L1R4, ELR2B2 and L1R5 Calculator
Work out the aggregate MOE uses for junior college, Millennia Institute and polytechnic admission. SEC students in the 2028 Post-Secondary Admissions Exercise (PSE) need a gross L1R4 of 16 or below for JC, 20 or below for MI, and a net ELR2B2 of 22 or below for polytechnic. The final O-Level cohort, in the 2027 JAE, still uses L1R5 with a JC limit of 20.
Calculate your L1R4, ELR2B2 or L1R5
Pick your admissions year, then enter English and your other subjects with their grades. The calculator picks the subjects the way MOE counts them.
For the first SEC cohort: sitting the SEC in 2027 and applying in the 2028 Post-Secondary Admissions Exercise (PSE), which MOE runs in place of the JAE.
Other subjects
Set each subject's level. JC and MI count G3 subjects only.
Choose the English Language grade.
Choose the English Language grade.
Source: MOE, 2028 PSE: junior colleges and Millennia Institute.
How L1R4, ELR2B2 and L1R5 are worked out
L1R4 for JC and Millennia Institute, from 2028
From the 2028 PSE, JC and Millennia Institute admission uses L1R4: one first language and four relevant subjects, all taken at G3. L1 is English or a Higher Mother Tongue. R1 is your best Humanities subject, R2 your best Mathematics or Science subject, R3 your best remaining Humanities, Mathematics or Science subject and R4 your best remaining subject. To be eligible, the gross L1R4, before bonus points, must be 16 or below for JC and 20 or below for MI. You also need G3 English at C6 or better, G3 Mathematics or Additional Mathematics at D7 or better, and Mother Tongue at D7 or better at G3, 5 or better at G2, D or better at G1, or E8 or better in Higher Mother Tongue.
ELR2B2 for polytechnic, from 2028
Polytechnic diplomas use ELR2B2: English (EL), two relevant subjects (R1, R2) and two best subjects (B1, B2), minus CCA bonus points. For SEC students, EL, R1, R2 and B1 use G3 grades, and B2 can be a G2 or G3 subject counted as a G2 grade, using the mapping in the grade table below. The net ELR2B2 must be 22 or below, or 24 or below for the Diploma in Nursing, and each diploma also sets its own minimum entry requirements. Which subjects can be R1 and R2 depends on the diploma’s aggregate type, ELR2B2-A, B, C or D.
L1R5 for the final O-Level cohort
Students who sat the O-Level in 2026 are the last to use L1R5, in the 2027 Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE). R1 to R3 follow the same rules as L1R4, and R4 and R5 are your two best remaining subjects. JC needs a gross L1R5 of 20 or below, with English at C6 or better, Mathematics or Additional Mathematics at D7 or better and Mother Tongue at D7 or better (E8 or better in Higher Mother Tongue). For this cohort, polytechnic ELR2B2 uses O-Level grades only, with a net limit of 26 (28 for the Diploma in Nursing), and Millennia Institute uses its own L1R4 with a limit of 20.
Bonus points
Bonus points come off the gross aggregate to give the net aggregate used for posting. They do not change whether you meet the JC or MI limit, which MOE checks on the gross aggregate. For JC and MI the total is capped at 3 in the 2028 PSE and at 4 in the 2027 JAE, and a Language Elective Programme place adds 2 more on top. Polytechnics count CCA points only.
| Bonus points for | Points | Counts for |
|---|---|---|
| CCA grade Excellent (for polytechnic, also A1 or A2) | 2 | JC, MI, polytechnic |
| CCA grade Good (for polytechnic, also B3 to C6) | 1 | JC, MI, polytechnic |
| English and Higher Mother Tongue, both A1 to C6 | 2 | JC, MI |
| Chinese or Malay (Special Programme), or Bahasa Indonesia, A1 to C6 | 2 | JC, MI |
| Affiliated JC as your 1st choice, or 1st and 2nd choices (students of the affiliated secondary school) | 2 | JC |
| A place in a JC's Language Elective Programme (CLEP, MLEP or TLEP) | 2 more, above the cap | JC |
Each grade is worth its number in points, so a lower aggregate is stronger. When a G3 subject fills B2 in ELR2B2, it counts as the G2 grade in the last column.
| Grade | Points | As a G2 grade (ELR2B2 B2) |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | 1 | 1 |
| A2 | 2 | 1 |
| B3 | 3 | 1 |
| B4 | 4 | 2 |
| C5 | 5 | 2 |
| C6 | 6 | 2 |
| D7 | 7 | 3 |
| E8 | 8 | 4 |
| F9 (9 in the SEC) | 9 | Cannot be used |
The best possible L1R4 is 5 and the best possible L1R5 is 6, before bonus points. Meeting a limit makes you eligible to apply. Places are then given by net aggregate against each year’s applicants, so no score here promises a place at a particular school or course.
Source
Rules checked against these official pages on 26 September 2026:
- MOE, 2028 Post-Secondary Admissions Exercise: junior colleges and Millennia Institute
- MOE, 2028 Post-Secondary Admissions Exercise: polytechnic diploma courses
- MOE, polytechnic aggregate types ELR2B2-A, B, C and D (PDF)
- MOE, 2028 Post-Secondary Admissions Exercise: key dates
- MOE, 2027 Joint Admissions Exercise: junior colleges and Millennia Institute
- MOE, 2027 Joint Admissions Exercise: polytechnics
- MOE, GCE O-Level subjects and categories
- SEAB, Secondary Education Certificate: grades and grade mapping
Frequently asked questions
What L1R4 do I need for JC from 2028?
From the 2028 Post-Secondary Admissions Exercise (PSE), SEC students need a gross L1R4 of 16 or below to be eligible for a junior college, and 20 or below for Millennia Institute. Gross means before bonus points are taken off. Every subject counted must be taken at G3, and the minimum grades for English, Mathematics and Mother Tongue still apply. Each JC's own entry score then depends on that year's applicants.
How is L1R4 calculated?
L1R4 adds five grades, from A1 as 1 point to 9 as 9 points, so lower is better. L1 is G3 English or a Higher Mother Tongue. R1 is your best G3 Humanities subject, R2 your best G3 Mathematics or Science subject, R3 your best remaining Humanities, Mathematics or Science subject, and R4 your best remaining subject. Religious Knowledge cannot count, and a Mother Tongue and its Higher Mother Tongue cannot both count.
How does ELR2B2 work for SEC students?
ELR2B2 adds English (EL), two relevant subjects (R1 and R2) and two best subjects (B1 and B2), then takes off CCA bonus points. EL, R1, R2 and B1 use G3 grades. B2 can be a G2 or a G3 subject and always counts as a G2 grade: a G3 A1 to B3 counts as 1, B4 to C6 as 2, D7 as 3 and E8 as 4. A G3 grade 9 and G2 grades 5 and 6 cannot be used. The net ELR2B2 must be 22 or below, or 24 or below for the Diploma in Nursing.
What are ELR2B2-A, ELR2B2-B and ELR2B2-C?
Each polytechnic diploma uses one of four aggregate types, which set the subjects allowed for R1 and R2. ELR2B2-A takes an arts, business or humanities subject for R1 and a wider list, which adds Mathematics and Mother Tongue, for R2. ELR2B2-B and ELR2B2-C take Mathematics or Additional Mathematics for R1. For R2, ELR2B2-B takes an arts, business or humanities subject and ELR2B2-C a science or applied subject. MOE CourseFinder shows the type each diploma uses.
What minimum grades do JC and MI need from 2028?
G3 English Language at C6 or better, G3 Mathematics or Additional Mathematics at D7 or better, and a Mother Tongue at D7 or better at G3, 5 or better at G2, D or better at G1, or E8 or better in Higher Mother Tongue. A student who misses one of these can still get a conditional JC place with a gross L1R4 of 12 or below, or 13 to 16 with A1 or A2 in all four relevant subjects, and must reach the required grade by the end of JC Year 1.
How do bonus points work?
Bonus points are taken off the gross aggregate to give the net aggregate used for posting. For JC and MI in the 2028 PSE you can get up to 3 points in total: 2 for a CCA grade of Excellent or 1 for Good, 2 for English and Higher Mother Tongue both at C6 or better, 2 for Chinese or Malay (Special Programme) or Bahasa Indonesia at C6 or better, and 2 for choosing your affiliated JC as your 1st choice (or 1st and 2nd choices) if you are graduating from its affiliated secondary school. A place in a JC's Language Elective Programme adds 2 more. Polytechnics count CCA points only. In the 2027 JAE the JC cap is 4.
Does the final O-Level cohort still use L1R5?
Yes. Students who sat the O-Level in 2026 apply in the 2027 Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE), where JC needs a gross L1R5 of 20 or below and bonus points are capped at 4. Their polytechnic ELR2B2 uses O-Level grades only, with a net limit of 26, or 28 for the Diploma in Nursing. The L1R5 tab in the calculator follows these rules.
Can a Higher Mother Tongue be used instead of English as L1?
Yes. If you take a Higher Mother Tongue, MOE works out your aggregate with English as L1 and with the Higher Mother Tongue as L1, and uses the lower one that qualifies. In MOE's worked example for 2028, English then counts as R4, while the Mother Tongue of the same language cannot be used. The calculator tries both and shows which one it used.
What is the 2028 PSE?
The Post-Secondary Admissions Exercise (PSE) is how SEC students apply to junior colleges, Millennia Institute, polytechnics and ITE from 2028, in place of the Joint Admissions Exercise used for O-Level results. MOE lists the release of SEC results for mid-January 2028, with applications open for six calendar days from results day, and plans to publish 2028 course details from mid-2027.