Eleven centres that teach Sec 1 and Sec 2 Chinese or Higher Chinese: printed fees and hourly cost, HCL and G2 classes, branches by region and trial questions, plus the 2021 secondary syllabus, the 2026 HCL entry rule and the SEC papers.
For Sec 1 or Sec 2 Chinese, pick by the class your child sits in at school.
A known price: HAO prints its secondary term fee and Bespoke prints S$250 a month for Sec 1.
Starting Higher Chinese: Tien Hsia, Jiang, Busy Bees, Hua and Yu Cai all run HCL alongside G3 Chinese, and Tien Hsia and Jiang name separate Sec 1 HCL courses.
G2 Chinese: Beijing Language School teaches from the 2024 G2 textbook and Simply Education has its own G1, G2 and G3 pages.
A quiet child who needs every answer marked: iMatter teaches secondary Chinese only one to one.
A topic-by-topic outline: Skylace in Waterloo and Bukit Batok spells out its Sec 1 and Sec 2 syllabus.
Two of the 11 print a Sec 1 fee, three give a class size as a number, and three name G2 Chinese on their course pages.
The 11 Sec 1 and Sec 2 Chinese tuition centres compared
The hourly figure is our own arithmetic, and only HAO prints both a fee and a lesson length. The table runs alphabetically, not in rank order.
Centre
Best for
Branches (area)
Sec 1 and 2 classes
Class size
Fees as published
Our per-hour estimate
Trial
Beijing Language School
A G2 Chinese course
10 branches: West, North, North-East, East, Central
Nine of our 11 names also appear on the most widely ranked Sec 1 Chinese list. A centre stayed only if its own website showed a secondary Chinese course for Sec 1 or Sec 2 and a current address.
1Teaches Sec 1 or Sec 2 Chinese by nameA secondary Chinese, Higher Chinese, G2 or G1 page on the centre's own site.
2Publishes something a parent can checkA fee, a lesson length, a class cap, a branch list or a course outline.
3Covers every kind of Sec 1 learnerHCL, G3, G2 and G1 courses, one-to-one and group, branches in all five regions.
4Avoids repeating our other listsNo more than three centres shared with any of our PSLE, Higher Chinese or O-Level Chinese lists.
One name from that widely ranked list is missing: Yi Xue Learning Centre has directory entries but no website of its own that we could read. Mind Stretcher, Ancourage and Ruixing teach secondary Chinese too, and we cover them in our Higher Chinese centres list rather than repeat them here. No centre paid to be listed here.
The 11 centres in detail
Beijing Language School
Beijing Language School is one of only a few centres here that writes a separate course for G2 Chinese.
Its page says the G2 course follows the G2 textbook issued in 2024 and the latest MOE question types, with reading comprehension, practical writing, composition, oral and listening practice. G3 students join a course built on the Express Chinese textbook, and Higher Chinese has its own Sec 1 to Sec 4 course that also takes IP students. The school was set up in 2005 and now runs 10 branches.
Our per-hour estimate
Not published
Class size
12
Sec 1 and 2 classes
G3, G2 and HCL
Suits: a child placed in G2 Chinese for 2027, or a family in Punggol, Sengkang or Tengah where it has several branches.
May not suit: a child who needs close attention, since classes are listed at 12, or a parent who wants a price before calling.
Fees: not published. Lessons are 1 hour 45 minutes for the G3, G2 and Higher Chinese courses.
Where: Plantation Plaza (Tengah), Compass One (Sengkang), Punggol Plaza, Rivervale Plaza, Waterway Point, Jurong Point, Le Quest (Bukit Batok), Canberra Plaza, 24 Holland Grove Road and Pasir Ris Mall. On our map check, Compass One and Waterway Point sit above Sengkang and Punggol MRT.
Is the G2 class at this branch separate from the G3 class, or combined?
With 12 in a class, how often is my child's composition marked individually?
What does a term cost, and is there a registration fee?
Bespoke Learning Centre
Bespoke is the only centre here that prints a monthly secondary Chinese fee per level: S$250 for Sec 1 and S$260 for Sec 2, for 4 lessons a month.
Classes are capped at 8 and taught in-centre, and enrolled students can message a tutor on WhatsApp with homework questions at any hour. Its programme covers composition, comprehension, oral and listening, vocabulary and idioms, with weekly timed practice.
A Sec 1 lesson, length not printed
S$62.50
Class size
Up to 8
Chinese, plus HCL support
Sec 1 to 5
Suits: a family in Yishun, Sembawang, Punggol or Tampines that wants a fixed monthly cost.
May not suit: a family in the west or centre, where it has no branch. Its page also sets out an O-Level and N-Level paper breakdown of 160 marks, which is not the 200-mark split in SEAB's 2027 G3 Chinese syllabus, so check which format the Sec 1 class prepares for.
Fees: Sec 1 S$250, Sec 2 S$260 a month, nett, for 4 sessions, pro-rated in a month with 5. Lesson length, registration and deposit are not printed. A trial lesson is offered at no charge after a short check of your child's level.
Where: Khatib Central, 846 Yishun Ring Road. SAFRA Punggol, 9 Sentul Crescent. CPF Building, 1 Tampines Central 5. Canberra CC, 2 Sembawang Crescent. On our map check, the Khatib and Tampines branches are a short walk from Khatib and Tampines MRT.
How long is each Sec 1 lesson, so we can work out the hourly cost?
Does the class follow the 2027 SEC paper format, with the email and video-based conversation?
Are Higher Chinese students taught in the same group as G3 students?
Busy Bees Learning Centre
Busy Bees has taught only Chinese since 2000, with a course its founders wrote and teachers registered with MOE.
Its Secondary 1 to 4 course runs 2 hours a session for both Chinese and Higher Chinese, covering vocabulary, composition, emails, both comprehension sections and oral. It also runs short Sec 4 HCL oral workshops in the holidays. The centre states that 76% of its O-Level Higher Chinese students score A1 to B3.
Our per-hour estimate
Not published
Class size
Not published
Sec 1 and 2 classes
Chinese and HCL
Suits: a Bukit Timah or Hillview family that wants a Chinese specialist and a route through to Sec 4.
May not suit: a family that wants a stated class size or fee before visiting, as neither is printed.
Fees: not published. Registration is through the centre's form.
Where: two centres. The head office is in the HillV2 mall on Hillview Rise, and the centre directs families to Exit B of Hillview station on the Downtown Line. The second is at Balmoral Plaza on Bukit Timah Road, reached on foot from Exit A of Newton station.
Are Sec 1 Chinese and Sec 1 Higher Chinese taught as separate classes?
How many students are in the Sec 1 group?
What is the monthly fee for a 2-hour session each week?
HAO Chinese Tuition
HAO prints its secondary fee: from S$981 for a 12-lesson term, including 9% GST, with each lesson 2 hours and an average class of 6 to 8.
Its secondary course is one all-in-one programme for G3 Chinese and Higher Chinese, covering cloze, comprehension, composition, oral and listening. A trial is offered at no charge.
Our per-hour estimate
About S$40.88
Average class size
6 to 8
Sec 1 and 2 classes
G3 and HCL
Suits: a parent who wants to budget by the term, or a family near one of its six centres in the west, east, centre or north-east.
May not suit: a family in the north. The printed figure is a starting price, so a Higher Chinese class may cost more.
Fees: from S$981 a term including GST (S$900 before GST), 12 lessons of 2 hours. That is about S$40.88 an hour at the starting price. Registration and deposit are not printed.
Where: Wai Wing Centre on Balestier Road (headquarters), 2 Venture Drive in Jurong East, Hong Kah North CC, Bukit Batok Central, Bedok Reservoir Road and Tai Peng Gardens in Kovan. The centre does not name MRT stations.
What is the term fee for Sec 1 Higher Chinese, rather than the starting price?
Are G3 and HCL students in one all-in-one class?
Which of the six centres runs a Sec 1 slot on weekends?
Hua Language Centre
Huá was co-founded in 1992 by a former MOE Chinese Language Specialist Inspector.
Its Sec 1 lesson runs 2 hours a week in a fixed order: worksheet review, a weekly Mandarin conversation, a current affairs discussion, practice with feedback and exam paper work. The curriculum uses the G3 Express and G3 Higher Chinese textbooks, is revised every year, and adds full-paper mock exams, essay post-mortems and regular progress reports. Teachers are native Mandarin speakers registered with MOE.
Our per-hour estimate
Not published
Class size
Not published
Sec 1 and 2 classes
G3 and HCL
Suits: a child who reads well but freezes when asked for an opinion, since every lesson includes spoken discussion of current issues.
May not suit: a parent comparing printed fees, or a family in the west, where it has no branch.
Fees: not published. Its class schedule is a booking form by branch and level.
Where: United Square on Thomson Road (Novena MRT, by the centre's directions), Parkway Parade office tower in Marine Parade, Greenwich V on Seletar Road, and Causeway Point in Woodlands, with direct access to Woodlands MRT.
Is there a separate Sec 1 Higher Chinese class at this branch?
How many students sit in each group?
What is the monthly fee, and is GST included?
iMatter Learning Centre
IMatter teaches secondary Chinese only as one-to-one lessons inside its Yishun centre, for Sec 1 to Sec 5.
That gives a child the attention of a private tutor without a stranger at home. Lessons cover vocabulary, sentence structure, newspaper articles, comprehension, oral and listening, model phrases and situational writing. The centre has run at Junction 9 since 2018 and says it is approved by MOE.
Our per-hour estimate
Not published
One to one only
1
Levels
Sec 1 to 5
Suits: a Yishun family whose child has fallen behind and needs every answer checked.
May not suit: a child who would gain from classmates' ideas, or a family outside the north.
Fees: not published. Trial lessons are charged, and rates are given on request.
Where: 18 Yishun Avenue 9, #02-48, Junction Nine. Yishun MRT is the closest station on our map check.
What does a one-to-one Sec 1 lesson cost per hour?
Which tutor would teach my child, and can we keep the same tutor through Sec 2?
Is there a set syllabus, or does the tutor follow my child's school papers?
Jiang Education Centre
Jiang runs Sec 1 Higher Chinese and Sec 1 Express Chinese as separate courses in two fixed semesters, January to May and July to November, each with 20 lessons of 2 hours.
Homework draws on the required words in MOE's Sec 1 textbooks, and the course pages break each paper down, from email writing to reading aloud and the video conversation. In Sec 2 the Higher Chinese course adds formal emails, argumentative writing and material-based compositions. Jiang has taught Chinese since 1995.
Our per-hour estimate
Not published
Class size
Not published
Sec 1 classes
Express and HCL
Suits: a family that likes a clear semester plan, or a Higher Chinese student starting in 2027.
May not suit: a child who needs to join mid-term, since lessons are counted by semester, or a parent who wants a fee up front.
Fees: no semester price appears on the site. Parents book a trial through a button on each course page, with no cost given.
Where: Fu Lu Shou Complex (Rochor Road), West Coast Plaza, Lorong 4 Toa Payoh, Tengah CC, Beauty World Centre, Mountbatten CC, Punggol Coast Mall and The Anchor at Marine Parade, which the centre says is closest to Marine Parade MRT Exits 4 to 6. A Jurong West branch at Boon Lay Place opens in 2027.
If my child starts in Term 2, are the missed lessons pro-rated?
What does one semester of 20 lessons cost?
How many students are in the Sec 1 Higher Chinese class?
Simply Education
Simply Education writes separate course notes for G1, G2 and G3 secondary Chinese and for Chinese as a third language, and lists its add-on costs plainly.
Every class has 4 lessons a month even in a 5-week month, lessons run 1.5 or 2 hours by course, and a trial lesson costs a quarter of the monthly fee. Teaching includes mock exams, past papers and regular progress reports.
Our per-hour estimate
Not published
Class size, no number
Small
Sec 1 and 2 classes
G1, G2 and G3
Suits: a family in Tampines, Hougang or Tiong Bahru with a child in G1 or G2 Chinese.
May not suit: a parent who wants the monthly fee in writing before calling, as only the formula is printed.
Fees: monthly fee not printed. Registration S$20, once. Chinese students pay S$30 a year for supplementary books and worksheets. No deposit. A trial lesson is a quarter of the monthly fee, rounded up to the nearest S$5, and is not refunded.
Where: 201D Tampines Street 21, 806 Hougang Central and 18 Jalan Membina. On our map check, the Hougang and Tiong Bahru branches are near Hougang and Tiong Bahru MRT.
Is the lesson 1.5 or 2 hours, and what is the monthly fee?
Who teaches Chinese at my branch?
Skylace Language School
Skylace sets out its Sec 1 and Sec 2 syllabus in more detail than most.
Sec 1 covers narrative structure built on an opening, a turning point and an ending, personal email formats, comprehension of writing methods and rhetorical devices, and first steps in summary writing. Sec 2 moves on to expository and argumentative texts, and the course page says Higher Chinese students are supported. Skylace was founded in 1989 and states that it was Singapore's first private Chinese language school certified by MOE.
Our per-hour estimate
Not published
Class size, no number
Small group
Chinese, plus HCL support
Sec 1 to 3
Suits: a Sec 1 or Sec 2 student near Bugis or Bukit Batok who needs answer structure more than drilling.
May not suit: a Sec 4 student, since this secondary page covers Sec 1 to Sec 3, or a parent who wants a fee or class size in writing.
Fees: not published. Enquiries go through WhatsApp or the main line.
Where: Waterloo Centre, 261 Waterloo Street, #01-09 (headquarters). Blk 158 Bukit Batok Street 11, #02-222. On our map check, Bencoolen MRT is the nearest station to Waterloo Centre.
Is Higher Chinese taught in its own class, or as extra work in the G3 class?
How many students are in a Sec 1 group?
What does a term cost at the Bukit Batok branch?
Tien Hsia Language School
Tien Hsia gives Sec 1 students a weekly lesson of 2.5 hours, with at least half an hour of discussion using news and other media.
It runs Sec 1 Chinese (G3) and Sec 1 Higher Chinese as separate programmes and says it never mixes levels. The HCL course adds sentence correction and summarising, and both run weekly vocabulary tests, monthly revision tests and mock exams. Primary and secondary teachers hold degrees and are registered with MOE. The school has run since 1989.
Our per-hour estimate
Not published
Class size, no number
Small
Separate Sec 1 classes
G3 and HCL
Suits: a Higher Chinese student who wants the longest weekly session on this list, or a family that needs a branch in any region.
May not suit: a child who already has a crowded week, or a parent who needs a fee before visiting.
Fees: not published.
Where: 11 branches: Broadway Plaza (Ang Mo Kio), West Mall (Bukit Batok), Choa Chu Kang Centre, Heartland Mall Kovan, FairPrice Hub (Joo Koon), Parkway Centre (Marine Parade), Singapore Shopping Centre (Clemenceau Avenue), SAFRA Punggol, Sembawang, Tampines Plaza 1 and Woodlands Civic Centre. On our map check, the Bukit Batok, Choa Chu Kang and Tampines branches are each beside the MRT of the same name.
Does this branch run the Sec 1 Higher Chinese class, or only Sec 1 G3?
What is the term fee for a 2.5-hour lesson?
How many students are in the class?
Yu Cai Education Centre
Yu Cai runs a Sec 1 course for both G2 and G3 Chinese and a Higher Chinese course for Sec 1 to Sec 4.
The G2 and G3 course covers textbook vocabulary, idioms, personal and business emails, narrative, expository and argumentative essays, oral technique and listening. The Higher Chinese course adds grammar, summarising long articles and forum posts. A trial lesson is offered at no charge.
Our per-hour estimate
Not published
Class size
Not published
Sec 1 classes
G2, G3 and HCL
Suits: a family in Woodlands, Yishun or Sengkang West, where three of its five branches sit.
May not suit: a family in the east or centre, or a parent who wants lesson length and fees in writing.
Fees: not published. Registration is through the contact page or WhatsApp.
Where: Woodlands Civic Centre (main office), Northpoint City, Yishun Town Square, The Seletar Mall and Jurong West Sport Centre. On our map check, Woodlands Civic Centre is beside Woodlands MRT and Northpoint City beside Yishun MRT.
Are G2 and G3 students taught together in the Sec 1 course?
How long is each lesson and what is the monthly fee?
Does the Higher Chinese course run at the Seletar Mall branch?
From PSLE Chinese to Sec 1: what actually changes
Sec 1 Chinese is taught under MOE's 2021 secondary Mother Tongue Languages syllabus, used from the 2021 Sec 1 cohort. It builds six skills: listening, reading, speaking, writing, and spoken and written interaction. MOE lists four changes from the 2011 syllabus:
more cultural content
more literary texts in the lower secondary years
current affairs and contemporary issues used as teaching material
more use of technology, such as the Student Learning Space.
That is why so many centres here hold a weekly news discussion.
Four courses, and where your child starts
The syllabus has four courses: G1, G2 and G3 Chinese, and Higher Chinese. Since streams ended with the 2024 Sec 1 cohort, a child's posting group sets the usual starting level, and the PSLE Chinese grade can lift it.
PSLE Chinese result
What MOE allows at Sec 1
AL5 or better in Standard Chinese, for a child in Posting Group 1 or 2
Chinese at G3 or G2
AL6 in Standard Chinese, or AL A in Foundation Chinese
Chinese at G2
AL1 or AL2 in Chinese, or Distinction or Merit in Higher Chinese
Higher Chinese, from the 2026 Sec 1 cohort, whatever the overall PSLE Score
The Higher Chinese rule changed in 2026:
Point
Before 2026
From the 2026 Sec 1 intake
Who can take Higher Chinese
A PSLE Score of 8 or better, or 9 to 14 with AL1 or AL2 in Chinese or Distinction or Merit in Higher Chinese
The Chinese grade alone decides it
A school without its own HCL class
Not stated
It can send students to central lessons
Some schools also let a strong G3 student start Higher Chinese in Sec 2: Riverside Secondary, for example, says it does. Our guide to Higher Chinese from PSLE to Sec 1 sets out the choice, and the Full SBB guide covers moving between G1, G2 and G3 later.
How the papers grow: PSLE against the SEC
Lower secondary has no national Chinese paper, but the SEC formats show where Sec 1 and Sec 2 lessons are heading. Using SEAB's syllabuses:
Component
PSLE Chinese (0005)
SEC G3 Chinese (K320)
PSLE Higher Chinese (0015)
SEC Higher Chinese (K355)
Writing
50 min, 40 marks (20%): one composition of at least 100 characters
2 h, 60 marks (30%): an email of 150+ characters (10%) and a composition of 300+ (20%)
50 min, 40 marks (40%): one composition of 200+ characters
2 h, 80 marks (40%): a practical piece of 220+ characters (10%) and a composition of 500+ (30%)
Language use and comprehension
1 h 40 min, 90 marks (45%)
1 h 30 min, 70 marks (35%)
1 h 20 min, 60 marks (60%)
1 h 45 min, 80 marks (40%), with an 80-character summary worth 6%
Oral
About 10 min, 50 marks (25%): reading aloud 20, video conversation 30
About 15 min, 50 marks (25%): reading aloud 10, video conversation 40
None
About 20 min, 40 marks (20%): a talk of up to 2 minutes and a discussion
Listening
About 30 min, 20 marks (10%)
About 30 min, 20 marks (10%)
None
None
A worked example of what that means for weekly practice:
Share of the grade, PSLE Chinese against SEC G3 Chinese (%)
Reading aloud, PSLE10 %20 of 200 marks
Reading aloud, SEC G35 %10 marks
Video conversation, PSLE15 %30 marks
Video conversation, SEC G320 %40 marks
01325
A child who has polished reading aloud but gives one-line answers in conversation needs to shift effort now, because the conversation is worth four times the reading. On the writing side, the minimum composition length triples from 100 to 300 characters, and a Higher Chinese student moves from 200 to 500.
School assessments in Sec 1 and Sec 2
Grades in lower secondary come from the school. MOE's syllabus pairs school-based standardised tests with weighted assessments that give feedback during the year, and it encourages other forms: speeches, debates, role-play and online forum discussions. A Sec 1 weighted assessment could therefore be an oral presentation as easily as a comprehension paper. Ask your child's school for its Chinese assessment plan in the first week of Term 1 and share it with any tutor or centre.
4 Jan 2027Term 1 startsCollect the Chinese and Higher Chinese assessment plan and textbook list.
22 Mar 2027Term 2 startsBring the Term 1 weighted assessment script to a trial lesson.
29 May to 27 Jun 2027June holidaysA window for oral or composition workshops.
28 Jun 2027Term 3 startsSet the mid-year school results beside the trial notes and decide whether to continue.
13 Sep 2027Term 4 startsEnd-of-year papers fall this term, on dates each school sets.
19 Nov 2027Last day of the school yearAsk about the 2028 subject level before the holidays.
The term dates are from MOE's 2027 calendar. The notes beside them are our suggestions.
Sec 3 to Sec 4: the road to the SEC
From 2027 the O-Level is replaced by the Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate. SEAB holds one written sitting a year for every Mother Tongue level, in September alongside English, with the oral and listening before it and results in January.
The papers are coded K320 for G3 Chinese, K220 for G2, K120 for G1 and K355 for Higher Chinese. A child who starts Sec 1 in 2027 sits the SEC in 2030, by our count of four years, not an MOE date.
About S$40.88 at HAO's starting price, the only centre here printing a fee and a lesson length
S$30 to S$85 on our rate card, by tutor type
Pace
Set by the class and the centre's own term plan
Set by your child's school papers and weak spots
Higher Chinese or G2
Separate HCL classes at Tien Hsia and Jiang, G2 courses at Beijing Language School, Simply Education and Yu Cai
Taught at the exact level, including work towards a move up
Oral practice
Group discussion of news and video clips
One-to-one conversation practice every lesson
Getting there
A branch near home, 1 h 45 min to 2.5 h a week
The tutor travels to your home
A confident speaker who enjoys debate often does well in a group, because other students' views give them more to say in the video conversation. A child who scored AL5 or below in PSLE Chinese, or a new Higher Chinese student struggling with 500-character compositions, usually moves faster with someone marking each draft.
Centres by area
Region
Centres with a Sec 1 or Sec 2 Chinese class
North
Bespoke (Yishun, Sembawang), Beijing Language School (Canberra Plaza), Hua (Causeway Point), iMatter (Yishun), Tien Hsia (Sembawang, Woodlands), Yu Cai (Woodlands, Northpoint City, Yishun Town Square)
North-East
Beijing Language School (Compass One, Punggol Plaza, Rivervale Plaza, Waterway Point), Bespoke (Punggol), HAO (Kovan), Hua (Greenwich V), Jiang (Punggol Coast), Simply Education (Hougang), Tien Hsia (Ang Mo Kio, Kovan, Punggol), Yu Cai (Seletar Mall)
East
Beijing Language School (Pasir Ris Mall), Bespoke (Tampines), HAO (Bedok Reservoir), Hua (Parkway Parade), Jiang (Marine Parade, Mountbatten), Simply Education (Tampines), Tien Hsia (Parkway Centre, Tampines)
West
Beijing Language School (Tengah, Jurong Point, Bukit Batok), Busy Bees (Hillview), HAO (Jurong East, Bukit Batok, Hong Kah North), Jiang (West Coast, Tengah), Skylace (Bukit Batok), Tien Hsia (Bukit Batok, Choa Chu Kang, Joo Koon), Yu Cai (Jurong West)
Central
Beijing Language School (Holland Grove), Busy Bees (Balmoral Plaza), HAO (Balestier), Hua (United Square), Jiang (Rochor, Toa Payoh, Beauty World), Simply Education (Tiong Bahru), Skylace (Waterloo Street), Tien Hsia (Clemenceau Avenue)
How to choose
1Find out the 2027 level firstCheck the PSLE Chinese grade against the HCL and G2 or G3 rules, and wait for the school's confirmation before booking.
2Match the class to the levelAsk whether HCL, G3 and G2 students are taught apart. Tien Hsia and Jiang say they separate HCL in Sec 1.
3Get the real hourly costAsk for the term fee and lesson length together, then add registration, materials and GST.
4Take a marked school scriptA good teacher will spot why an email or composition lost marks, not just give a score.
5Watch the oral part of the trialSee whether your child is asked follow-up questions, as in the SEC video conversation.
6Review after Term 2If the weighted assessment marks have not moved, ask what the centre will change before paying for Term 3.
Common questions
Which Sec 1 Chinese tuition centre prints the lowest fee?
Of the two that print one, HAO starts at S$981 for 12 two-hour lessons, about S$40.88 an hour with GST. Bespoke charges S$250 a month for 4 Sec 1 lessons but does not print the lesson length, so its hourly cost cannot be worked out.
Can my child take Higher Chinese in Sec 1 in 2027?
Yes, if the PSLE result shows AL1 or AL2 in Chinese, or Distinction or Merit in Higher Chinese. Since the 2026 Sec 1 cohort, MOE no longer ties this to the overall PSLE Score.
What if my child just misses the Higher Chinese criteria?
Some secondary schools let a student who does well in G3 Chinese in Sec 1 start Higher Chinese in Sec 2. Riverside Secondary states this on its site, so ask your child's school whether it does the same.
Is there Chinese tuition for G2 students in Sec 1?
Yes. Beijing Language School runs a G2 course on the 2024 G2 textbook, Simply Education has G1, G2 and G3 course notes, and Yu Cai teaches a Sec 1 course for G2 and G3 students.
How is Sec 1 Chinese different from PSLE Chinese?
Compositions get longer, emails become a set writing task, and literary texts and current affairs play a bigger part. By the SEC, a G3 composition needs at least 300 characters against 100 at PSLE, and the oral conversation counts for 20% of the grade.
Which centres teach Higher Chinese in a separate Sec 1 class?
Tien Hsia and Jiang name separate Sec 1 Higher Chinese courses. HAO combines G3 and HCL in one all-in-one programme, and the others offer HCL without saying whether the class is separate.
Can my child get one-to-one Chinese lessons at a centre?
iMatter in Yishun teaches secondary Chinese only as one-to-one lessons in its centre, for Sec 1 to Sec 5. Its rates are given on request.
Which centres have the longest weekly lesson?
Tien Hsia, at 2.5 hours a week for both Sec 1 G3 and Higher Chinese. Busy Bees, HAO, Hua and Jiang teach 2 hours, and Beijing Language School 1 hour 45 minutes.
When does a child starting Sec 1 in 2027 sit the SEC Chinese exam?
By our count, in 2030. SEAB holds the Mother Tongue written papers in September with the oral and listening before them, and releases results the following January.
Written by Theon Teo, Founder and Mathematics Tutor, The Singapore Syllabus. DigiPen Institute of Technology Singapore, Game Development & Computer Science · 3 years' Mathematics teaching (Primary & Secondary). More about Theon
For 2027. Free to ask.
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