If your child is in Secondary 3 this year, they will not sit the O Level. From 2027, the O Level and N Level exams are replaced by a single national exam, the Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC). Your child’s year is the first to take it.
The good news is that much less changes than the new name suggests. Here is what stays the same, what changes, and how junior college and polytechnic admission will work for this group.
What is the SEC?
The SEC is the national exam students take at the end of secondary school, from 2027. It brings the N(T) Level, N(A) Level and O Level exams together under one certificate, to match Full Subject-Based Banding, where students take each subject at the level that suits them. It is still examined and awarded by SEAB, MOE and Cambridge International Education.
G1, G2 and G3 subjects
Students sit each subject at G1, G2 or G3. G3 is the former O Level standard, G2 the former N(A) Level standard and G1 the former N(T) Level standard. Many students take most of their subjects at G3, and some take one or two at G2. The SEC certificate lists every subject and the level it was taken at.
What stays the same
- The standard and the papers. SEAB states that the mode of assessment and the overall standards stay the same as the O Level and N Level exams.
- The grades. G3 subjects keep the O Level grades, from A1 to 9.
- The syllabuses. Physics, Chemistry, E Math, A Math and the other G3 subjects follow the same kind of syllabus as the O Level.
- Revision materials. Past O Level papers, including the Ten Year Series, remain good practice for G3 papers. Read our guide to using the Ten Year Series.
What changes
One exam period, and results in January
Most written papers are taken in one common exam period from October, with orals, listening tests and practicals held before it. The English and Mother Tongue written papers are taken in September. Results for all subjects come out together in January.
Junior college: L1R4 instead of L1R5
The first SEC students apply in the 2028 Post-Secondary Education Exercise. For junior college, the score becomes L1R4: English or Higher Mother Tongue plus four relevant subjects (a Humanities subject, a Mathematics or Science subject, a Humanities, Mathematics or Science subject, and one more). Every subject counted must be taken at G3. The L1R4 before bonus points must be 16 or lower, and bonus points are capped at 3.
Millennia Institute
Millennia Institute also uses L1R4 of G3 subjects, with a limit of 20 or lower.
Polytechnic: ELR2B2 with one G2 subject
Polytechnic courses still use ELR2B2, but the net score must be 22 or lower (24 for the Diploma in Nursing). English, the two relevant subjects and the best other subject count at G3. The second best subject can be taken at G2 or G3, and it is counted at its G2 grade, so a G3 B3 counts as 1 and a G3 C6 as 2.
Work out your child’s scores under both sets of rules with our free O Level and SEC score calculator, and read more in L1R5, L1R4 and ELR2B2 explained.
What this means for your child now
- Fewer subjects count for junior college, but the limit is lower. With L1R4, every relevant subject matters, so a weak grade in one core subject is harder to make up.
- Every counted subject must be at G3 for junior college. If your child takes a subject at G2, it can still help for polytechnic, but not for junior college.
- The Secondary 3 chapters matter. A large part of each G3 syllabus is taught in Secondary 3, and many Secondary 4 chapters build on it. The year-end holidays are the best time to close gaps.
How we help at Outclass Education
Our Secondary 3 and 4 classes in Physics, Chemistry, Combined Science, E Math and A Math follow the current syllabuses, which carry on for G3 papers in the SEC. Every class has at most 6 students, every chapter has our own notes and exam-style practice with keyword-marked answers, and parents see what was covered after every lesson in our parent app. See our Science tuition in Hougang and Math tuition in Hougang.
Frequently asked questions
Is the O Level still happening?
The last O Level exams are taken in 2026, by students in Secondary 4 this year. From 2027, students sit the SEC instead, starting with students in Secondary 3 in 2026.
Is the SEC harder than the O Level?
No. SEAB states that the overall standards and the mode of assessment stay the same. G3 subjects are at the former O Level standard and keep the same grades.
When are the SEC results released?
Results for all subjects come out together in January, after the exam year.
Does L1R5 still apply?
Not for SEC students. They use L1R4 for junior college, with a limit of 16 before bonus points. L1R5 still applies to students sitting the O Level in 2026.
Are past O Level papers still useful?
Yes. Because the standard and the papers stay the same, past O Level papers, including the Ten Year Series, are good practice for G3 papers. Skip any questions on topics no longer in the syllabus.
Next step: Send us an enquiry to book a trial lesson, or WhatsApp us at 9637 2357. We are at 212 Hougang Street 21, a 3-minute walk from Kovan MRT Exit C.
