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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 15

Is PSLE score 15 still PG3?

Yes. PG3 covers PSLE totals 4–20, with a usual G3 start.

Can score 15 guarantee entry to Bukit Batok Secondary?

No. It matched the previous non-affiliated numerical cut-off, which is dated evidence, not a guaranteed 2027 admission.

How should a pupil use an old COP of 18?

Treat it as a numerically less stringent historical comparison, then assess actual school fit and current eligibility. It is not an admission probability.

What does the 22 at St. Gabriel’s mean?

It is the separate historical affiliated COP. It does not automatically apply to non-affiliated students.

When does the student take the SEC?

A typical Secondary 1 entrant in 2027 reaches Secondary 4 in 2030, subject to their actual pathway and the rules that year.

Should all six schools have previous COP 15?

No. The family should research several different COP bands while placing eligible, genuinely preferred programmes in honest preference order.

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.