A-Level Rank Points From 2026: The 70-Point UAS Explained

For university admission from 2026, the A-Level University Admission Score (UAS) is out of 70: three H2 subjects at up to 20 points each, plus General Paper at up to 10. Project Work is now Pass or Fail and adds no points, and the fourth content subject counts only if it raises the score. MOE announced the change in March 2023 (MOE press release, 1 March 2023).

How the 70 rank points are built

These are the values Millennia Institute, an MOE school, publishes in its UAS illustration (MI FAQ, Annex A, updated 16 January 2026). S and U grades are below a pass, and that illustration lists points only for A to E. If your child has an S or U, check with the university before trusting any calculator.

When the fourth subject and Mother Tongue count

NUS and NTU state that, for students who sat the A-Level in 2025 or later, the fourth H1 or H2 content subject is included only if it improves the UAS. H1 Mother Tongue, or O-Level Higher Mother Tongue, may also be considered if it improves the score (NUS admission requirements, NTU A-Level admission guide).

When an extra subject is added, the total is rebased to 70:

The university uses the highest result. With four H2 subjects, the best three count as H2 and the lowest is treated as the fourth subject at H1 weight, as MOE described in 2023.

Quick check: an extra H1-weighted subject helps only if its points are higher than the base score divided by 7. With a base of 61.25, it needs more than 8.75 points. An A helps, a B changes nothing, and a C or below is ignored.

Worked example you can check line by line

Grades: H2 Mathematics A, H2 Chemistry B, H2 Economics C, General Paper B, H1 contrasting subject A, H1 Mother Tongue B.

Adding both subjects scores lower than the fourth subject alone, so the university keeps the better option. If the H1 subject had been a C (7.5 points), step 2 would give 68.75 ÷ 80 × 70 = 60.16, below the base, so 61.25 would stand. Do not add the optional subjects again after rebasing. No combination can go above 70.

Applicants with older A-Level results

The method depends on when your child sat the A-Level and when they apply. Applicants cannot pick whichever method scores higher (NUS FAQ on the revised UAS, NTU admissions FAQ).

For example, an old-method score of 80 out of 90 becomes 80 ÷ 90 × 70 = 62.22 out of 70. NUS states that these applicants will not be disadvantaged, as admission is by open competition among all eligible applicants in the same year.

Two more rules from the FAQs. H2 Knowledge and Inquiry (KI) taken in place of GP in 2024 or earlier still stands in for GP, but for results from 2025 or later NUS counts KI only as an H2 content subject. H1 Mother Tongue cannot replace an H1 content subject.

Project Work, Pass or Fail

From 2026, applicants with local A-Level results need a Pass in Project Work to be eligible for the local autonomous universities. Private candidates and students exempted from Project Work are not subject to this. A student who fails but is promoted to JC2 may be offered a retake at the JC's discretion. A student who fails and is not promoted must take it again (NUS FAQ above).

The practical reading: pass it cleanly, and spend the time saved on H2 grades that count.

What score does a course need

No single number fits every course. Look up the indicative grade profile (IGP) for the course at the university. The NUS IGP published January 2026 shows the grades at the 10th and 90th percentile of A-Level applicants offered places in AY2025/2026. Some 10th percentile examples:

NUS notes that these profiles assume a C for GP and Project Work, change each year, and do not guarantee admission. Several programmes also need interviews or tests, and NUS requires at least a B in GP for its Law-related programmes, with an SAT route if that is not met. NTU publishes its own indicative grade profile.

A score from any calculator, including our A-Level rank points calculator, is not an admission offer. Subject prerequisites, the Mother Tongue requirement and the Project Work Pass all apply separately.

What to do this month