Students in Integrated Programme Track Registering to Take GCE "O" Level Exams as Private Candidates

Ms Hazel Poa asked the Minister for Education whether students in Government, Government-aided and independent schools, such as (i) students on the Integrated Programme who wish to sit for GCE O-level examinations and (ii) students who wish to register for subjects not offered by their schools, are allowed to register for GCE O-level examinations as private candidates.

Students in Government, Government-aided, independent and specialised schools are not allowed to register for the GCE O-Level examinations as private candidates, as they will already register as school candidates. However, schools have the discretion to register students as school candidates for the O-Level examinations in subjects not offered by the school. Schools exercise this option judiciously and consider the overall curriculum and assessment load, aspirations and well-being of their students.

For students in the Integrated Programme (IP), we encourage them to pursue broader learning experiences using the time freed up from preparing for the O-Level examinations. They are allowed to take the O-Level examination as school candidates in some instances, such as to fulfil the national policy on mother tongue language, if they are in the Third Language Programme or in the Art/Music Elective Programmes. Beyond this, allowing IP students to take the O-Level examinations as private candidates would go against the intent of the Integrated Programme.