Registrar's Office

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Academic Calendar

The standard academic calendar1 consists of two semesters and a special term. Each semester normally includes 13 weeks of instruction and two weeks of examinations. The special term takes place during the Semester 2 vacation period. It comprises two parts, each of which lasts six weeks and is inclusive of an examination period.

The Registrar’s Office publishes the official calendar for each academic year here

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

Recurring events in chronological order
Duration
Remarks
Sem 1

Sem 2

Orientation Week
1 week
-
 Commences on the first Monday of August each year. The academic year starts 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 the Monday immediately following the Recess Week.
Reading Week
1 week
1 week
 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
 Semester 1: December to early January. Semester 2: From May through July. The two-part Special Term takes place during this vacation period, with each part being 6 weeks long.

 

1The Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and the Faculty of Dentistry operate on a slightly different academic calendar structure.

 
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