When the O Level results come out in January, most families face the same question within minutes: what does this mean for junior college or polytechnic? The answer comes down to two scores, L1R5 and ELR2B2. They look complicated, but each is simply a total of grade points from certain subjects, and you can work them out in a few minutes.
Here is how they are calculated, the bonus points that lower them, and what your child should do on results day.
First, grades become points
Every O Level grade is worth a number of points:
| Grade | A1 | A2 | B3 | B4 | C5 | C6 | D7 | E8 | F9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
All the admission scores add up points, so the lower the score, the better.
L1R5: the score for junior college
L1R5 is the First Language plus five Relevant subjects:
- L1: English, or Higher Mother Tongue.
- R1: a Humanities subject (for example Geography, History, Literature, or the Social Studies combined Humanities subject).
- R2: a Mathematics or Science subject.
- R3: a Humanities, Mathematics or Science subject.
- R4 and R5: any two other subjects.
Each slot takes your child’s best grade that fits, and no subject is counted twice. Religious Knowledge never counts, and Higher Mother Tongue and Mother Tongue cannot both be used in the same score.
To be eligible for junior college through the 2027 exercise, the L1R5 must be 20 or lower before bonus points, and your child needs English at A1 to C6, Mathematics or Additional Mathematics at A1 to D7, and Mother Tongue at A1 to D7 (or Higher Mother Tongue at A1 to E8). Students who miss one of these subject grades can still be admitted conditionally if their L1R5 is 15 or lower (or 16 to 20 with A1 or A2 in all five relevant subjects), and must then pass that subject by the end of Year 1.
A worked example
Suppose your child’s results are: English A2, Chinese B3, E Math A1, A Math A2, Physics B3, Chemistry A2, Combined Humanities (Geography) B4.
- L1: English A2 = 2
- R1: Combined Humanities B4 = 4 (the only Humanities subject)
- R2: E Math A1 = 1
- R3: A Math A2 = 2
- R4 and R5: Chemistry A2 and Chinese B3 (or Physics B3) = 2 + 3
L1R5 = 2 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 3 = 14. With an Excellent CCA grade (2 bonus points), the net L1R5 is 12.
Notice that one weaker Humanities grade costs the most here, because R1 must be a Humanities subject. That is often where a student’s score can improve the most.
Bonus points
Bonus points are taken off the L1R5 to give the net score used for posting. For junior college, your child can get up to 4 bonus points in total:
- CCA grade: Excellent, 2 points; Good, 1 point.
- English and Higher Mother Tongue at A1 to C6: 2 points.
- Chinese or Malay (Special Programmes) or Bahasa Indonesia at A1 to C6: 2 points.
- An affiliated junior college chosen as 1st (or 1st and 2nd) choice: 2 points, for those choices only.
Remember that the eligibility limit of 20 applies to the score before bonus points.
Millennia Institute: L1R4
The three-year A Level course at Millennia Institute uses L1R4: English or Higher Mother Tongue, two Humanities, Mathematics or Science subjects, and two more subjects. It must also be 20 or lower, with the same subject grades as junior college.
ELR2B2: the score for polytechnic
ELR2B2 is English, 2 Relevant subjects and the Best 2 other subjects, minus up to 2 CCA bonus points. The relevant subjects depend on the course, which uses one of four types:
- ELR2B2-A: mostly business, humanities, media and design-related courses. A Humanities or arts subject, plus a second subject from a broad list.
- ELR2B2-B: business and accounting-related courses. Mathematics, plus a Humanities, arts or Principles of Accounts subject.
- ELR2B2-C: engineering, IT, science and health courses, including Nursing. Mathematics, plus a Science or technology subject.
- ELR2B2-D: design, media, architecture and some technology courses. Mathematics, plus a Science, art or design subject.
The net ELR2B2 must be 26 or lower (28 for the Diploma in Nursing), and every course also has its own minimum grades, such as a pass in Mathematics or a science. Popular courses need much lower scores than 26.
Try it with our free calculator
Our O Level Score Calculator works out L1R5, L1R4 and all four ELR2B2 types from your child’s grades, picks the best subjects for each slot, and takes off the bonus points. It works with prelim grades too, so Secondary 4 students can see where they stand before the exam.
What to do on results day
- Work out the scores with the results slip, or use the calculator.
- Check Form A. Every eligible student receives Form A from MOE, which lists the courses they are eligible for. It is the official list.
- Look at last year’s scores for the schools and courses your child likes, on MOE’s SchoolFinder (junior colleges and Millennia Institute) and CourseFinder (polytechnics). They are a guide only: each year’s scores depend on that year’s results and choices.
- Choose a sensible spread of choices, from courses your child is aiming for to ones they are comfortable with. The application period opens in mid-January.
For Secondary 3 and 4 students: how to lower the score
- Find the subject that is costing the most points. In the example above it was the Humanities subject in R1. For many students it is a Science or A Math.
- Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry reward method. Clear working, the right formulae and the exact keywords markers look for can lift a grade quickly.
- Do timed papers early. Many marks are lost to time pressure, not to missing knowledge.
Frequently asked questions
Is a lower L1R5 better?
Yes. Grades are counted as points (A1 = 1 to F9 = 9), so the best possible L1R5 is 6.
Can my child use Higher Chinese and Chinese in the same L1R5?
No. Higher Mother Tongue and Mother Tongue cannot both be counted in the same score.
Does the CCA grade really matter?
It can. An Excellent grade takes 2 points off both L1R5 and ELR2B2, which can be the difference for a popular school or course.
Are these rules changing?
MOE has announced changes to junior college and Millennia Institute admission from the 2028 Joint Admissions Exercise. This article covers the 2027 exercise, for the 2026 O Level results.
Do you teach O Level subjects?
Yes. We teach O Level Physics, Chemistry, E Math, A Math and English at 212 Hougang Street 21, a 3-minute walk from Kovan MRT, with at most 6 students per class. Send us an enquiry to book a trial lesson.
Source: Ministry of Education, Joint Admissions Exercise pages for junior colleges, Millennia Institute and polytechnics (2027 JAE). Admission rules can change; always check MOE’s website and your child’s Form A.
