2021 PSLE Discussions and Strategies (Children born in 2009)

[AAHL]

Is my understanding correct on the benefit of higher Chinese (HCL) under the new AL system?


The HCL will come into picture only when there is a tie, affecting only students who meet the exact cut off point of the SAP school? Eg. If the particular SAP school’s COP is 8 points, those who take HCL will override those without HCL. Those with HCL distinction will override those with merit. HCL has no effect for those who score 7 points and below or 9 points and above.


https://postimg.cc/YL9mk5KC

[phtthp]

6thisnthat9\" post_id=\"1954248\" time=\"1576813975\" user_id=\"145858:

2021 Q1, AL cop equivalent will be announced, no mention it is basedon which batch of psle tho

should be based on this year 2020
Psle Tscore batch (born 2008), as it is the last batch to undergo Tscore system, the most recent, just right immediately before next year 2021 AL implementation student pioneers (born 2009), won't be based on 2019 last year Psle cohort results

[6thisnthat9]

If AL COP equivalents are in ranges rather than specific scores, than they could be based on a few years of cops.

Eg.
School A, total AL 8 to 11
School B, total AL 7 to 9
Etc

[mommyNg]

AAHL\" post_id=\"1957753\" time=\"1578369019\" user_id=\"176898:

Is my understanding correct on the benefit of higher Chinese (HCL) under the new AL system?

The HCL will come into picture only when there is a tie, affecting only students who meet the exact cut off point of the SAP school? Eg. If the particular SAP school’s COP is 8 points, those who take HCL will override those without HCL. Those with HCL distinction will override those with merit. HCL has no effect for those who score 7 points and below or 9 points and above.

https://postimg.cc/YL9mk5KC

That is what I would interpret too. The first criterion is AL score, if same COP, tie-breaker in the following order will kick in:

1. For SAP school, those with Distinction be allocated first, followed by Merit, then Pass.
2. Citizenship
4. Choice order
5. Computerised ballot

So yes, HCL has no effect for those who score 7 points and below or 9 points and above trying to enter a SAP school with COP of 8.

[phtthp]

Yes, correct.


If it happen that the Sec school’s COP is 8, then all who scored better, below 8, with AL (7, 6, 5 and 4) points, will enter first.

As the COP is 8 and a SAP school, that’s when HCL come into effect. So, all those with +3 for HCL will enter before +2, and +2 will enter before +1. Thus, your HCL score is still important, because it determine your ranking, during entry into a SAP school

[AAHL]

Thanks for the above clarifications. I was trying to see if the time spent on higher Chinese is worth it as my child is average in it and may need more time to focus on other core subjects. However, if higher Chinese can open up more doors and opportunities, he shall continue. Will consider properly… thanks!

[lee_yl]

AAHL\" post_id=\"1957904\" time=\"1578441617\" user_id=\"176898:

Thanks for the above clarifications. I was trying to see if the time spent on higher Chinese is worth it as my child is average in it and may need more time to focus on other core subjects. However, if higher Chinese can open up more doors and opportunities, he shall continue. Will consider properly... thanks!

One small similarity between AL banding and tscore is that HCL results has no bearing when applying for non-SAP sec.

Regarding your earlier example, when it comes to applying for SAP sec, touch wood, if your child is expected to be a 7 pointer but end up as 8 pointer and 8 is the COP of the SAP school he is looking at, then definitely those with Distinction in HCL will have priority, with any balance vacancies left to those with Merit, so on and so forth.

For non-SAP, all 8 pointers will ballot together for the last few vacancies.

One thing I am not sure is, 8 points is the cut-off for IP, does it mean that all 8 pointers will sure get into IP or some will get ballot out and end up in O levels??

As to whether your child should take HCL, I think your school will advise you accordingly based on his P5 results. Quite a handful of students I know, they want to continue but their schools reject them.

[floppy]

AAHL\" post_id=\"1957904\" time=\"1578441617\" user_id=\"176898:

Thanks for the above clarifications. I was trying to see if the time spent on higher Chinese is worth it as my child is average in it and may need more time to focus on other core subjects. However, if higher Chinese can open up more doors and opportunities, he shall continue. Will consider properly... thanks!

To build on lee_yl comments above, you need to think about choice of school(s), since AL will be effectively grouping up a number of schools into bands, instead of fine combing like t-score.

For example, RGS / NYGH / MGS could be in one band, SNGS / SCGS / CGSS in another. If you are indifferent towards choosing a SAP school, you wouldn’t HCL.

[cherrygal]

Reading this with interest. So since HCL paper doesn’t have a direct impact on the AL score and only helps when the kid aims for SAP schools, then do you guys now get your kids (who are doing Higher Chinese in sch) to do Normal Chinese tuition or still go for Higher Chinese tuition?


Understand the focus is a bit different for Higher Chinese tuition lessons.

[mommyNg]

cherrygal\" post_id=\"1958207\" time=\"1578554707\" user_id=\"9754:

Reading this with interest. So since HCL paper doesn't have a direct impact on the AL score and only helps when the kid aims for SAP schools, then do you guys now get your kids (who are doing Higher Chinese in sch) to do Normal Chinese tuition or still go for Higher Chinese tuition?

Understand the focus is a bit different for Higher Chinese tuition lessons.

Go for Normal Chinese tuition if kid is not too strong in Chinese (AL score is still more important than HCL); go for Higher Chinese tuition if kid is relatively strong in Chinese (for priority posting in SAP schools); best go for those 2-in-1 that can tackle both normal and higher chinese by the same tuition teacher