Before joining us for JC physics tuition, we look at the benchmarks in a little more detail, to give you the peace of mind to concentrate on your O’levels.
What is JC cut off point?
Residents of Singapore are no doubt already familiar with the JC cut-off point system. This governs entry to junior colleges across Singapore and is more formally known as the Joint Admissions Exercise which begins with the L1R5 aggregate scores.
L1R5 is the combination of ‘O’ level grade points- 1 language and 5 other subjects [‘R’]. An A1 in a subject nets you a point. The end aggregate number should ideally be as small as possible. While in theory, the lowest number should be 6, your L1R5 can also be reduced by outside factors such as extra-curricular activities and school affiliations, with the lowest possible number being 0 despite the fact it is across 6 subjects which can only be scored down to 1 point each. Passing your mother tongue paper at a higher level will also help reduce the score as well.
JC cut-off points for 2016
| JC cut-off points for 2016 | Arts | Science/International Baccalaureate |
| Raffles Institution | 4 | 3 |
| Hwa Chong Institution | 4 | 4 |
| Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)* | – | 5 |
| Victoria JC | 6 | 5 |
| National JC | 6 | 5 |
| St Joseph Institution* | – | 6 |
| Nanyang JC | 7 | 6 |
| Anglo-Chinese JC | 7 | 7 |
| Anderson JC | 9 | 8 |
| Temasek JC | 9 | 9 |
| St Andrew’s JC | 9 | 9 |
| Catholic JC | 10 | 10 |
| Meridian JC | 10 | 10 |
| Serangoon JC | 11 | 11 |
| Pioneer JC | 13 | 12 |
| Tampines JC | 13 | 13 |
| Jurong JC | 15 | 15 |
| Yishun JC | 17 | 16 |
| Innova JC | 20 | 20 |
*Schools that offer International Baccalaureate instead of A levels
Why is this system controversial?
It’s a controversial system with many people saying that it is elitist and out of date. They argue that the fact you can get 6 points [A1 in all subjects] and yet still not be eligible for good schools and polytechnics is biased towards ‘elitist’ schools and a certain narrow pool of students. They are perhaps not wrong in this. There are certain students who benefit from the system as it stands, perhaps disproportionately.
Getting into a good JC should be the aim for all students, and the JC admissions cut-off points should be carefully studied to make sure you can make it into the college of your choice. Remember to work hard and choose the right physics tuition for yourself.
