If your family is considering the Direct School Admission (DSA) route in 2026, this is the time of year to start looking out for secondary school open house events.

These events usually take place in April and May, giving Primary 6 families a chance to visit schools, hear directly from staff and students, and get a clearer sense of which schools are worth shortlisting. (An exception would be the Singapore Sports School, which held its open house in March.)

Below, we’ve compiled the DSA 2026 open house dates announced so far.

Secondary School DSA 2026 Open House Dates

Attend Open House Events, Even If Your Child Is Still Unsure

Open house events aren’t just for those who have decided on the DSA. In fact, school visits are often most useful for families who are still figuring things out.

A school can seem exciting, intimidating, or completely unsuitable from the outside. But once you are on campus and listening to how the school talks about its students and programmes, the picture often becomes clearer. You may find that a school you had written off now feels more welcoming than expected. Or you may realise that a school with a strong reputation is not the right fit for your child.

This matters, because many parents mistake the DSA as a pathway to prestigious schools. When really, you should be considering whether your child has a passion that they wish to develop, in a school that is a good match for their strengths.

How to Make the Most of a School Visit

Open houses at popular schools can be crowded, so it helps to arrive with a rough plan.

Before you head for a school, identify the talks most relevant to your child. This may be the general school presentation, but it could also be a sports briefing, an arts showcase, or a session on a specific DSA area. In addition, you should identify the booths that you most want to visit — this would be a good opportunity to chat with current students and teachers.

It also helps to prepare a few questions in advance. Parents often leave an open house saying it was interesting, but not especially helpful. Usually, this is because they spent most of the visit listening politely and collecting brochures instead of getting the information they actually needed.

Open House Questions for Teachers

Some questions are useful at almost every school.

Ask what successful DSA candidates usually have in common. Ask what the school is hoping to see during auditions, trials, or interviews. Ask whether the school will consider students who may not have represented their primary school officially, but are still able to demonstrate ability through a test or try-out.

Then move on to the practical questions parents often forget to ask. What happens if a student falls behind academically? How does the school support the well-being of DSA students? What happens if a child later wants to stop focusing on the talent area they entered through? And how does the school help students manage the pull between DSA commitments and academic demands? Students don’t all fall into neat boxes, and these questions help you to understand how a school has supported its students in unusual or unique situations.

If Your Child Is Applying Through Sports

For the sports DSA, the most useful thing you can do is to understand the daily reality of student life.

Ask what the training schedule usually looks like. Find out whether students are expected to take part in specific competitions or training camps. Ask what kind of coaching, facilities, or partnerships the school offers, and how it handles issues such as injuries, fatigue, or burnout. It is also worth asking whether there are pathways for students who want to continue pursuing the sport at a higher level.

A school may have a famous team or a strong name in a sport, but what you really need to know is whether the setup suits your child.

If Your Child Is Interested in the Arts

For visual or performing arts, try to understand both what the school expects from applicants and what students experience after they are admitted.

Ask what kind of portfolio, audition piece, or performance students should prepare. Ask whether there are regular productions, showcases, or exhibitions for students to present their work. Ask how the school helps students deepen their craft over time, whether through external instructors, masterclasses, or other structured support. 

One more useful question is whether students can explore more than one art form, or whether they are expected to specialise early. That can make a real difference, especially for children whose interests are still developing.

If Your Child Is Considering the Leadership DSA

Many parents aren’t sure what the leadership DSA is about. So this is where it helps to ask for specifics.

You can ask what leadership roles are actually available to students who enter through this track. Ask how these students are developed over time, whether through camps, mentoring, or training. Ask whether they are expected to take on particular duties during the school year, and how the school assesses leadership potential during selection. It is also useful to ask whether formal positions such as prefect or monitor are necessary, or whether other forms of initiative and responsibility are recognised too.

Be Sure to Talk to Students

One of the most useful parts of any open house is the chance to speak to current students, especially those manning display or activity booths. The reason is this: teachers can explain school policies and expectations, but students give the clearest sense of student life.

If a student is open to chatting with you, ask why they chose the school. Ask what other schools they were considering. Ask what they like best, what they found hardest, and whether the school has supported them well.

For students who had entered through the DSA, ask whether they are still glad they chose this route. Ask what they wish they had known before applying. And if they are in your child’s talent area, ask what their week actually looks like and whether they feel they have grown since joining.

These answers are often more revealing than the official school presentation. They tell you what the workload feels like, whether the school culture is supportive, and whether students seem stretched in a healthy way.

How to Shortlist Schools If You Are Still Deciding

If you and your child are still trying to figure out where to begin, the MOE’s SchoolFinder tool is a practical starting point. Search under secondary schools, use the Criteria filters on the page to view DSA schools, and browse by talent area. This can help you identify which schools are relevant to your child’s strengths and interests before you decide which open houses to attend.

From there, narrow your list and check if those schools are holding open house events. If not, you can still contact the schools directly to ask about their talent development programmes.

Want to talk to other parents about the DSA? Join the conversation on the KiasuParents forum!