2022 School Admission Exercises for Returning Singaporeans and International Students

1. The Ministry of Education (MOE) welcomes Singaporean students who are overseas to join our primary and secondary schools, Junior Colleges (JC) and Millennia Institute (MI) upon their return. International students (IS) can also seek admission to our mainstream schools through MOE.

Assured School Placement (ASP) Service

2. The Assured School Placement (ASP) service guarantees admission for Returning Singaporeans (RS) to primary and secondary schools with vacancies near their residence. RS can access this service even before they return to Singapore. RS are encouraged to approach MOE early so that the RS can start school early in the academic year with their peers. While the RS need not sit for a centralised test via this service, the primary or secondary school may conduct school-based assessments and/or an interview to ascertain the RS's current attainment level for placement purposes, to best help the RS settle into the school and support the RS' education.

3. For more information on the ASP service, please visit www.moe.gov.sg/returning-singaporeans/assured-school-placement.

School Placement Exercise for Returning Singaporeans – Secondary Levels (SPERS-Sec) for 2023 Admissions

4. RS may also participate in the School Placement Exercise for Returning Singaporeans – Secondary Levels (SPERS-Sec), a centralised placement exercise held at the end of each year. Under this exercise, RS will sit for one set of centralised SPERS tests. MOE will then post them to a suitable school based on their test results, their indicated school choices and available vacancies in the schools.

5. The 2022 SPERS-Sec will be open for applications from July 2022 for RS seeking admission to Secondary 1 to 3 in 2023. The SPERS-Sec tests will be held in September 2022, and RS will start school from January 2023.¹ More information about SPERS-Sec can be found at www.moe.gov.sg/returning-singaporeans/secondary/spers.

6. RS seeking admission to Pre-University 1 in 2023 can look out for more information regarding JC or MI admissions at www.moe.gov.sg/returning-singaporeans/post-secondary.

Supplementary Placement Exercise (SPE)

7. RS who are unable to return in time to sit for the SPERS-Sec tests can take the tests under the Supplementary Placement Exercise (SPE), which will be held in December 2022, and will start school from February 2023. The application for SPE will be open from October 2022. More information on the 2022 SPE exercise can be found at www.moe.gov.sg/returning-singaporeans/secondary/spe.

8. RS who can return in September 2022 are advised to apply for SPERS-Sec instead of SPE, as this will allow them to start the 2023 academic year in January 2023 together with their peers, instead of February 2023.

Admissions Exercise for International Students (AEIS)

9. IS who wish to seek admission to Primary 2 to 5 and Secondary 1 to 3 levels must take part in the Admissions Exercise for International Students (AEIS), which is held every February and September in Singapore. Only those who meet our requirements will be offered a place in a suitable school with available vacancies.

Changes to AEIS-Primary Test

10. MOE will be making changes to the AEIS-Primary (AEIS-Pri) test for IS seeking admission into our primary schools from the 2023 academic year. Since its inception, AEIS-Pri comprises tests for English and Mathematics. For AEIS applications from July this year, AEIS-Pri will no longer offer the English test. Instead, IS must take and meet or exceed the required score for the relevant Cambridge English Qualification (CEQ) test.

11. The CEQ test is conducted in more than 130 countries, and IS can sit for the test in any of these locations in the preceding 12 months before registering for the AEIS-Pri Mathematics test. The CEQ test can be taken more than once if necessary.

12. The CEQ test reports students' performance using the Cambridge English Scale (CES) score. IS must meet or exceed the CES score required for their corresponding age-appropriate level of admission before they can register for the AEIS-Pri Mathematics test in Singapore. The required CES score can be found on www.moe.gov.sg/international-students/aeis.

13. IS who wish to register for the September 2022 AEIS-Pri Mathematics test will have to submit their CEQ test results (meeting or exceeding the required CES score) when applications open in July 2022. As in previous years, applications will close when the places for a particular level's test are fully taken up.

14. MOE will consider both the CES and the AEIS-Pri Mathematics test scores to determine applicants' eligibility to be offered a school placement. Meeting the CES score does not guarantee a school placement on its own.

15. There is no change in format for the AEIS-Secondary tests.

16. IS with at least one parent who is a Singapore Citizen can approach MOE for assistance and advice when seeking admission to Primary 2 to 5 or Secondary 1 to 3.

17. IS seeking admission to JCs or MI should apply to the schools directly in December. Admission will be subject to availability of vacancies and meeting the school's admission criteria.

18. More information on the AEIS tests can be found at www.moe.gov.sg/international-students/aeis.

Footnotes

1. More details regarding the eligibility, school option and school posting phases will be available on our website from July 2022.