If you’re thinking of going to a Junior College to study for A-Levels, you will need to choose a suitable subject combination which you can take.
While most students would choose an Arts or Science subject combination, what if you want to do a mixture of both types of subjects?
This is where the hybrid combination comes in, and here’s a guide on how you can take it.
Contents
What is a hybrid subject combination in JC?
A hybrid subject combination is one where you take 2 ‘Mathematics and Sciences subjects’ and 2 ‘Humanities and the Arts’ subjects for A-Levels. These combinations are known as hybrid as most students will usually take 3 of the same subject category, and then 1 contrasting subject.
For A-Levels, you are required to take 4 content-based subjects that count into your total A-Level score.
Usually, this will mean that you will take either 4 H2 subjects, or 3 H2 subjects + 1 H1 subject.
Furthermore, MOE requires you to take 1 subject as a contrasting subject.
In a hybrid combination, you are actually taking 2 subjects from each of the groups. This allows you to fulfil the contrasting subject requirement as well.
A hybrid combination will give you slightly more flexibility in choosing the subjects that you enjoy too.
What are some examples of a hybrid subject combination?
There are 3 main types of hybrid subject combinations that are available, including:
- 2 H2 Humanities subjects + 1 H2 and 1 H1 Science subjects
- 2 H2 Science subjects + 1 H2 and 1 H1 Humanities subjects
- 2 H2 Humanities subjects + 2 H2 Science subjects
Here are some examples of the kind of subject combinations that you can take:
| Subject Code | Subjects In Combination |
|---|---|
| CMEH | Chemistry, Mathematics, Economics, History |
| PCLE | Physics, Chemistry, Literature, Economics |
| CMLH | Chemistry, Mathematics, Literature, History |
CMEH is one of the more common subject combinations that are taken by JC students.
Which JCs allow me to take hybrid combinations?
9 out of 14 junior colleges allow you to take hybrid subject combinations for your A-Levels, including St. Andrew’s Junior College (SAJC), Tampines Meridian Junior College (TMJC) and Anderson Serangoon JC (ASJC).
Here are all of the JCs which allow you to take hybrid subject combinations:
Anderson Serangoon JC
In Anderson Serangoon JC, you are able to take some hybrid combinations, including:
- Art, History, Maths, Chemistry
- Art, History, Maths, Physics
- Art, Geography, Mathematics, Biology
Catholic JC
In Catholic JC, you are able to take some hybrid combinations, including:
- Maths, Econs, Physics, Geography
- Maths, Chemistry, Econs, History
This is taking into account that Econs is a ‘Humanities and Arts’ subject, and not a ‘Mathematics and Science’ subject. However, the combinations offered in Catholic JC are not as diverse as those in ASJC.
Eunoia JC
Eunoia JC offers quite a diverse range of subject combinations, including:
- Chemistry, Maths, Econs, Literature
- Physics, Maths, Geography, Econs
If you want to take a hybrid subject in EJC, you will need to take Econs as one of your Humanities subjects.
Hwa Chong Institution
Similar to CJC, the subject combinations for HCI are slightly more restricted:
- Maths, Econs, Chinese Language & Literature, China Studies in Chinese
- Maths, Further Maths, Geography, China Studies in Chinese
If you would like to know what’s the difference between Further Maths and H3 Maths, you can view this comparison here.
Jurong Pioneer JC
JPJC offers rather diverse subject combinations, including:
- Maths, Physics, Art, History
- Maths, Chemistry, Translation, Geography
St. Andrew’s JC
SAJC offers quite a few hybrid subject combinations, including:
- Chemistry, Geography, Maths, History
- Econs, History, Math, Bio
SAJC is pretty flexible in terms of the subject combinations that they offer.
Tampines Meridian JC
There are quite a few hybrid combinations offered in TMJC, including:
- Art, History, Maths, Biology
- Physics, History, Maths, Literature
However, TMJC stated that there needs to be at least 15 students who take the same subject combination for it to be offered.
Victoria JC
VJC offers some hybrid combinations, such as:
- Maths, Biology, Econs, Literature
- Maths, Chemistry, Econs, Art
If you want to take a hybrid subject in VJC, you will need to take Econs as one of your Humanities subjects.
Yishun Innova JC
YIJC offers these hybrid combinations, including:
- Maths, Chemistry, Literature, Art
- Maths, Physics, History, Geography
However, these are only available for 3 H2 + 1 H1 subjects. For the 4 H2 subjects, the subject combinations are more rigid.
Which JCs do not offer hybrid combinations?
Some JCs such as NJC or Temasek JC do not offer hybrid combinations.
Millennia Institute (MI) does not offer hybrid combinations too. However, MI allows you to take the Commerce stream, which is not found in other JCs.
Should I take a hybrid combination in JC?
A hybrid combination will give you more freedom to pursue the subjects that you enjoy, especially if you do not have a specific inclination towards either the Arts or Science subjects. However, this will be subject to the availability of such a combination in the JC that you choose, as well as other disadvantages such as an irregular timetable.
If you are deciding on taking a hybrid combination, here are some factors that you may want to consider:
Not all JCs may offer the hybrid combination of your choice
As compared to the usual Arts or Science subjects, it may be harder for you to find a JC that allows you to take the hybrid combination.
Some JCs may allow you to take such a combination, but only if a certain number of people are taking the same subject combination.
As such, this may lead to irregular classes, where you may have different classmates for the different subjects that you take. This will most likely be due to the difference in your timetable with the other students in the JC.
Since your subject combination is rather different, the dismissal timings for each day can be very different. There may be days where you end school rather early, while there may be others where you end school really late.
However, this really depends on how the JC that you choose schedules your timetable for you. It will be good to double check with the JC if they offer such a combination before you apply for that JC!
A hybrid combination may limit your choices of university courses
Usually, when you choose a Science or Arts stream, you will be choosing a university course that is geared towards the sciences or the arts.
When you choose a hybrid combination, you may limit your options to apply for certain courses.
Here are some examples of the entry requirements for some science-based courses:
| Course | Entry Requirements |
|---|---|
| NUS Pharmacy | Very good pass in H2 Chemistry AND very good pass in either H2 Bio / Physics / Maths |
| NUS Medicine | A good H2 pass in Chemistry AND H2 pass in EITHER Bio or Physics |
You may want to note that NUS Pharmacy and NUS Pharmaceutical Science are 2 different courses.
If you are taking a hybrid course, it may be quite hard for you to take a double science combination (e.g. Chem and Bio). This is because most hybrid combinations may require you to take Maths as one of the subjects from the ‘Mathematics and Sciences’ category.
If you have a dream course that you intend to do in the future, it would be good to double check if the hybrid combination that you take still meets the requirements.
Conclusion
A hybrid subject combination will be useful if you are only interested in taking 2 subjects from either the Mathematics and Sciences subjects’ or ‘Humanities and the Arts’ categories.
However, here are some things you may want to consider:
- Whether the JC you intend to go to offers such a combination
- Whether your subject combination fits the entry requirements for the university course you are looking to enter
If you enjoyed this content, do follow us on Telegram!
Want to earn some money while sharing your experiences in Singapore? We’re always looking for writers and you can join our team here!
