Secondary 2 Streaming

[emoh]

AAA09\" post_id=\"2047291\" time=\"1637548880\" user_id=\"14484:

Hi,
My child is not able to take A math for Sec 3 next year, he is being offered POA instead. If he take A math on his own given private tutor, will he be allowed to register to take O level next year? MOE allows such case?

u can try asking if the school allows him to take the school based assessments first in sec 3 and if deem able to cope, perhaps the school can help register him as a school candidate in sec 4. he is not allowed to register a.math as a private candidate if he is studying in a local school.

[phtthp]

emoh\" post_id=\"2047298\" time=\"1637549628\" user_id=\"10618:

AAA09\" post_id=\"2047291\" time=\"1637548880\" user_id=\"14484:

Hi,
My child is not able to take A math for Sec 3 next year, he is being offered POA instead. If he take A math on his own given private tutor, will he be allowed to register to take O level next year? MOE allows such case?

u can try asking if the school allows him to take the school based assessments first in sec 3 and if deem able to cope, perhaps the school can help register him as a school candidate in sec 4. he is not allowed to register a.math as a private candidate if he is studying in a local school.

Yes

Since now is Nov school holiday, can start your son on A-maths intensive private tuition.

Then, when next year 2022 May mid-year exam come, ask your son's Maths HOD if can let him take 2022 Sec 3 mid-year Additional-maths school exam paper, together with rest of his school-mates. If your son can pass, appeal to let him take this subject. That means, do something within his own capability, to prove to the school first that he is able to handle A-maths.

When there is a will, there is a way. But don't do it if your son himself totally not interested in A-Maths, and u the parent, is forcing him to take this. It won't work, if the pupil has no interests in taking a subject. But when there is a will, half the battle already won, because of interests + will-power. You cannot push a cow to drink water, if the cow doesn't want to drink, in the first case.

[Qoo10.035321cashew.035321gmail.035321com]

I walked the path… so i can share my kid’s experience.  Chronology:


SCHOLARSHIP:
Singapore Government Scholarship (Overseas)

OVERSEAS UNI OFFER:
LSE Economics (L101). L101 is an extremely competitive course, e.g. all A’s in SG GCE "A" Level (4 or 5 H2) no guarantee to get in… 4,128 applicants worldwide competing for 265 places.

LOCAL UNI OFFERS:
1. NUS Double Major in Economics and Statistics.
2. NTU Double Degree in Engineering and Economics.

GCE "A" LEVEL:
Stream: Science (PCME + H3 Econs)
Academic Unit (AU): 12 (min. is 10 AU).
UAS: 87.5/90.0 (for local uni only).
H3 Economics: Could be useful for scholarship, some scholarship issuers require 11 AU or higher.  Need to be at least a "Merit" grade. Go for H3 only if your kids are truly… truly talented in the H3 subject… H3 is not just an extension of H2, H3 no tutorial, take-up rate is not high, but not everyone made it… kids are easily influenced by their peers at this stage and want to decide on things themselves, talk it out with your kids as H3 can make or break their "A" Level.

GCE "O" LEVEL:
BASED ON SUBJECT COMBINATION SELECTED IN SEC 2
L1R5 = 6
Aggregate Score = 2 (4 bonus pts due to HMT, CCA)

L1 - English or HMT.  HMT is backup, 2 bonus pts for JC if HMT is C6 or better, exempted from JC H1 Chinese + UAS of 10 pts if HMT is Distinction at "O" Level.
R1 - Combined Humanities (History & Social Studies) or Pure Geography as backup. Be careful here… R1 is compulsorily a Humanities Subject (many kids stumbled due to R1).
R2 - A/Maths… for JC Science Stream.
R3 - Pure Chemistry… for local uni engineering courses.
R4 - Pure Physics… for local uni engineering courses.
R5 - E/Maths, Chinese or Pure Geography.

Moral of story… Secondary 2 subject combination is highly critical… it affects many things ahead regarding your kids, so do strategise carefully for them, they surely need parental guidance at this stage… select triple sciences only if your kids are truly talented… many kids earn scholarships in the arts, humanities too… be realistic about your kids’ abilities which can be improved but cannot be insisted.

[ChiefKiasu]

For me, my mind was settled ever since they forced me to dissect cockroaches for \"science\" in Sec 2. That was so disgusting to me that biology was never in my mind when I set foot on a technical stream. Yucks... (there goes my medical career... )

[zac's mum]

ChiefKiasu\" post_id=\"2047472\" time=\"1637642484\" user_id=\"3:

For me, my mind was settled ever since they forced me to dissect cockroaches for \"science\" in Sec 2. That was so disgusting to me that biology was never in my mind when I set foot on a technical stream. Yucks... (there goes my medical career... )

I bore with the cockroach dissection in secondary school, and the frog dissection (its heart was still beating though the teacher claimed it was dead!) in JC…all this because I really did love Biology.

However, when I discovered that for a Medical Degree, I’d have to dissect a human body in Anatomy lessons, I baulked and said no way. Too close for comfort.

[Zeal mummy]

And for some, it’s just the sight of blood that turns you off. Overcome the fear and Choose wisely!

[bbbay]

[email protected]\" post_id=\"2047469\" time=\"1637642261\" user_id=\"195917:

I walked the path... so i can share my kid's experience.  Chronology:

SCHOLARSHIP:
Singapore Government Scholarship (Overseas)

OVERSEAS UNI OFFER:
LSE Economics (L101). L101 is an extremely competitive course, e.g. all A's in SG GCE \"A\" Level (4 or 5 H2) no guarantee to get in... 4,128 applicants worldwide competing for 265 places.

LOCAL UNI OFFERS:
1. NUS Double Major in Economics and Statistics.
2. NTU Double Degree in Engineering and Economics.

GCE \"A\" LEVEL:
Stream: Science (PCME + H3 Econs)
Academic Unit (AU): 12 (min. is 10 AU).
UAS: 87.5/90.0 (for local uni only).
H3 Economics: Could be useful for scholarship, some scholarship issuers require 11 AU or higher.  Need to be at least a \"Merit\" grade. Go for H3 only if your kids are truly... truly talented in the H3 subject... H3 is not just an extension of H2, H3 no tutorial, take-up rate is not high, but not everyone made it... kids are easily influenced by their peers at this stage and want to decide on things themselves, talk it out with your kids as H3 can make or break their \"A\" Level.

GCE \"O\" LEVEL:
BASED ON SUBJECT COMBINATION SELECTED IN SEC 2
L1R5 = 6
Aggregate Score = 2 (4 bonus pts due to HMT, CCA)

L1 - English or HMT.  HMT is backup, 2 bonus pts for JC if HMT is C6 or better, exempted from JC H1 Chinese + UAS of 10 pts if HMT is Distinction at \"O\" Level.
R1 - Combined Humanities (History & Social Studies) or Pure Geography as backup. Be careful here... R1 is compulsorily a Humanities Subject (many kids stumbled due to R1).
R2 - A/Maths... for JC Science Stream.
R3 - Pure Chemistry... for local uni engineering courses.
R4 - Pure Physics... for local uni engineering courses.
R5 - E/Maths, Chinese or Pure Geography.

Moral of story... Secondary 2 subject combination is highly critical... it affects many things ahead regarding your kids, so do strategise carefully for them, they surely need parental guidance at this stage... select triple sciences only if your kids are truly talented... many kids earn scholarships in the arts, humanities too... be realistic about your kids' abilities which can be improved but cannot be insisted.

Where is the strategise ? The have to be talented part?

[MrsKiasu]

I think the backups and the subj important to Uni courses need take note…

[floppy]

AAA09\" post_id=\"2047291\" time=\"1637548880\" user_id=\"14484:

Hi,
My child is not able to take A math for Sec 3 next year, he is being offered POA instead. If he take A math on his own given private tutor, will he be allowed to register to take O level next year? MOE allows such case?

No.
You can't be a private candidate and a school candidate in the same seating (year).

[sembgal]

You may want to check with the school if out of stream subject is allowed. The school has to give approval to register the additional subject for your child to take for O level exam.


Another advice is not to take pure Biology with pure Geography or pure History as they are very content-heavy and requires more memory work.

Taking E Maths and A Maths with pure Physics is a good choice as it kills 3 birds with 1 stone if your child is very strong in Maths foundation since lower Sec.