The SEC keeps the O-Level grade scale for G3 subjects and the N-Level scales for G2 and G1. Here is what every grade is worth in points, how SEAB converts grades between levels, and how one student's results count for JC, poly and PFP.
From 2027 the O-Level grading system lives on inside the Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC): every G3 subject is graded A1, A2, B3, B4, C5, C6, D7, E8 or 9, and each grade is worth its number in points, so A1 is 1 point and 9 is 9 points. G2 subjects are graded 1 to 6 and G1 subjects A to E, the same scales the N(A)-Level and N(T)-Level used. Lower totals are better. For JC from 2028 you add five G3 grades (L1R4) and need 16 or below. For polytechnic you add five grades (ELR2B2), one of which may be a G2 grade, and need 22 or below after CCA points.
The three SEC grade scales, with points
SEAB says G1, G2 and G3 subjects "adopt the same grading structure" as the N(T)-Level, N(A)-Level and O-Level. One certificate lists every subject at whatever level it was taken.
Level
Grades, best first
Points used in aggregates
Certificate pass
G3 (was O-Level)
A1, A2, B3, B4, C5, C6, D7, E8, 9
A1 = 1 up to 9 = 9
E8 or better
G2 (was N(A)-Level)
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
1 = 1 up to 6 = 6
5 or better
G1 (was N(T)-Level)
A, B, C, D, E
ITE converts G1 grades to its own points
D or better
Two details trip parents up. The last G3 grade is printed as "9", where the O-Level printed "F9". And a G2 grade 1 is not the same as an A1: a G2 grade 1 sits alongside anything from A1 to B3 at G3.
How SEAB converts grades between G3, G2 and G1
A grade is only converted when an aggregate asks for a lower level than the one your child took. The poly B2 slot, ELMAB3 for the Polytechnic Foundation Programme and the 2-Year Higher Nitec are the main cases. A G3 grade that has to become a G1 grade goes through G2 first.
SEAB grade mapping for post-secondary aggregates
Point
Counts at G2 as
Then counts at G1 as
G3 A1, A2 or B3
1
A
G3 B4, C5 or C6
2
A
G3 D7
3
A
G3 E8
4
B
G3 9
5
C
The G2 to G1 step on its own is 1 to 3 = A, 4 = B, 5 = C and 6 = D. Notice what this does to a strong student. Once a G3 subject is counted at G2, an A1 and a B3 are worth exactly the same 1 point, so the extra marks that separate them stop mattering for that slot.
Which aggregate uses which grades from 2028
The 2028 Post-Secondary Admissions Exercise (PSE) replaces the JAE for SEC students. Each route reads the certificate differently.
The SEC aggregates and the levels they read
JC and Millennia InstituteL1R4Five subjects, all at G3. Gross 16 or below for JC, 20 or below for MI, before up to 3 bonus points come off for posting.
Polytechnic diplomasELR2B2English, two relevant subjects and the best subject at G3, plus a second best subject at G2 or G3 counted as a G2 grade. Net 22 or below.
PFP and 2-Year Higher NitecELMAB3English, Mathematics and three best subjects, all counted at G2. Gross 12 or below for PFP, 19 or below for 2-Year Higher Nitec.
3-Year Higher NitecR2B2 and R1B3Grades are converted to ITE aggregate points at G1. Each course sets its own minimum entry requirements.
The level rules matter more than they look. A Humanities subject taken at G2 cannot fill R1 in L1R4, so a student with no G3 Humanities subject has no L1R4 at all. A G3 grade 9, or a G2 grade 5 or 6, cannot be used in ELR2B2 or in ELMAB3 for the PFP.
JC and MI also set minimum grades on top of the aggregate: G3 English at C6 or better, G3 Mathematics or Additional Mathematics at D7 or better, and a Mother Tongue at D7 or better at G3, grade 5 or better at G2, or D or better at G1 (E8 or better for a Higher Mother Tongue).
Worked example: one student's results counted three ways
Take a Sec 4 student in 2027 with this mixed SEC certificate and a CCA grade of Good.
Subject
Level
Grade
Points at its own level
Points at G2
English Language
G3
B3
3
1
Mathematics
G3
A2
2
1
Additional Mathematics
G3
B4
4
2
Science (Physics, Chemistry)
G3
C5
5
2
Humanities (Social Studies, Geography)
G2
2
2
2
Chinese
G2
3
3
3
1JC and MI, L1R4Not possible. R1 must be a G3 Humanities subject and this student's Humanities is at G2. The minimum grades are met, but there is no L1R4 to count.
2Polytechnic, ELR2B2-CEL is English B3 (3). R1 is Mathematics A2 (2). R2 is Science C5 (5). B1 is Additional Mathematics B4 (4). B2 is the G2 Humanities grade 2 (2). Gross 16, minus 1 CCA point, gives a net 15. That is inside 22, so the aggregate qualifies and the course's own subject requirements decide the rest.
3PFP, ELMAB3Everything is counted at G2. English 1, Mathematics 1, then the three best of the rest: Additional Mathematics 2, Science 2 and Humanities 2. Gross 8, inside the limit of 12.
Now change one thing. Suppose the same student had taken Geography at G3 and scored C6. L1R4 becomes English 3 + Geography 6 + Mathematics 2 + Additional Mathematics 4 + Science 5 = 20. That is above 16, so not eligible for JC, but within 20 for Millennia Institute. Raising Geography to B3 would bring it to 17, and one more step on any subject would reach 16.
This is the practical lesson of the SEC scale. A single G3 Humanities subject is the gate to JC, and each grade step in a counted subject moves the aggregate by exactly one point.
How to count your own points in four moves
1List every subject with its levelWrite G1, G2 or G3 next to each subject. The level decides which aggregates the subject can join.
2Turn each G3 grade into its numberA1 is 1, A2 is 2, and so on to 9. G2 grades are already numbers.
3Fill the slots in orderFor L1R4: English or a Higher Mother Tongue, then the best G3 Humanities, the best G3 Mathematics or Science, the best remaining of those, and the best remaining G3 subject of any kind.
4Take off bonus points lastGross aggregates decide JC and MI eligibility. Net aggregates, after CCA and other bonus points, are what posting compares.
Our L1R4, ELR2B2 and L1R5 calculator does the slot filling for you, tries English and a Higher Mother Tongue as L1, and shows which subject went where.
If your child sat the final O-Level in 2026
The November 2026 O-Level was the last one for school candidates. Those students apply in the January 2027 JAE, which still uses L1R5 for JC: six O-Level grades with a gross total of 20 or below, and up to 4 bonus points. Millennia Institute uses L1R4 of 20 or below, and polytechnic ELR2B2 must be 26 or below after CCA points, or 28 for the Diploma in Nursing. The grade scale is the same A1 to F9. Our JAE 2027 step-by-step guide walks through a full L1R5 example and the 12 choices.
Each subject is graded A1, A2, B3, B4, C5, C6, D7, E8 or F9, worth 1 to 9 points. From 2027 the same scale applies to G3 subjects in the SEC, with the last grade printed as 9.
How does the G2 grading system work?
G2 subjects are graded 1 to 6, as the N(A)-Level was, and grade 5 or better is a certificate pass. In aggregates a G2 grade is worth its number in points.
How does the G1 grading system work?
G1 subjects are graded A to E, as the N(T)-Level was, and grade D or better is a certificate pass. ITE converts G1 grades to its own aggregate points for 3-Year Higher Nitec courses.
Is a G2 grade 1 the same as an A1?
No. When SEAB maps G3 to G2, A1, A2 and B3 all become grade 1, so a G2 grade 1 is roughly equal to a B3 or better, not specifically an A1.
How do I count L1R4 points?
Add English or a Higher Mother Tongue, your best G3 Humanities, your best G3 Mathematics or Science, the best remaining of those groups, and your best remaining G3 subject. A1 counts 1 and 9 counts 9.
Can G2 subjects count for JC?
Not in the L1R4 itself, because every subject in it must be at G3. A Mother Tongue at G2 grade 5 or better does meet the JC Mother Tongue requirement.
Is a 9 a fail at G3?
A 9 does not earn a certificate pass, which needs E8 or better. A G3 grade 9 cannot be used in ELR2B2 or in ELMAB3 for the PFP, but ITE can still count it towards 3-Year Higher Nitec aggregates.
What score do I need for JC in 2028?
A gross L1R4 of 16 or below to be eligible, plus the minimum English, Mathematics and Mother Tongue grades. Each JC's actual entry score depends on that year's applicants.
Written by Tan Hong Ting, Mathematics & Science Tutor, The Singapore Syllabus. Bachelor's in Psychology, National University of Singapore · 4 years' tutoring experience in Mathematics and Science. More about Tan
