How to Read Singapore Secondary School Cut-off Points (COP): PG1/PG2/PG3, Affiliated and Non-affiliated
After PSLE results, the first thing parents check is cut-off points. But MOE writes them as "Posting Group 3 [Non-affiliated: 6 - 8]", which is easy to misread the first time. Here it is, piece by piece.
What a cut-off point is
A cut-off point (COP) is the PSLE score of the last student posted to the school that year. PSLE uses AL scores from 4 (best) to 30, so:
- the smaller the number, the harder the school is to get into;
- you have a chance only if your score is less than or equal to the cut-off.
MOE publishes a range, such as 6 – 8: the left number is the best score admitted, and the right number is the cut-off.
PG1, PG2 and PG3
From 2024, Express, Normal (Academic) and Normal (Technical) streams were replaced by three Posting Groups based on the PSLE score:
| PSLE score | Posting Group |
|---|---|
| AL 4–20 | PG3 |
| AL 21–22 | PG3 or PG2 (your choice) |
| AL 23–24 | PG2 |
| AL 25 | PG2 or PG1 (your choice) |
| AL 26–30 | PG1 |
The key point: each school has a separate queue and cut-off for each group. A school can have three cut-offs, one each for PG3, PG2 and PG1, and all six of your choices must be in the same group.
Affiliated and non-affiliated
Some secondary schools have affiliated primary schools. Students from those primary schools go through a priority round, and their cut-off is usually looser. Most families only need the Non-affiliated number.
(D), (M), (P) in brackets
These appear only at SAP schools and show the Higher Chinese grade of the last students admitted: Distinction, Merit or Pass. When scores tie, the Higher Chinese grade affects admission.
What 30* means
The school still had places in that group that year, so any eligible student could be admitted and the cut-off is shown as 30. Note the difference: a PG3 cut-off of 22 without a * only means the last student admitted had 22, the lowest PG3 score; it does not mean the school had places left.
How much cut-offs change
We looked at PG3 data for 2023–2025: across 180 year-on-year comparisons, 95% moved by 1 point or less, and only 9 moved by 2–3 points. Past cut-offs are a reliable guide, but sitting exactly at the cut-off is still a risk: ties go to citizenship, then choice order, then a computerised ballot.
Using the data
- Browse three years of data by area and school type in the cut-off tool;
- use your child's score (or an estimate before results) to see which schools are reach, match and safe;
- include at least 2–3 safe schools among your six choices, as MOE itself advises.
For six choices already ranked by distance, get a personalised school report.