Subject combination sec 3 – choosing the ideal one
- Written By Jacquelynn Ann Thangavelu
- Updated on September 5, 2023
Choosing the right subject combination in sec 3 helps students meet their future educational goals. However, it can be a daunting process. We hope this guide will provided valuable insight into the possible subject combinations your child can adopt.
If you are reading this article, chances are your child is in Sec 2, past mid-year, and it’s time to think about the subject combination to choose for the coming school years. This process can be overwhelming because, after all, you need to ensure that your child takes the subject combination that enables them to fulfil their dreams and unlocks the most opportunities for them.
Klassbook’s guide on Secondary 3 Subject Combinations is here to provide you with more information about your child’s choices and share some tips on choosing the best subject combination.
Subject Combination For Sec 3 Express- An Overview
This guide will provide a brief overview of the subjects your child can take. Secondary 3 Subjects include compulsory and optional subjects from Secondary 3 onwards. These compulsory subjects include English Language, Mother Tongue Language, Mathematics, Science, and the Humanities (Combined Humanities). It is important to note that if your child is not Humanities inclined, they can take the “Combined Humanities” subject, which is a lower-level Humanities subject combined with Social Studies. Likewise, if your child does not like science, they do not have to take a “Pure Science” and can instead opt for the “Combined Science” subject. Both “Combined” Sciences and Humanities fulfil MOE’s requirements for compulsory subjects.
Optional subjects are also available at Secondary 3. Optional subjects include all O-level recognised subjects that are not compulsory. For example, some optional subjects include Additional Mathematics or “Pure” Science and Humanities Subjects.
For example, this is what typical Secondary 3 subject combinations look like.
| Combination 1 (for students who are humanities inclined-8 subjects) | Combination 2 (for students who are science inclined-8 subjects) | Combination 3 (7 subjects) |
|---|---|---|
| English (Compulsory) | English (Compulsory) | English (Compulsory) |
| Mother Tongue (Compulsory) | Mother Tongue (Compulsory) | Mother Tongue (Compulsory) |
| Elementary Mathematics (E.Maths) (Compulsory) | E.Maths (Compulsory) | E.Maths (Compulsory) |
| Additional Mathematics (A.Maths) | A.Maths | A.Maths/Principle of Accounts |
| Pure Biology | Pure Biology | Combined Science (Physics/Chemistry) |
| Pure Chemistry | Pure Chemistry | SS/Elective Humanities Subject (Compulsory) |
| Social Studies (SS)/Elective Humanities Subject (Compulsory) | Pure Physics | Pure Humanities |
| Pure Humanities | SS/Elective Humanities Subject (Compulsory) |
In other words, once your child has fulfilled MOE’s compulsory subject criteria, they can add more subjects to study. Your child can learn a maximum of 9 subjects (all pure sciences and two pure humanities) and a minimum of 6 subjects. Students in the Express stream are generally recommended to take 7 or 8 subjects. The subject combination that will provide your child with the most academic options post-O-levels would be: Two languages, two mathematics, two sciences (both pure sciences, one being Pure Chemistry), and two humanities (one a combined humanities subject, and the other a “pure” humanities subject). This way, your child can take both science and arts courses in Junior College (JC) and polytechnics.
Furthermore, it is crucial to note that other factors affect your child’s allocation of a subject combination. For example, your child’s academic performance and the school’s availability of resources to conduct classes for those subjects could alter their subject combination as well.
Now that we have outlined some possible subject combinations, we will move on to the next part of the guide. This next section focuses on how the different subject combinations can affect your child’s academic future.
You can also read : Junior Colleges in Singapore – An overview
How Secondary 3 subject combinations affect your post-O-Level pathways
Your child’s subject combination should reflect their post-O-level academic goals. They not only have to think about whether they want to enter a JC or polytechnic. They must also consider which subjects they intend to take at these institutions and what they would like to study at university.
For Students wishing to enter the JC
JCs use the L1R5 aggregate computational criteria. That is to say, JCs count your child’s score in their First Language (English or Higher Mother Tongue), in which they have to score at least a C6, as well as five other relevant subjects. These 5 relevant subjects are highlighted in the table below.
| Relevant Subject 1 | Relevant Subject 2 | Relevant Subject 3 | Relevant Subject 4 | Relevant Subject 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humanities | Mathematics | Humanities | Any O-level Subject except Religious Knowledge | Any O-level subject except Religious Knowledge |
| Higher Art | Science | Higher Art | ||
| Higher Music | Higher Music | |||
| Malay/Chinese (Special Programme) | Mathematics | |||
| Bahasa Indonesia | Science | |||
| Malay/Chinese (Special Programme) | ||||
| Bahasa Indonesia |
Students have to score an L1R5 of 20 points or below to be eligible for JC admission. Students are eligible for conditional admission if they do not meet this criteria. For example, even if they scored an L1R5 of 15 points, they would not have met the criteria to enter a JC if they scored lower than a C6 for English, a D7 for Mother Tongue Language, or a D7 for Mathematics. Under conditional admission, students are granted admission into the JC despite failing to meet the required language/mathematics grades. However, by the end of JC1 (their first year of JC), they must resit for the subject and obtain the required grades. If they fail to do so, they will be transferred to Year 2 of a course in Millennia Institute (MI).
By the end of Year 2 in MI, if you still do not obtain the required grade, you have to leave the MI course.
For students wishing to enter the Millennia Institute for a less intensive A-level journey, the aggregate computational criteria used is L1R4. This is somewhat similar to the L1R5, except students need only 4 relevant subjects instead of 5. This will allow your child to apply with only 5 subjects instead of 6.
The table below highlights the four relevant subjects for students wishing to enter the Millennia Institute.
| Relevant Subjects 1 and 2 | Relevant Subjects 3 and 4 |
|---|---|
| Any 2 of the following subjects: -Humanities -Higher Art -Higher Music -Malay/Chinese (Special Programme) -Bahasa Indonesia | Any 2 O-level subjects except Religious Knowledge |
In addition, it is important to note that some JC subjects have prerequisites. For example, the H2 Mathematics subject in JC generally requires students to have taken A.Math at the O-levels. Certain JCs do allow students who have not taken A.Math to sit for H2 Mathematics, but they have to take a test to highlight their aptitude in Mathematics and put in a lot of work to bridge the knowledge gap.
Similarly, certain JCs require students to have a decent grade in “Pure Sciences” as a prerequisite for taking H2 Sciences at the A-levels. This is because Pure Sciences at the O-levels cover additional topics compared to the Combined Sciences while also covering those topics at a greater depth. This provides students with a good foundation for understanding H2 Sciences. Therefore, while taking Combined Sciences may not affect your child’s ability to enter a JC, it may affect their subject choices.
A “good pass” of B3 or higher may be required for Pure Sciences or Additional Mathematics if your child wishes to take H2 Maths/H2 Sciences at a reputable JC.
For Students wishing to enter a Polytechnic
Polytechnics generally follow the ELR2B2 aggregate computation criteria. However, there are four subcategories of ELR2B2. These are ELR2B2-A (for Art and Language-related courses), ELR2B2-B (for Business-related courses), ELR2B2-C (for Science and Technology courses), and ELR2B2-D (for Design courses). The “EL” in all of these criteria stands for “English”, while the “R2” stands for “Relevant Subjects”, and the “B2” stands for “Best two other subjects”.
The different subject requirements for the four ELR2B2 categories are listed below.
| ELR2B2-A (Arts) | ELR2B2-B (Business) | ELR2B2-C (Science and Technology) | ELR2B2-D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EL | English | English | English | English |
| Relevant Subject 1 | -Art -Combined Humanities -Geography -History -Literature in English -Music | -E.Maths -A.Maths | -E.Maths -A.Maths | -E.Maths -A.Maths |
| Relevant Subject 2 | -A.Maths -Art -Chinese -Combined Humanities -Design and Technology -E.Maths -Nutrition and Food Science -Geography -Higher Mother Tongue -History -Literature in English -Malay -Music -Principle of Accounts -Tamil | -Art -Combined Humanities -Geography -History -Literature in English -Music -Principle of Accounts | -Biology -Chemistry -Physics -Combined Science -Computing -Design and Technology -Nutrition and Food Science | -Art -Biology -Chemistry -Physics -Combined Science -Computing -Design and Technology -Nutrition and Food Science |
| B2 | Best 2 other subjects | Best 2 other subjects | Best 2 other subjects | Best 2 other subjects |
Most local polytechnics do not require your child to study Pure Sciences at the O-levels. However, since certain polytechnics have specific prerequisites for their Science/Technology courses, please research specific polytechnic courses that your child may be interested in.
University Considerations
There is a common misperception that students need to study all 3 pure sciences to qualify for medical school in Singapore. For admission to NUS or NTU’s School of Medicine, your child only needs a good H2 pass in Chemistry AND either Biology or Physics.
This means that students only need to study pure Chemistry AND either pure Biology or Physics at the O-levels to qualify for the relevant H2 Science subjects. While taking triple pure sciences can help your child hedge against some of their poorer subjects, it can also place immense stress on your child due to the heavy workload of pure science classes.
Subject Combination for Sec 3 Express- do’s and don’ts while choosing
Now that you have an overview of the potential Secondary 3 subject combinations and their ramifications on your child’s post-O-level academic journey, our guide would like to conclude with some suggestions on how you and your child can approach choosing the ideal subject combination.
- DO research the entry requirements for certain optional subjects and the entry requirements for specific polytechnic/JC courses. Since most Secondary 3 subjects like A.Maths and Pure Sciences are more intensive than their counterparts, most secondary schools require students to pass well in the lower secondary versions of these subjects. Furthermore, researching the entry requirements for JC/polytechnic courses will help your child plan their subject combination ahead of time.
- DO take note of your child’s strengths and weaknesses. Encourage your child to take “pure” subjects in areas they enjoy or excel in. Conversely, if your child is weak in a particular subject, do not pressure them into taking a higher-level version. While parents always want what is best for their children, balancing your expectations with what your child can realistically accomplish is important.
- DO discuss your child’s career ambitions with them. As a parent, you play an essential role in guiding them on their journey of self-discovery. Furthermore, by understanding their career aspirations at a young age, they can take the modules needed to build on their foundation for their future academic studies and careers.
- DO take note of your child’s schedule. If your child already has multiple co-curricular activity commitments, it might be best for them to take fewer subjects in school. This will enable them to concentrate on both their studies and co-curricular activities instead of overwhelming them.
- DO NOT force your child into taking the “optimal” subject combination. While we have listed what some top schools regard as the “optimal” subject combination, there are many factors that could cause your child to take a different subject combination. For example, your child’s stress levels, career aspirations, and schedule outside of school could necessitate them taking fewer subjects than the “optimal” subject combination recommendation. This does not mean that your child is less intelligent than their classmates or that they are limiting their future prospects. It is far better for your child to focus on 7 subjects they can handle and score well in all of them than to be overwhelmed with 8-9 subjects and subsequently perform poorly in them.
While choosing Secondary 3 subject combinations can be daunting, we hope this guide has provided valuable insight into the possible subject combinations your child can adopt. Furthermore, we hope the tips provided in this guide will be useful in helping you and your child navigate this milestone together!
You can also read : Guide to Choosing JC Subjects
Explore Klassbook for more Classes
To explore more classes, go through our list of various Sec School Subjects classes here. Why not start with a trial class to gauge your child’s interest?
Jacquelynn is a recent political science graduate from the National University of Singapore. she finds solace in writing, in creating meaningful and compelling narratives that appeal to a diverse range of individuals. To her, writing is not merely a form of self-expression, it is an art form that enables to connect with and inspire people from all walks of life.
