Singapore Secondary School Rankings & PSLE Cut-Off Points: 2026 Intake Guide
13 October 2026 · Tutor Circle
The latest published cut-off points are the PSLE score ranges of 2025 on MOE SchoolFinder. They record the first and last student posted in the Secondary 1 exercise that filled the 2026 intake. Families choosing schools for the 2027 intake can use them as the working reference until MOE publishes the new cut-off points in December 2026.
- What this order measures
- Selectivity, using the cut-off point. MOE does not publish an official school ranking.
- Data year
- PSLE score ranges of 2025, from the posting that placed students into Secondary 1 in 2026.
- 2027 intake
- Cut-off points for students entering Secondary 1 in 2027 will be published in December 2026.
- Best PSLE Score
- 4. The score is the sum of four subject Achievement Levels, and 32 is the largest total.
- Cut-off point
- The PSLE Score of the last student posted to that school and pathway.
- Source
- MOE SchoolFinder and MOE’s Secondary 1 posting guides, checked on 13 October 2026.
Top 20 secondary schools, 2026 intake
This list uses the non-affiliated cut-off point of each school’s most selective pathway in the 2025 Secondary 1 posting. For an Integrated Programme school, that is the IP cut-off. For the other schools, it is the Posting Group 3 cut-off. Schools that share a cut-off point are tied, and the table lists those ties in alphabetical order. That is not a further ranking. Nan Hua High School, at 10(M), and Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School, at 10, share the cut-off of the last two schools and are not given a separate place on a 20-school list. [6]
| Rank | School | Pathway | Non-affiliated range | Cut-off point |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hwa Chong Institution | Integrated Programme | 4(D)–6(M) | 6(M) |
| 2 | Methodist Girls' School | Integrated Programme | 4–6 | 6 |
| 3 | Nanyang Girls' High School | Integrated Programme | 4(D)–6(M) | 6(M) |
| 4 | Raffles Girls' School | Integrated Programme | 4–6 | 6 |
| 5 | Raffles Institution | Integrated Programme | 4–6 | 6 |
| 6 | Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) | Integrated Programme | 4–7 | 7 |
| 7 | Catholic High School | Integrated Programme | 4(D)–7(M) | 7(M) |
| 8 | CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School | Integrated Programme | 4(D)–7(M) | 7(M) |
| 9 | Singapore Chinese Girls' School | Integrated Programme | 4–7 | 7 |
| 10 | St. Joseph's Institution | Integrated Programme | 4–7 | 7 |
| 11 | Dunman High School | Integrated Programme | 4(D)–8(M) | 8(M) |
| 12 | National Junior College | Integrated Programme | 5–8 | 8 |
| 13 | Temasek Junior College | Integrated Programme | 4–8 | 8 |
| 14 | Victoria School | Integrated Programme | 5–8 | 8 |
| 15 | Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road) | Posting Group 3 | 6–9 | 9 |
| 16 | Cedar Girls' Secondary School | Integrated Programme | 4–9 | 9 |
| 17 | River Valley High School | Integrated Programme | 4(M)–9(M) | 9(M) |
| 18 | St. Andrew's School | Posting Group 3 | 8–9 | 9 |
| 19 | CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh) | Posting Group 3 | 6–10 | 10 |
| 20 | Chung Cheng High School (Main) | Posting Group 3 | 5(D)–10(M) | 10(M) |
(D) is Distinction and (M) is Merit in Higher Chinese for the first or last student posted to a SAP school. School names link to the MOE SchoolFinder profile. Cut-off points for the 2027 intake will be published in December 2026.
How to read a cut-off point
MOE posts students by academic merit first. The student with the stronger PSLE Score is considered ahead of a student with a larger score. For each school and pathway, SchoolFinder then shows the scores of the first and last student who were actually posted in the previous exercise. [1]
How to read a PSLE score range
A range of 4–6 means the first posted student scored 4 and the last posted student scored 6. The cut-off point is 6. These ranges are a reference from the previous cohort. MOE says a move of 1 point from year to year is typical, and a move of 2 or 3 points can happen, because each year’s results and school choices are different. Meeting last year’s cut-off point does not reserve a place. [1]
PSLE scores and Posting Groups
Each PSLE subject receives an Achievement Level from AL1 to AL8. The PSLE Score adds the four subjects. AL1 is the band for a mark of 90 or above, so a student with AL1 in all four subjects has a PSLE Score of 4. [3]
| Achievement Level | Mark range |
|---|---|
| AL1 | 90 and above |
| AL2 | 85–89 |
| AL3 | 80–84 |
| AL4 | 75–79 |
| AL5 | 65–74 |
| AL6 | 45–64 |
| AL7 | 20–44 |
| AL8 | Below 20 |
Foundation grades are mapped onto the Standard scale for posting: Foundation A maps to AL6, Foundation B to AL7, and Foundation C to AL8. [3]
From the 2024 Secondary 1 cohort, students are posted through three Posting Groups. The group guides the subject level most students start with. It is the placement tool for entry. Students can later take subjects at a different level under Full Subject-Based Banding. [2]
PSLE Score bands used for Secondary 1 posting
- 4–20. Posting Group 3, most subjects at G3
- 21–22. Posting Group 2 or 3
- 23–24. Posting Group 2, most subjects at G2
- 25. Posting Group 1 or 2
- 26–30. Posting Group 1 if English and Mathematics are AL7 or better
| PSLE Score | Posting Group | Indicative level for most subjects |
|---|---|---|
| 4–20 | 3 | G3 |
| 21 and 22 | 2 or 3 | G2 or G3 |
| 23 and 24 | 2 | G2 |
| 25 | 1 or 2 | G1 or G2 |
| 26–30, with AL7 or better in English Language and Mathematics | 1 | G1 |
Integrated Programme score ranges
The schools below are ordered by the non-affiliated cut-off point on the Integrated Programme. A lower cut-off point means the last posted student had a stronger PSLE Score. Where several schools share a cut-off point, they are listed together. The letter in brackets is the Higher Chinese grade of the first or last student at a SAP school. [6]
Non-affiliated Integrated Programme cut-off points, 2025 posting
| School | Non-affiliated range | Cut-off point | Also on the profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raffles Institution | 4–6 | 6 | Boys, independent. IP only in this posting. |
| Raffles Girls' School | 4–6 | 6 | Girls, independent. IP only in this posting. |
| Hwa Chong Institution | 4(D)–6(M) | 6(M) | SAP school. IP only in this posting. |
| Nanyang Girls' High School | 4(D)–6(M) | 6(M) | SAP school. Affiliated IP range was 4(D)–8(M). |
| Methodist Girls' School | 4–6 | 6 | Also posted a Posting Group 3 range. Affiliated IP had no posted range. |
| Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) | 4–7 | 7 | Co-ed, independent. Affiliated IP had no posted range. |
| Singapore Chinese Girls' School | 4–7 | 7 | Girls, independent. Also posted a Posting Group 3 range. |
| Dunman High School | 4(D)–8(M) | 8(M) | SAP school and Integrated Programme. |
| Temasek Junior College | 4–8 | 8 | Integrated Programme. |
| National Junior College | 5–8 | 8 | Integrated Programme. |
| Victoria School | 5–8 | 8 | Boys, government school, autonomous. Also posted Posting Group 3. |
| River Valley High School | 4(M)–9(M) | 9(M) | Co-ed, government school, autonomous. SAP school. |
| Cedar Girls' Secondary School | 4–9 | 9 | Girls, government school, autonomous. Also posted Posting Group 3. |
School type and gender are taken from the same SchoolFinder profiles. Where SchoolFinder left the affiliated column blank, this table says no affiliated range was posted.
Posting Group 3 score ranges
Many students enter secondary school through Posting Group 3 rather than the Integrated Programme. The schools below are ones parents compare often, and each range was read from that school’s SchoolFinder profile. This is a comparison set, covering the profiles checked for this guide. The full list of secondary schools is on SchoolFinder. [6]
Non-affiliated Posting Group 3 cut-off points, 2025 posting
| School | Non-affiliated PG3 range | Cut-off point | Affiliated PG3 range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methodist Girls' School | 6–8 | 8 | 7–17 |
| Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) | 6–8 | 8 | 7–13 |
| Singapore Chinese Girls' School | 6–8 | 8 | 7–17 |
| Cedar Girls' Secondary School | 6–9 | 9 | No affiliated range posted |
| Victoria School | 6–9 | 9 | No affiliated range posted |
| Chung Cheng High School (Main) | 5(D)–10(M) | 10(M) | No affiliated range posted |
| Nan Hua High School | 5(M)–10(M) | 10(M) | No affiliated range posted |
| Anderson Secondary School | 7–11 | 11 | No affiliated range posted |
| Anglican High School | 4–12 | 12 | No affiliated range posted |
What a full school profile looks like
Anderson Secondary School is a useful example because SchoolFinder published a range for every Posting Group. The non-affiliated ranges were 7–11 for Posting Group 3, 21–23 for Posting Group 2, and 25–28 for Posting Group 1. [6]
The Posting Group 2 range starts at 21 because that is the strongest score posted through Posting Group 2. Students scoring 4 to 20 are in Posting Group 3. Anglican High School’s Posting Group 3 range of 4–12 shows the other pattern: the first student can have a very strong score even when the cut-off point is 12, so the school’s cohort is wider than the cut-off point alone suggests.
Tie-breakers, SAP schools and affiliation
Academic merit comes first. Tie-breakers are used only when two or more students with the same PSLE Score are competing for the last places. MOE applies them in this order: [4]
- Citizenship: Singapore Citizen, then Permanent Resident, then international student.
- Choice order: a student who listed the school higher is considered first. In MOE’s example, two Singapore Citizens with the same score apply for the last place. The student who listed the school first is posted ahead of the student who listed it third.
- Computerised balloting, used when citizenship and choice order are also the same.
For SAP schools, Higher Chinese is considered before those tie-breakers. A student with Distinction, Merit or Pass in Higher Chinese, and a PSLE Score of 14 or better, receives a posting advantage. If students with the same PSLE Score are competing, the stronger Higher Chinese grade is placed first, in the order Distinction, Merit, then Pass. [3][4]
Affiliated and non-affiliated ranges are different columns on SchoolFinder. In the 2025 ranges above, the affiliated Posting Group 3 cut-off is a larger number than the non-affiliated cut-off at Methodist Girls’ School, ACS (Independent) and Singapore Chinese Girls’ School. A larger number means the last affiliated student posted had a less strong PSLE Score. Check both columns for the pathway your child is using. [6]
Using this guide for the 2027 intake
Students sitting the PSLE in 2026 will be posted later in 2026 and will enter Secondary 1 in 2027. MOE will publish that exercise’s cut-off points in December 2026. Until then, the 2025 ranges are the reference MOE tells families to use. [5]
- Shortlist schools with the previous cut-off point, and also with programmes, CCAs, school culture and distance from home.
- Include at least two or three choices where your child’s PSLE Score is stronger than the school’s previous cut-off point.
- Submit all six choices, across more than one cut-off point. List the schools you prefer higher, because choice order is a tie-breaker.
- Treat a score that merely matches the cut-off point as uncertain. Students at that score can be tie-broken out.
- Read the school’s own SchoolFinder page before submitting. The ranges in this guide were checked on 13 October 2026 and cover the profiles listed, so a school outside these tables still needs its own page.
A cut-off point describes the last place that was filled. It does not describe teaching quality, student support, or whether the school suits a particular child. For subject preparation while the cohort waits for results, see Tutor Circle’s PSLE tuition and secondary school tuition guides.
Questions parents ask
Does MOE publish an official secondary school ranking?
MOE does not publish an official secondary school ranking. SchoolFinder publishes the PSLE Score of the first and last student posted to each school in the previous Secondary 1 posting. This guide orders schools by that cut-off point so parents can compare selectivity.
Which year’s cut-off points are listed here?
The tables use the PSLE score ranges of 2025 shown on MOE SchoolFinder. Those ranges come from the Secondary 1 posting that placed students into the 2026 intake. Cut-off points for the current exercise, which places students into the 2027 intake, will be published in December 2026.
What is a secondary school cut-off point?
The cut-off point is the PSLE Score of the last student posted to that school, in that pathway, through Secondary 1 posting. In a range such as 4–6, 4 is the first student posted and 6 is the cut-off point.
Does meeting the cut-off point guarantee a place?
Meeting the previous year’s cut-off point does not guarantee a place. If several students with the same PSLE Score are competing for the last places, MOE applies citizenship, then school choice order, then computerised balloting.
What PSLE Score is needed for Posting Group 3?
A PSLE Score of 4 to 20 is posted through Posting Group 3, and most subjects start at G3. Scores of 21 and 22 can be posted through Posting Group 2 or 3. Scores of 23 and 24 are Posting Group 2. A score of 25 can be Posting Group 1 or 2. Scores of 26 to 30 are Posting Group 1 when the student has AL7 or better in English Language and Mathematics.
What do (D) and (M) after a PSLE Score mean?
At SAP schools, the letter is the Higher Chinese Language grade of the first or last student posted. (D) is Distinction, (M) is Merit and (P) is Pass. A cut-off of 6(M) means the last student posted had a PSLE Score of 6 and Merit in Higher Chinese.
Sources
Every cut-off point in the tables was taken from the school’s MOE SchoolFinder profile, under “PSLE score range of 2025”, and checked on 13 October 2026. Posting rules are quoted from MOE’s own Secondary 1 guides.
- Ministry of Education, “Understand PSLE score ranges”, last updated 1 October 2026. Accessed 13 October 2026. https://www.moe.gov.sg/secondary/s1-posting/how-to-choose/understand-psle-score-ranges
- Ministry of Education, “What are Posting Groups”, last updated 26 February 2026. Accessed 13 October 2026. https://www.moe.gov.sg/secondary/s1-posting/how-to-choose/what-are-posting-groups
- Ministry of Education, “PSLE scoring system”. Accessed 13 October 2026. https://www.moe.gov.sg/psle-fsbb/psle/psle-scoring-system
- Ministry of Education, “Learn how posting works”, last updated 26 February 2026. Accessed 13 October 2026. https://www.moe.gov.sg/secondary/s1-posting/how-to-choose/how-posting-works
- Ministry of Education, “Shortlisting schools”. Accessed 13 October 2026. https://www.moe.gov.sg/secondary/s1-posting/how-to-choose/shortlisting-schools
- Ministry of Education, SchoolFinder school profiles, “PSLE score range of 2025”. Individual school pages linked in the tables. Accessed 13 October 2026. https://www.moe.gov.sg/schoolfinder
- Ministry of Education, “Posting to secondary school: FAQs”. Accessed 13 October 2026. https://www.moe.gov.sg/psle-fsbb/posting-to-secondary-school/faqs