Chan Chun Sing: Government discourages school retakes for A-Level exams

During a recent parliamentary session, the issue of retaking the GCE A-Level examinations was addressed following inquiries by Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong, a Workers’ Party Member of Parliament for Hougang SMC.

Mr Tan questioned the Minister for Education, Chan Chun Sing, on the possibility for students who have passed their A-Level examinations but with unsatisfactory grades to retake the exams as school candidates. Additionally, he asked whether specific pre-university institutions could be designated for such retakes and if the Edusave account could be expanded to fund the retaking of these national examinations.

In response, Minister Chan Chun Sing stated, “We do not encourage students who have passed their A-Level examination to retake the examination in schools.”

He elaborated on the reasoning behind this stance, emphasizing the array of post-examination opportunities available to students: “After passing the A-Level examination, the students would already have a range of options in tertiary education, such as to courses in Autonomous Universities, as well as in Polytechnics, where they can be granted module exemptions.”

Mr Chan also highlighted the potential for workforce entrants to enhance their qualifications through “Continuing Education and Training programmes which are heavily subsidised.”

For students who still wish to retake their A-Level exams as private candidates and require financial assistance, Minister Chan advised, “If a student wishes to retake the A-Level examination as a private candidate and requires financial support, he or she can approach the Social Service Office or other community organisations to explore if assistance can be offered.”

For recently released 2023 GCE A-Level examination results, the Ministry of Education (MOE) and Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) reported that out of 10,899 candidates, 10,238, or about 93.9%, achieved at least three Higher 2 (H2) passes, with a pass in General Paper or Knowledge and Inquiry.

The MOE and SEAB noted, “This is comparable to the performance of candidates for the GCE A-Level Examination in previous years.”

The 2022 examinations had seen a similar success rate of approximately 93.5%.

In the admissions process for the National University of Singapore, applicants’ eligibility for undergraduate programs is assessed based on their academic performance in four content subjects. This includes three subjects at the Higher 2 (H2) level and one subject at the Higher 1 (H1) level, covering content-based disciplines.