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More varsity admissions to be based on aptitude, interest

This article is more than 12 months old

Education Minister says three universities here will no longer offer discretionary admissions from this year

In a few years, as many as half of the undergraduates admitted to three universities here may be selected on their aptitude and interest in the courses they apply for, as institutions move away from largely grade-based admission schemes.

As part of the transition, the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University and Singapore Management University will no longer offer discretionary admissions from this year, a scheme that sets aside 15 per cent of places for students who fall short of the entry cut-off score but who may have other achievements.

Education Minister Ong Ye Kung, announcing the move at the Applied Learning Conference yesterday at Marina Bay Sands, said that such schemes primarily still assess students on whether they meet the academic cut-off point of the courses and "strictly speaking, this is different from aptitude-based admission".

Mr Ong said the universities will instead from this year assess students more broadly using aptitude-based admissions, covering as many courses as possible.

"To enable more porosity across pathways, our admission system needs to rely less on academic grades and more on other meritorious yardsticks, so that the full range of an individual's aptitude and attributes can be taken into account," he said.

Mr Ong also announced a shorter pathway for A-level students who are considering enrolment in a polytechnic. About 200 do so every year, and many usually after they have failed to gain admission to university.

Last year, the Ministry of Education (MOE) announced that A-level students headed to the polytechnics can apply for course exemptions, potentially shaving six months off a three-year diploma programme. It also allowed them to apply for a polytechnic place in August, six months after collecting their results in February, instead of waiting for the following year to enrol. They can then start on their diploma studies in the second semester in October.

SHORTER COURSES

MOE will go further this year. Some 56 diploma courses will have their duration cut even shorter to two years after the appropriate module exemptions. This means that A-level students accepted to these courses may begin year two in October of the same year and graduate two years later.

Mr Ong also announced more pathways to help individuals in the workforce access courses in the polytechnics and Institute of Technical Education (ITE).

Currently, workers who have part-time Nitec, part-time Higher Nitec and Workforce Skills Qualifications are not eligible to take up full-time diplomas offered by the polytechnics and ITE.

From next year, those with these qualifications and at least a year of work experience can be considered for entry into full-time diplomas at the polytechnics and ITE.

He also announced that similar to working adults who can enrol in full-time polytechnic diploma programmes, MOE will also extend such work experience-based admissions to those with ITE technical engineer diplomas and technical diplomas, as well as part-time diplomas at the polytechnics.

Education