Singapore school system explained: preschool to post-secondary

In the Singapore school system, your child moves from preschool to Primary 1 to 6 and the PSLE, then four or five years of secondary school, then a junior college, Millennia Institute, polytechnic or ITE. By law, only primary school is compulsory, and only for citizens. Each stage below is explained with the year it starts, the exam or posting that ends it, and what a citizen pays.

Your child's school timeline, step by step

1. Pick a preschool if you want one. ECDA says the preschools it oversees take children from 2 months to below 7, and MOE Kindergarten takes citizens and PRs aged 5 and 6. Compare centres with our preschool fees by town and our guide to comparing preschools.
2. Work out your child's P1 year. MOE's 2026 exercise was for children born 2 January 2020 to 1 January 2021, who start P1 in 2027. The 2027 exercise is for children starting in 2028.
3. Register for P1 in the year before school starts. MOE runs it online from June to August in 5 phases, and from the 2027 exercise Phase 2C holds 60 places, up from 40. Our P1 registration guide goes phase by phase.
4. Get ready for day one. MOE says P1 pupils start school on Monday, 4 January 2027. Sort uniforms, the bus and after-school care with the P1 preparation checklist, and read our guide to preparing your child for P1.
5. Fill in the subject option form at the end of P4. The school suggests standard or foundation subjects for P5 and P6 from the P4 exam results, and you state your preference.
6. Expect the PSLE at the end of P6. It covers four subjects, and the total score runs from 4 to 32, where a lower score is stronger.
7. Submit 6 secondary school choices after the results. For 2026, MOE lists results on 24 or 25 November (tentative), gives you 7 calendar days to submit, and posts results on 18 December (tentative). Entry by talent through DSA-Sec happens earlier in P6: see our DSA guide.
8. Start Sec 1 under Full Subject-Based Banding. Your child joins through Posting Group 1, 2 or 3, sits in a mixed form class, and takes each subject at G1, G2 or G3.
9. Plan for the SEC at the end of Sec 4. SEAB says it replaces the O-Level and N-Level exams in 2027, and some students take a fifth year first.
10. Choose a route after secondary school: a 2-year junior college or 3-year Millennia Institute course for the A-Level, a polytechnic diploma, or an ITE course.

The whole path at a glance

Count from your child's P1 year. MOE puts a child in P1 in the year they are already 6 on 1 January, so most children turn 7 during P1. A child who starts P1 in 2027 reaches P6 and the PSLE in 2032 and Sec 1 in 2033, on today's rules.

What compulsory education covers

The Compulsory Education Act covers primary school. MOE says every Singapore Citizen born after 1 January 1996 and living in Singapore must attend a national primary school, unless an exemption is granted. That means a government or government-aided primary school, from age above 6 to under 15.

Preschool isn't compulsory, though MOE says it is highly encouraged. If you're weighing a private school for a citizen child, the exemption comes first. Our international schools guide covers fees and curricula on that side.

Primary school and the PSLE

From P1, MOE teaches English, Mother Tongue, maths, science, art, music, PE, social studies and Character and Citizenship Education. Children who need help with English or maths are identified at the start of P1 for MOE's learning support. The English programme runs half an hour a day in groups of 8 to 10.

Subject-based banding starts at P5. A child who passes 3 or more subjects in P4 is offered all four core subjects at standard level. Others can mix standard and foundation, and the school reviews the mix at the end of P5.

The PSLE grades each of four subjects, English, maths, science and Mother Tongue, from AL1 to AL8. AL1 means 90 marks or more and AL8 means below 20. Add the four and you get a score from 4 to 32. Foundation subjects are graded AL A to AL C, which count as AL6 to AL8. MOE brought this in from 2021, so the score reflects your child's own work, whatever their classmates scored.

Wondering whether those years need extra classes? Our guide on whether tuition is necessary starts from what school already gives.

How secondary school works from 2024

From the 2024 Sec 1 cohort, MOE removed the Express, Normal (Academic) and Normal (Technical) streams. Your child's PSLE score now sets a Posting Group. MOE uses it for the Sec 1 posting and to set the level your child starts most subjects at.

G stands for General, and G3 is the most demanding level. Children in Posting Groups 1 and 2 can take English, maths, science or Mother Tongue a level up if they did well in that PSLE subject. Lower secondary form classes mix all three groups. Later, the school can move a subject up a level based on your child's results in it.

The exam at the end changes too. SEAB says the O-Level, N(A)-Level and N(T)-Level combine into the Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) in 2027, with one results release in January of the following year. The certificate lists each subject and the level your child sat it at. MOE keeps a fifth year open to eligible students who want more time.

After secondary school

A junior college course takes 2 years and Millennia Institute takes 3, and both end in the A-Level. Polytechnics award a diploma, and diploma holders can apply to university. At ITE, every Nitec course has moved to a three-year structure leading to Higher Nitec as of the 2026 academic year. Students apply through exercises such as the Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE), and MOE says 2028 brings the first intake under revised admission criteria.

What school costs a citizen

MOE's types of schools page, read on 6 Nov 2026, lists the monthly fee for a citizen in a government or government-aided school, with school and miscellaneous fees together: $13 in primary school, $25 in secondary, and $33 in a junior college or Millennia Institute. Autonomous schools add $3 to $18 a month, and independent schools set their own fees.

Every citizen gets an Edusave account opened automatically. In 2026 MOE pays in $230 for a primary school pupil and $290 for a secondary student, and you can't add to it yourself. Our guide to saving for your child's education shows what Edusave pays for, and the school bus fee calculator prices the ride.

When to get help

• Your child finds English or maths hard in P1: ask the form teacher about MOE's learning support.
• Your child may not be ready for P1 for medical or other exceptional reasons: apply to MOE to defer between January and May of the year before. A diagnosis needs a Comprehensive Needs Assessment report from a qualified professional, so start with your GP or polyclinic.
• Your child seems upset or worried at school: talk to the school counsellor, who MOE says supports students with personal or academic challenges. A primary school child can call Tinkle Friend on 1800-2744-788, weekdays 2.30pm to 5pm.
• Fees are a strain: ask the school about the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme for citizens in financial need.
• You have a question on P1, posting or fees the school can't answer: send it to MOE through its contact page, where you can also book a call.
• You have a concern about a preschool: contact ECDA, which regulates kindergartens and child care centres.

Frequently asked questions

How does the Singapore school system work?

Preschool is optional, primary school runs from P1 to P6 and ends with the PSLE, and secondary school ends with the SEC from 2027. Then come junior college, Millennia Institute, polytechnic or ITE. MOE runs the schools, SEAB and MOE set the national exams, and ECDA oversees preschools. Our schools and learning hub links every guide by stage.

What age does a child start primary school in Singapore?

In the year they are already 6 on 1 January. MOE's 2026 P1 exercise was for children born 2 January 2020 to 1 January 2021, and they start P1 on 4 January 2027. Most children turn 7 during their P1 year.

How does PSLE scoring work?

Each of the four subjects gets an Achievement Level from AL1, for 90 marks or more, to AL8, for below 20. The PSLE score adds them up, from 4 to 32, and lower is stronger. That score sets your child's Posting Group for secondary school.

What is full subject-based banding?

It's how MOE runs secondary school from the 2024 Sec 1 cohort, in place of the Express and Normal streams. Children join through Posting Group 1, 2 or 3, learn in mixed form classes, and take each subject at G1, G2 or G3. A subject's level can go up as your child does well in it.

Is education compulsory in Singapore?

Primary school is, for Singapore Citizens born after 1 January 1996 and living in Singapore. MOE defines compulsory education as education in national primary schools, so preschool and secondary school sit outside the Act. A citizen child needs an MOE exemption to skip a national primary school.

Is the Singapore education system changing soon?

Yes, in ways that reach young children. From the 2027 P1 exercise, most schools reserve 60 Phase 2C places, up from 40. The SEC replaces the O-Level and N-Level in 2027, and 2028 brings the first post-secondary intake under revised admission criteria.