Admission Requirements »

For admission requirements and application information please click here.

For admission requirements and application information please click here.

Admission requirements and closing dates

If you an international applicant seeking admission to NUS, you should have completed or are completing high school, that is, at least twelve years of general education in the year of application. You may view the list of acceptable high school qualifications here.

Application closing dates apply according to your high school qualification. Unless otherwise specified, your complete application with all supporting documents must reach the Office of Admissions by the application closing date.

English Language Requirement

The medium of instruction at NUS is English.  To enable you to benefit from an NUS education, we expect you to have achieved a minimum level of English proficiency.  For certain qualifications, you are also required to furnish additional English Language test scores. Please check here.

Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT I and SAT II) Requirements

There are different requirements for different qualifications presented. For certain qualifications, applicants would be required to submit additional SAT I and II test scores. For the list of acceptable high school qualifications and their requirements, please click here. For more information on SAT requirements, please click here.

Exceptional talents

While academic merit plays a key role in deciding the outcome of your application, we also consider exceptional achievements in co-curricular activities and competitions.  You must have attained a very high level of achievement or leadership positions in activities. Examples of such achievements include International Science Olympiad medals, top national awards, national team sportsmen and exceptional rank in top university entrance examinations (e.g. IIT/AIEEE rankings, etc).

Participation in activities and achievements at intra school, house or class level (e.g. best student, most courteous, science/arts/cultural projects, etc) do not, usually, have a strong bearing on the outcome of your application.

Choice of courses

All applicants are allowed a maximum of 5 choices in your application.
Please list them according to your preference.
The order of the choices does not increase or decrease your chances in any of the courses. However, you should order your choices accordingly to your preference, as you will be admitted to the highest ranked course that you have qualified for.

Application outcome

The outcome of your application for admission will be released between May and mid-July.

Appeals

If you are not successful in gaining admission, you are allowed one appeal, to be submitted online, in June. Only those of you whose actual results are available after the official appeals period in June (eg. PRC NCEE, IB exams) may write in to http://www.askadmissions.nus.edu.sg  to appeal within one week of the release of your application outcome.

In the online appeal, you should state your reason in not more than 1,000 characters. Therefore, it is vital that you attempt to provide a concise summary, highlighting important additional information that supports your application.

The outcome of appeals for admission is expected to be released in July.

Mass emailing to multiple parties within NUS outside the appeal protocol will result only in slowing down the appeal process.  The NUS Office of Admissions makes the final decision on all appeals.

You may fax your score reports to the University directly at (65) 6778 7570 . The score reports must reach the Office of Admissions by your application closing date failing which your application will be deemed incomplete and withdrawn from consideration.

Verification of Documents

Successfully admitted applicants will be called upon for verification of their submitted documents when school terms starts.

When applicants arrive in Singapore for enrolment into NUS, they must bring along original copies of their identification, high school results, secondary school results and other material documents which you have earlier submitted in support of your application.

For applicants who are required to submit their TOEFL, IELTS and/ or SAT scores, internet printout results of TOEFL, IELTS and SAT scores may first be sent to our office to support your application. Once you have received your actual results, you are required to submit a copy of the original results to the Office of Admissions.

Qualification types and application requirements

1. 'A' Level (AQA, Cambridge, Edexcel, London, Maldives)

2. Advanced Placement (AP)

3. Australian High School (New South Wales HSC, Queensland Senior Certificate, South Australian Matriculation, Victoria Certificate of Education, Western Australia Year 12)

4. Brunei/Hong Kong 'A' Levels

5. French Baccalaureate (FB) Diploma

6. German Abitur and New Zealand University Entrance, Bursaries and Scholarship Examination or National Certificate of Educational Achievement Level 3

7. Indian Standard 12 (Central and ISCE Boards)

8. Indian Standard 12 (State and other Boards)

9. Indonesian SMA UAN (Ebtanas)

10. International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma

11. Mauritius HSC

12. Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) / Canadian Pre-U (CPU)

13. PRC National College Entrance Examination or Gao Kao

14. Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM)

15. Turkish High School

16. Unified Examination Certificate (UEC)

17. Vietnamese High School Graduation Examination

18. American High School Diploma / Bangladeshi HSC / Filipino High School / Myanmar High School / Mathayom 6 (Thai High School) / Pakistani Intermediate / Sri Lanka ‘A’ Level / West Africa ‘A’ Levels / Others

* Applicants presenting accredited Diplomas obtained from a Polytechnic in Singapore should apply under Category B in February 2010.
* Foundation, Matriculation and Twinning and Home study programmes are not suitable for admission purposes to NUS.

English Language requirement

Applicants may present any of the following to fulfil the English Language requirement:

* For TOEFL score comparison table, please refer to http://www.ets.org/Media/Tests/TOEFL/pdf/TOEFL_iBT_Score_Comparison_Tables.pdf

Please note that only TOEFL and / or IELTS scores obtained in the five years leading up to 15 March of the year of application will be considered. For instance, for applications closing on 28 March 2010, the validity period for the scores is from 28 March 2005 to 28 March 2010 (both dates inclusive).

Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT I and SAT II) Requirements

SAT I - Reasoning Test

SAT I consist of 3 Sections, Critical Reading Section, Writing Section and Mathematics Section. The minimum acceptable Reasoning Test scores are 600 for the Critical Reading Section, 600 for the Writing Section, and 650 for the Mathematics Section.

For SAT I, all 3 Sections (i.e. Critical Reading Section, Writing Section and Mathematic Section) have to be taken in one sitting. Mixing and matching of different sections scores from various sitting cannot be accepted. 

SAT II - Subject Tests

SAT II consists of 3 Subjects Test. The Subject Test, Mathematics Level II is compulsory. The two other Subjects Tests may be of your choice.

Compulsory subjects for the Subject Tests include :

• Mathematics Level II ^
• A second subject of your choice (excluding Mathematics Level I)
• A third subject of your choice (excluding Mathematics Level I)

For SAT II, the 3 subjects can be taken in no more than two sittings, but within the period of one year. All other combinations or mixing of scores cannot be accepted. Please note that the old test format (SAT I & II) and the new test format (Reasoning Test and Subject Tests) cannot be combined. The validity of scores is five years, e.g. for applications closing on 28 February 2010, the validity period is from 28 February 2005 to 28 February 2010 (both dates inclusive).

The second and third subjects should be chosen based on the subject prerequisites of the courses you are applying for at NUS. For example, if you are applying for Chemical Engineering, you will need to choose Physics and Chemistry. If, however, you are applying for Business Administration, you may choose any subjects except Mathematics Level I.

Please note that IELTS/TOEFL will not be required if applicants wish to apply for Economics & Law/ Law if they are presenting SAT I and II as their basis for admission.

No minimum Subject Test scores have been stipulated.
^ Mathematics Level II is a compulsory subject for all courses except Law. Applicants applying for admission to Law may take Mathematics Level I in lieu of Mathematics Level II.

For more information on Reasoning and Subjects Tests, please visit www.collegeboard.com.

You may fax your scores to the University directly at (65) 6778 7570. The score reports must reach the Office of Admissions by your application closing date failing which your application will be deemed incomplete and withdrawn from consideration.