If you’re looking to enter one of the Junior Colleges in Singapore, two colleges you may encounter include Nanyang Junior College (NYJC) and National Junior College (NJC).
Apart from the difference of just one ‘Y’ in their acronyms, here are a few other differences that they have!
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Location
NYJC is located at 128 Serangoon Avenue 3.
The nearest MRT station is Lorong Chuan on the Circle Line, and it takes less than 5 minutes to walk from the station to the campus.
If you are looking to go to NYJC by bus, you can take either 58 or 105 to one of these 2 bus stops:
- Golden Hts
- Opp Golden Hts
Meanwhile, NJC is located at 37 Hillcrest Road.
The nearest MRT station is Tan Kah Kee on the Downtown Line, and the walk to NJC is slightly longer compared to that from Lorong Chuan to NYJC.
Previously before the Tan Kah Kee station was opened, I used to take the Circle Line to Botanic Gardens, before taking a bus to ‘Opp National Junior College’.
If you are looking to take the bus to NJC, there are quite a few bus services that you can take, including:
- 67
- 74
- 151
- 154
- 156
- 157
- 170
- 174
- 852
- 961/961M
Entry requirements
Here are the cutoff points for both JCs during the 2021 Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE):
| JC | Cutoff (Science) | Cutoff (Arts) |
|---|---|---|
| NYJC | 6 | 6 |
| NJC | 7 | 8 |
Overall, you will need to have a lower L1R5 to enter NYJC compared to NJC.
DSA requirements
If you are looking to obtain a Direct School Admission (DSA) to either JC, it is possible to do so.
For NYJC, you are able to apply for DSA for different sports and cultural CCAs, including:
- Symphonic Band
- Art Elective Programme
- Floorball
- Volleyball
Meanwhile, NJC has a wider variety of routes you can use to enter via DSA.
This includes:
- CCA
- Art Elective Programme (AEP)
- Music Programme
- Science Training and Research Programme
- Malay / Tamil Language Elective Programme
While NYJC only offers entry via certain CCAs and the Art Elective Programme, NJC allows you to enter via DSA if you want to take up a language, music or research programme.
Affiliated schools
NYJC is affiliated with 2 secondary schools:
- Chung Cheng High School
- Chung Cheng High School (Yishun)
Meanwhile, NJC mentioned on their website that they are not affiliated with any secondary school.
However, it is possible to enter NJC via their Integrated Programme.
Integrated Programme
NJC is one of the junior colleges in Singapore which offer an Integrated Programme. This means that you will be able to enter NJC starting as Secondary One (aka Junior High 1), via 2 routes:
However, you are only able to enter NYJC after completing your O Levels, as they do not offer such a programme.
Subjects offered
Here is a comparison of the subjects that are offered by both NYJC and NJC.
| Subject | NYJC | NJC |
|---|---|---|
| Knowledge and Inquiry | ✕ | ✓ |
| Biology | ✓ | ✓ |
| Chemistry | ✓ | ✓ |
| Computing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Further Mathematics | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mathematics | ✓ | ✓ |
| Physics | ✓ | ✓ |
| Art | ✓ | ✓ |
| Chinese Language & Literature | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tamil Language & Literature | ✕ | ✓ |
| Malay Language & Literature | ✓ | ✓ |
| Literature in English | ✓ | ✓ |
| Translation (Chinese) | ✓ | ✕ |
| English Language & Linguistics | ✕ | ✓ |
| Economics | ✓ | ✓ |
| Geography | ✓ | ✓ |
| History | ✓ | ✓ |
| Foreign Languages | ✕ | ✓ |
| Music | ✕ | ✓ |
You may want to note that neither JC allows you to take triple science for A-Levels.
NJC offers a lot more subjects compared to NYJC. However, the subject that NYJC offers which you can’t study in NJC is Translation (Chinese).
H3 subjects offered
There are a variety of H3 topics that are offered by both junior colleges as well.
Both JCs have partnered with NUS and NTU to offer certain modules as an H3 subject. Some examples include:
- NUS Geopolitics: Geographies of War & Peace
- NTU Molecular Biology
You are also able to take MOE H3 subjects in both JCs, which includes:
- H3 Chemistry
- H3 Mathematics
- H3 Economics
If you would like to know what’s the difference between Further Maths and H3 Maths, you can view this comparison here.
Lastly, you are able to conduct an ‘Extended, In-Depth Research‘ project which allows you to carry out your project under the mentorship of qualified personnel.
In NJC, you are able to apply for 3 different programmes:
- NUS-A*STaR-NJC Science Research (i.e. NJC H3-STaR)
- NUS-MOE Humanities & Social Science Research (NUS-MOE HSSR)
- NUS Science Research Programme (NUS-MOE SRP)
Meanwhile, this is not really touched upon on NYJC’s website, and it seems that you may have to source your own project by yourself.
For NYJC, you are able to apply to the Nanyang Research Programme (NRP) which is offered by NTU. Ultimately, this can be converted to an H3 module.
Elective programmes offered
If you are more inclined to the arts and languages, there are a few elective programmes that you can participate in.
Here are the programmes that are offered by both JCs:
| Elective Programme | NYJC | NJC |
|---|---|---|
| Art Elective Programme (AEP) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Music | ✕ | ✓ |
| Chinese Language Elective Programme | ✓ | ✕ |
| Tamil Language Elective Programme | ✕ | ✓ |
| Malay Language Elective Programme | ✕ | ✓ |
NYJC only offers the Art Elective Programme and the Chinese Language Elective Programme (CLEP).
Meanwhile, NJC offers many more elective programmes, apart from the CLEP. They have an extensive Music Programme, which will be a great place to develop your musical skills.
NJC also offers a Research Programme (Research@NJC), which is great if you intend to conduct a research programme during your time in the college.
School starting time and ending time
Not much was mentioned about the curriculum time for both JCs.
However, it was mentioned that the latest that you can be dismissed in NYJC is 1230.
If you have any CCAs, you will have to stay back for them!
CCAs offered
NYJC has a wide variety of CCAs, including those from:
- Sports CCAs
- Aesthetic Groups
- Clubs & Societies
NYJC is best known for their Volleyball team, where they have been achieving Champions in the A-Division games.
With 35 different CCAs, there should be one that you may be interested in!
On top of that, NYJC also offers 26 different Student Interest Groups (SIGs). These are self-initiated groups by the students themselves, and there are rather unique groups that you can join, including:
However, these interest groups may not be recognised as an official CCA.
NJC has slightly fewer CCAs compared to NYJC
In contrast, NJC has 31 CCAs, which is slightly fewer compared to NYJC. One of NJC’s more popular CCAs is their Canoeing and Dragon Boat team.
Sadly, it was mentioned that there are some CCAs that will be discontinued, such as Tennis and Aikido. This could be due to a poor number of signups from the new batches of NJCians.
Moreover, NJC does not have Student Interest Groups which are found in NYJC.
Facilities offered
Here are some of the facilities that are found in both JCs:
| NYJC | NJC | |
|---|---|---|
| Amphitheatre | ✕ | ✓ |
| Gym | ✓ | ✓ |
| Tennis Courts | ✓ | ✓ |
| Fitness Corner | ✓ | ✓ |
| High Elements Structure | ✓ | ✕ |
| Indoor Sports Hall | ✕ | ✓ |
| Indoor Gym | ✕ | ✓ |
| Field | ✓ | ✓ |
NJC has more extensive facilities compared to NYJC. This could be due to NJC having a larger campus size compared to NYJC.
Additional features
NYJC has numerous ‘Dress-Down’ days, where you are able to wear a school shirt that is dri-fit instead of the actual uniform top.
Since you are able to wear dri-fit shirts, it may make school more casual and you won’t feel so uncomfortable being in full uniform!
Meanwhile, one of NJC’s key differentiating features is its Boarding Programme. You will be able to stay at NJC’s Boarding School for various programmes.
I entered NJC through the JAE route, and there were 2 compulsory weeks where I had to stay at the Boarding School with my fellow batchmates.
On top of the daily school curriculum, we were required to attend some activities that were conducted throughout these 2 weeks. It was quite a challenge to juggle my daily schoolwork with these extra activities.
However, I went through the Boarding Programme quite a few years back, and their current programme may be different now!
Verdict
Here is a summary of these 2 JCs:
| NYJC | NJC | |
|---|---|---|
| Nearest MRT | Lorong Chuan (Circle Line) | Tan Kah Kee (Downtown Line) |
| JAE Score | 6 (Science + Arts) | 7 (Science) and 8 (Arts) |
| DSA? | Yes | Yes |
| Affiliated schools | Chung Cheng High School Chung Cheng High School (Yishun) | None |
| Integrated Programme | No | Yes |
| Subjects offered | Less | More |
| Elective programmes offered | Less | More |
| School start time and end time | Curriculum ends the latest at 1230 | Not mentioned |
| CCAs offered | 35 + interest groups | 31 |
| Facilities offered | Less | More |
| Additional features | Dress-Down day | Boarding Programme |
So which JC should you choose?
Choose NYJC for a more vibrant school life
NYJC offers more variety in your student life, and tries to make school seem fun. With the Dress-Down days, it does make it more comfortable for you to study while in the college.
Moreover, there are quite a few interest groups that you can participate in, on top of the CCA choices that are offered!
Choose NJC if you want a more holistic education
NJC offers a more extensive education programme, where you are able to take many more subjects and elective programmes compared to NYJC.
Moreover, if you wish to pursue a career in research, I believe that NJC will offer better guidance as they have lots of resources and expertise in this area.
If you feel that a 2-year A-Level programme may be too ‘rushed’ for you, an option that you can consider is going to Millennia Institute instead of a JC!
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