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Academic Calendar

The standard academic calendar consists¹ of two semesters and a special term. Each semester normally includes 13 weeks of instruction and 2 weeks of examinations. The special term takes place during the Semester 2 vacation period. It comprises of two parts, each of which lasts 6 weeks and is inclusive of an examination period.

The table below presents the basic chronological structure of the two main semesters in any academic year.

Recurring events in chronological order	Duration		Remarks
Recurring events in chronological order	Semester 1	Semester 2	Remarks
Orientation Week	1 week	--	Commences on first Monday of August each year. The academic year starts off with the Freshmen Inauguration Ceremony.
Instructional Period -- part 1	6 weeks	6 weeks	In Semester 1, this starts in the week immediately following Orientation Week. For Semester 2, this commences on the second Monday of January each year.
Recess Week	1 week	1 week	From Saturday to the following Sunday.
Instructional Period -- part 2	7 weeks	7 weeks	Classes resume on Monday immediately following the Recess Week.
Reading Week	1 week	1 week	Lasts from Saturday of the final week of the preceding Instructional Period to Friday the following week.
Examination	2 weeks	2 weeks	Starts on the Saturday immediately following Reading Week.
Total Duration	18 weeks	17 weeks
Vacation	4-5 weeks	12-13 weeks	For Semester 1, this is during December to early January. For Semester 2, this goes from May through July. The 2-part Special Term takes place during this vacation period, with each part being 6 weeks long.