All About A Levels

[starlight1968sg]

Qualified in JC does not necessarily mean the path to U is confirmed.

[floppy]

starlight1968sg:

Qualified in JC does not necessarily mean the path to U is confirmed.

I think this is one reason why many top students in O Level have chosen to shun the JC / A Level, especially if they are very clear about their likes / interests / wants and / or are not willing to risk not getting into those hard-to-get-in degree courses like Business when they are able to get two feet into a diploma programme.

[sharonkhoo]

floppy:

phtthp:

After A-level, do NS (2 years) plus study Poly another 3 years, Total will be ... 5 years, later. wow ! That's a long time !

Well, another way of seeing it...

2% to 5% (my estimates), and even as high as 3 in 10 JC students (?), aren't even offer or qualify for or even want a place in the local autonomous university.
If you are one of them, what are you going to do about it? Sulk and bitch about how unfair life is for the rest of your life?

I agee with floppy. In the overall scheme of things, an extra 3 years is not an extremely long time. If the student didn't do well at a particular stage, isn't it better to allow them another chance than to say \"up or out\"? It's not as if anyone is being forced to go to poly after taking A levels; it's just another option. And it's never been the case that all A level holders can get into our local universities. In the past, once you failed to qualify to move on at any stage, that was it. So let's be glad that there are other options now.

[sgenglishessay]

I agree! It's high time we dismantled the notion that JC is the only track to success. Sadly, Singapore's system largely prizes academic excellence at the expense of other forms of intelligence, but most of the Poly students I have encountered possess a sense of charisma and savvy that can only come from hands-on experience - qualities I often don't perceive in JC students. Across the grand scheme of life, one additional year really isn't that much, and if that \"alternative\" track can make the kid truly happier, why not?

[FantasyLandDreams]

Need to ask some quick questions about

A level subjects.

1. Can further maths be used as a contrasting subject? Where can I find the full list of contrasting subjects allowed by moe?

2. If one wants to take further maths, what are the possible subject combinations allowed?

3. For the so called higher chinese paper taken at Sec 4, can a student retake the paper at jc1 if he is not happy with the grade? I retook mine in jc1 last time but not sure if it is still allowed now.

Thank you.

[phtthp]

del

[MyPillow]

Dun think - F maths is a contrasting subject . Usually those in Sci faculty are offered if they pass the selection test.

Since our time , Jc students take F math, math C n Physic - v common 3A combi n relevant or add in computing or chem as 4th A level subject . My dh took phy , math and F math - he always says best combi coz only need to study ONE subject - v relevant for him to go Engineering/ comp sci faculty in NUS.

High Chinese - if get D7 in O-Level high Ch , will need to retake Chinese in JC .
My colleagues dd got C for high Chinese , she wishes to retake ( inRI) but the mum is not pro to the idea - as A level subjects are heavy content .

[sky minecrafter]

Agree with mp. There are certain subject combination restrictions for taking FMaths (according to our school's Chemistry teacher in Y2018). Need to check with individual schools to be certain - there are often qualifying tests, subject to teachers'+department's recommendations, plus quota (~25 students? forming a class). & the requirements are reviewed regularly. For instance, our (IP) school's EL department decides to start banding the subject from Year4 & already offers us a possible Year5 H2 subject. So, subject combinations are dynamic. One thing for sure, consistency in effort (grades, class participation) is important (this is what the LA teacher told me) even as early as Year1.

[FantasyLandDreams]

So … nowadays cannot take the below subject combi right, as needs to take a contrasting subject. Correct?


Maths, further maths, physics, Chemistry

Maths, further maths, physics, computing

[MyPillow]

FantasyLandDreams:

So ... nowadays cannot take the below subject combi right, as needs to take a contrasting subject. Correct?


Maths, further maths, physics, Chemistry

Maths, further maths, physics, computing

FDL , ya cannot . Need a contrasting Humanities -
this combi yes - Math, F math,phy , Econ - ( can be h2 or h1) - tough one