The Singapore-Cambridge GCE A-Level grades H1 and H2 subjects A to E as passes, then S (sub-pass) and U (ungraded). Each grade converts to rank points, and from university admission in 2026 the University Admission Score (UAS) is out of 70. Students sit the A-Level at the end of JC2, or the third year at Millennia Institute.
- Candidates sat the 2025 A-Level, the first 70-point cohort
- 10,977
- Of them got 3 H2 passes and a pass in General Paper
- 94.7%
- 2026 A-Level results (tentative)
- 19 to 23 Feb 2027
The A-Level grading system
SEAB's explanatory notes list A, B, C, D and E as the pass grades for H1 and H2 subjects. S and U both mean the candidate did not pass that subject. H3 subjects use a different scale: Distinction, Merit and Pass. An H1 subject is worth exactly half an H2 subject:
| Grade | What it means | H2 rank points | H1 rank points |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Pass (highest) | 20 | 10 |
| B | Pass | 17.5 | 8.75 |
| C | Pass | 15 | 7.5 |
| D | Pass | 12.5 | 6.25 |
| E | Pass (lowest) | 10 | 5 |
| S | Sub-pass, not a pass | 5 | 2.5 |
| U | Ungraded, not a pass | 0 | 0 |
What does an S grade mean?
An S sits below E. It is not a pass, but it still earns a few rank points, so it is better than a U. NUS accepts at least an S in H1 Mother Tongue as meeting its Mother Tongue requirement.
What marks do you need for an A?
SEAB lists the grades and what they mean, but not the marks behind them. Ranges you see online, such as "70 and above for an A", are not on SEAB or MOE pages. The SEAB A-Level explanatory notes are the official description.
How the University Admission Score works
NUS, NTU, SMU, SUTD, SUSS and SIT admit on the UAS. MOE's rules for students who sat the A-Level in 2025 or later:
| What counts | Maximum points |
|---|---|
| Three H2 content subjects (20 each) | 60 |
| H1 General Paper | 10 |
| UAS maximum | 70 |
| Fourth content subject (H1 or H2) | Added only if it improves the UAS |
| H1 Mother Tongue | Added only if it improves the UAS |
| Project Work | Pass/Fail, not counted, but a Pass is required |
When the fourth subject or H1 Mother Tongue is added, the total is taken out of 80 (one added) or 90 (both) and scaled back to 70. With four H2 subjects, the lowest is treated as the fourth subject. H3 subjects are not part of the score, and from AY2026 NUS no longer accepts H2 Knowledge and Inquiry in place of General Paper. Our guide to A-Level rank points and the 70-point UAS has the full arithmetic, a worked example and the rules for older results. You can also estimate a score with the A-Level rank points calculator.
H1, H2 and H3, the depth tiers
| Tier | What it is |
|---|---|
| H1 | Same A-Level standard as H2, but half the curriculum time |
| H2 | The full subject, and the main weight of the score |
| H3 | An advanced extension, taken on top of an H2 subject |
Students must offer four content subjects, at least three at H2, with at least one contrasting subject from outside their main area. A science student takes an arts subject, or the reverse. Common science groupings are PCM (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics) and BCM (Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics). Arts students mix Economics, History, Literature and Geography.
The H2 combination chosen in JC1 shapes which degrees stay open:
| Aim | What the combination leans on |
|---|---|
| Medicine and life sciences | Chemistry and a second science |
| Engineering | Physics and Mathematics |
| Social sciences and law | More flexible, but rewards strong Economics and a humanities subject |
| Still unsure | Keep Mathematics, which keeps the widest set of quantitative degrees open |
Since the fourth content subject now counts only if it helps, students can pick it more by interest. Changing the combination after JC1 is possible but disruptive.
A-Level syllabus codes for 2027
| Subject | 2027 syllabus code |
|---|---|
| H1 General Paper | 8881 |
| H2 Mathematics | 9758 |
| H2 Economics | 9570 |
| H2 Chemistry | 9476 (revised, replaces 9729) |
| H2 Physics | 9478 (revised, replaced 9749) |
| H2 Biology | 9477 (revised, replaced 9744) |
| H2 Computing | 9569 (revised) |
| H2 English Language and Linguistics | 9508 (revised) |
| H2 China Studies in Chinese | 9629 (revised) |
Codes are from SEAB's 2027 A-Level syllabus list for school candidates, which lists every H1, H2 and H3 code with its syllabus document.
What is a good University Admission Score?
It depends on the course. Medicine, Law and the popular Computing and Business courses expect scores very close to 70. The universities publish an Indicative Grade Profile (IGP) for each course, and NUS and NTU now point applicants to the three H2 grades in the IGP as the guide to how competitive a course is.
General Paper is easy to underrate. It feeds the score like any other H1 subject, and some courses set a minimum. NUS Law, for example, asks for at least a B in General Paper. GP rewards wide reading and clear writing, which cannot be crammed in JC2.
Where students take the A-Level
- Junior colleges run a two-year course from JC1 to JC2.
- Millennia Institute runs a three-year course to the same exam.
- Integrated Programme schools take students from Sec 1 to the A-Level in six years, without the O-Level.
- Private candidates register with SEAB to sit outside a school.
After the O-Level, JC and Millennia Institute places are allocated through the Joint Admissions Exercise on the L1R5 aggregate. From 2028, SEC students apply through the Post-Secondary Admissions Exercise (PSE), and JC admission uses L1R4.
- JC1FoundationsThe jump from O-Level to H2 depth is steep in the first few months
- December breakPreview JC2Students who preview JC2 content start the harder year prepared
- JC2Hardest content, then prelimsNo mid-year exams for cohorts that entered JC from 2024
Preparing for the A-Levels: what to do this month
- Revise against the SEAB syllabusIt lists exactly what can be examined, so work topic by topic
- Protect the three H2 subjectsThey carry 60 of the 70 points
- Practise timed papers from JC1Past papers and prelim papers build exam speed
- Read for General Paper every weekWide reading and clear argument build slowly
- Keep a mistakes logRecord each lost mark by type and review it before every common test
Common questions
What is the maximum University Admission Score?
70 rank points, from university admission in 2026: three H2 subjects at up to 20 each and General Paper at up to 10. Before this the maximum was 90, because Project Work and the H1 content subject were always counted.
Is an S grade a pass?
No. SEAB states that S (sub-pass) and U (ungraded) both mean the candidate did not pass that subject. An S still earns 5 rank points at H2 and 2.5 at H1.
Does H1 Mother Tongue count in the UAS?
Only if it raises the score. When it is added, the total is scaled back to 70, so a Mother Tongue grade that would lower the score is simply left out.
What is H3, and does my child need it?
H3 subjects are advanced extensions taken on top of an H2 subject, graded Distinction, Merit or Pass. They are optional and do not count in the 70-point score.
How is the A-Level different from the IB?
The A-Level focuses on depth, with a small number of subjects studied closely at H2. The IB Diploma spreads across six subjects plus core components. The choice usually follows the school a student attends.
Official sources
- SEAB A-Level explanatory notes (grades, S and U)
- SEAB 2027 A-Level syllabuses (school candidates)
- MOE: changes to the A-Level and the 70-point UAS (1 March 2023)
- MOE: release of the 2025 A-Level results
- MOE national examination dates
- NUS A-Level admission requirements and UAS
- NTU A-Level admission guide
- MOE JC admissions (JAE)
Written by Dion Tan, Chemistry & Science Tutor, The Singapore Syllabus. MSc (NUS), BSc Chemistry & Biological Chemistry (NTU) · 10 years' teaching experience. More about Dion
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