FAQ for the Disclosure of A-level Grade Profiles and Polytechnic GPA for the Academic Year 2009 Admissions Exercise

1. What is the objective of this disclosure?

The objective of the disclosure of the A-level Grade Profiles and Polytechnic Grade Point Average (GPA) is to assist applicants in assessing their competitiveness for the various undergraduate courses in NUS.


2. How are A-level graduates considered for admission?

Admission to the University is based on an applicant’s University Admission Score (UAS) comprising the grades of six A-level subjects as follows:

• Best three H2 and one H1 content-based subjects
• General Paper (GP) or Knowledge and Inquiry (KI)
• Project Work (PW)

The best Mother Tongue Language (MTL) subject grade (e.g. H1 MTL or O-level higher MTL) will be considered only if the candidate provides the result for consideration. The University will include it in the scoring only if it raises the competitiveness of the candidate.


3. How are polytechnic graduates considered for admission?

For admission to the University, the O-level examination results and the polytechnic’s 5th semester GPA are taken into consideration. Some undergraduate courses will only consider graduates with accredited diplomas. Please refer to the list of accredited diplomas in http://www.nus.edu.sg/oam/apply/catb/require.htm.


4. How should A-level graduates interpret the information indicated in Table 1?
Table 1 shows the grade profiles of A-level graduates who were offered undergraduate admission in Academic Year 2008 in the 10th and 90th percentiles.  It is best illustrated with examples.  If the 90th percentile grade profile is AAB/A (3H2/1H1), it means that 10% of the successful applicants attained A-level grades that are above AAB/A.   If the 10th percentile is ABB/B, it means that 10% of the successful applicants attained A-level grades that are below ABB/B.


5. How should polytechnic graduates interpret the information indicated in Table 2?
Table 2 shows the polytechnic GPA of those who were offered undergraduate admission in Academic Year 2008 in the 10th and 90th percentiles. It is best illustrated with examples.  If the 90th percentile GPA profile is 3.96, it means that 10% of the successful applicants attained GPA that is above 3.96.   If the 10th percentile is 3.55, it means that 10% of the successful applicants attained GPA that is below 3.55.


6. Why is the grade profile of only the last 10th percentile of applicants and not the last student made known?
Since 2004, MOE has introduced the discretionary admissions (DA) framework where up to 10% of students can be offered admission based on criteria other than their academic grades. This would include, typically, special talents, leadership skills or an outstanding record of co-curricular activities. The academic performance of students who are offered under DA will not be indicative of the academic requirements for admission and are, therefore, not included in the indicative grade profile of offers.


7. I am an international student holding a polytechnic diploma who did not take the Singapore-Cambridge GCE O-level examinations. Does that mean that I cannot apply to the undergraduate course even if my GPA meets the 10th percentile of the course?
An applicant’s University Admission Score (UAS) is computed based on 80% polytechnic results and 20% Singapore-Cambridge GCE O-level results. In the case of an international applicant without the GCE O-level component, the application will be assessed based on the GPA score and any other academic achievements presented by the applicant. Such international applications are usually evaluated on a case-by-case basis.


8. Why is there a variation in the A-level Grade Profiles or Polytechnic GPA for the various courses?
As admission is based on competition amongst applicants, the applicants’ choice of courses and available vacancies will determine the admissions requirements. Hence, the representative grade profile for a course may be much higher compared to another course.


9. What are the chances of me getting admitted to a particular course if I have attained the A-level Grade Profiles or Polytechnic GPA as indicated in the tables?
The A-level grade profiles and Polytechnic GPA are based on last year’s admission requirement. Each year, the A-level Grade Profiles and Polytechnic GPA may differ depending on the number and performance of applicants and the places available for the course. This means that meeting last year’s (AY 2008) A-level Grades or Polytechnic GPA are only indicative and does NOT guarantee admission to the course for the current year (AY 2009).


10. What is the success rate of applicants to the various courses?
The success rate would not be an accurate indicator as students are allowed to include as many as 8 choices in an application and only one offer is made.  A successful applicant offered the first choice, for example, will not receive an offer for the subsequent choices he/she has applied for even if the grades are good enough and it would be incorrect to interpret that the applicant had been unsuccessful for the subsequent choices.


11. I was denied admission to a course that requires an interview and/or test even though I have met the A-level Grade Profiles or Polytechnic GPA as indicated in the Table. Why is this so?
Undergraduate courses such as Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Law, Architecture and Industrial Design require additional assessment such as interviews, selection tests and portfolios as part of the admission requirement.  The processes for interviews and selection tests are done rigorously. For instance, an applicant selected for the Medicine interview will go through two panels of interviewers, who will not be given the academic results of interviewees. Selection to these courses will be based on academic merit and the applicant’s performance at the interviews and/or tests. Please refer to the subject pre-requisites at http://www.nus.edu.sg/oam/apply/prerequisite.htm for details.


12. I would like to appeal for admission as my first application was unsuccessful. Should I appeal for the courses with A-level Grade Profiles or Polytechnic GPA that is similar to my A-level grades or Polytechnic GPA?
The admission criteria for AY 2009 may vary from the information set out in the Tables due to changes in applicants’ preferences and number of vacancies. Applicants are advised to appeal for courses that require the A-level grades and Polytechnic GPA that are close to the A-level grades or Polytechnic GPA they have obtained.


13. Why has the University not released the grade profile of other qualifications such as the International Baccalaureate (IB) and NUS High School diplomas?
Local applicants with IB and NUS High School qualifications are relatively new and fewer in number compared to those with the Singapore-Cambridge GCE A-levels and Singapore polytechnic diplomas. In the case of NUS High School, this is the first year we are receiving applications from the graduating students. The sample size of applicants with these qualifications is often very small to arrive at a grade profile that is an accurate reflection of the academic requirements for the various courses. We have, therefore, not included the grade profile for these two groups of students.


14. How will students with the NUS High School or IB diploma applying for admissions be assessed by the University?
In the case of IB, the score in their IB diploma will be used to evaluate the students, while NUS HS diploma recipients will be evaluated on the strength of their graduation CAP. Additional achievements that demonstrate exceptional ability in an area, exceptional achievements in research projects and various CCAs will also be taken into consideration in deciding on the outcome. The exact requirements will vary depending on the specific course and is ultimately determined by the strength of the applicant pool each year, the relative performance of the students with other students taking similar exam, and where available, the past performances of students that have matriculated with the same qualification.