Confused about the “new” milestone exams coming up for secondary schoolers, and wondering if it impacts your teen?
First, there is no change in 2026 for secondary school students taking their milestone exams. The change is from 2027 onwards, where the N(T), N(A), and O-Level exams will be combined and renamed as the Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) exams.
With the SEC, eligible students can take their exams at different subject levels, i.e. some subjects at G3 and others at G2. The SEC qualification will also reflect the subjects and subject levels that students have taken.
Do note that the new exams are for Secondary 1 cohorts from 2024, as well as Secondary 5 students who entered Secondary 1 in 2023.
No milestone exam changes in 2026; the SEC replaces N(T), N(A), and O-Levels from 2027.
SEC keeps the same grading structure and overall standards as current national exams.
From 2027: MTL has one written exam each year; SEC written exams run in a common Oct period with results in Jan.
How does the O-Level grading system work? Will the grading system change in 2027?
If you're not familiar with the secondary school subject allocation system in Singapore, here’s a refresher.
After taking the PSLE (Primary School Leaving Examination) in Primary 6, students are assigned to “posting groups” based on their grades. This determines the difficulty level of most of the subjects that they will take in Secondary 1.
The subject levels are known as G1, G2, and G3, where G stands for “General”:
| PSLE Score | Posting Group | Subject Level |
| 4 – 20 | PG3 | G3 |
| 21 – 22 | PG2 or PG3 | G2 or G3 |
| 23 – 24 | PG2 | G2 |
| 25 | PG1 or PG2 | G1 or G2 |
| 26 – 30 (with at least AL7 in EL and Maths) | PG1 | G1 |
For a quick way to remember the above: G1 is the least demanding level, and G3 is the most demanding level. More importantly, there is flexibility in the system now, because students can move to a more or less demanding level as needed.
Below are the current grading systems for G1, G2, and G3 subjects.
G1 Grading System for the N(T)-Level exams:
| Marks | Grade |
| 75 – 100 | A |
| 70 – 74 | B |
| 60 – 69 | C |
| 50 – 59 | D |
| 0 – 49 | E |
G2 Grading System for the N(A)-Level exams:
| Marks | Grade/Aggregate Point |
| 75 – 100 | 1 |
| 70 – 74 | 2 |
| 65 – 69 | 3 |
| 60 – 64 | 4 |
| 50 – 59 | 5 |
| 0 – 49 | 6 |
G3 Grading System for the O-Level exams:
| Marks | Grade | Aggregate Point |
| 75 – 100 | A1 | 1 |
| 70 – 74 | A2 | 2 |
| 65 – 69 | B3 | 3 |
| 60 – 64 | B4 | 4 |
| 55 – 59 | C5 | 5 |
| 50 – 54 | C6 | 6 |
| 45 – 49 | D7 | 7 |
| 40 – 44 | E8 | 8 |
| 39 and below | F9 | 9 |
Going forward, the SEC exams will adopt the same grading structure as the current N(T)-, N(A)- and O-Level examinations. There is no change in the overall standards of examinations under the SEC, and this qualification will be recognised locally and internationally. For details, visit the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board website.
With expectations remaining rigorous, students can still benefit from extra coaching. If your child has gaps to fill, you can look for specialist tutors like AskMrChan, which offer structured, exam-focused programmes for a dedicated subject, such as chemistry. When assessing enrichment centres, do check that they don't stop at helping students to set academic goals — there should also be a clear pathway to reaching these goals. Importantly, enrichment tutors should also factor in motivation as a key driver in achieving results.
What changes to expect after the SEC exams are implemented?
This is the change that parents and teens might care most about: From 2027, there will only be one written examination held each year for the MTL. This applies to G1, G2, and G3 MTL, as well as G3 Higher MTL.
Currently, the O-Level MTL written exams are held twice a year: once during the mid-year, and once towards year-end. Going forward, students will no longer be able to retake the MTL exam to try to improve their grade.
The other major change is that there will be one common SEC exam period for G1, G2, and G3 students. Written exams will take place for everyone in October each year, and results will be released in January of the following year.
For details, visit the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board website.
For students who entered Secondary 1 in 2024 and were offered Higher Mother Tongue, they would sit for the Mother Tongue examinations in 2026 at the end of Secondary 3. What certificate will they get?
As the SEC only starts from 2027, Higher Mother Tongue students who sit for the Mother Tongue examinations in 2026 will be awarded the GCE O-Level examination certificate.
Will Secondary 5 be phased out after 2027?
Currently, the Ministry of Education’s website indicates that Secondary 5 will continue to be an option for students.
Students might be eligible for a fifth year in secondary school if they meet either of these requirements:
3 or more G3 Passes, but did not qualify for JC/Millennia Institute/Poly Year 1
2 or fewer G3 Passes, with conditions applying
You can read more about the eligibility criteria for Secondary 5, but to save time, we would advise that you consult your child’s school for guidance. Students who do not offer sufficient G2 or G3 subjects to compute the eligibility criteria for the fifth year should also consult their schools.
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