There are quite a few major exams that you may have to take as a student in Singapore.
If you’ve just completed your N-Levels, you may be considering whether to take your O-Levels or start work with your N-Level certificate.
Here’s what you need to know about these 2 different exams:
Contents
Time period
Here are the time periods for the different components of both exams:
| O-Level | N-Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Oral (English) | July | July |
| Oral (Other Languages) | July | August |
| Listening Comprehension | July | September |
| Practical Exams | October | September |
| Written Exams | October – November | September – October |
The written exams start slightly later for O-Levels compared to N-Levels.
Types of subjects offered
Here are the different subjects that are offered in O-Levels and N-Levels:
| O-Level | N-Level | |
|---|---|---|
| English | ✓ | ✓ |
| 3rd Languages (Arabic; Bahasa Indonesia) | ✓ | ✕ |
| Literature in English | ✓ | ✓ |
| Combined Humanities | ✓ | ✓ |
| Geography | ✓ | ✓ |
| History | ✓ | ✓ |
| Economics | ✓ | ✕ |
| Drama | ✓ | ✕ |
| Mathematics | ✓ | ✓ |
| Additional Mathematics | ✓ | ✓ |
| Combined Science | ✓ | ✓ |
| Pure Physics | ✓ | ✕ |
| Pure Chemistry | ✓ | ✕ |
| Pure Biology | ✓ | ✕ |
| Nutrition and Food Science | ✓ | ✓ |
| Art | ✓ | ✓ |
| Higher Art | ✓ | ✕ |
| Design and Technology | ✓ | ✓ |
| Business Studies | ✓ | ✕ |
| Principles of Accounts | ✓ | ✓ |
| Computing | ✓ | ✕ |
Here are some things you may want to note regarding the differences between these 2 exams:
There are more subjects being examined in O-Levels
When you compare the different subjects that are examined in both O-Levels and N-Levels, there is a wider variety of subjects that are tested in O-Levels.
Some of the subjects that are not examinable in N-Levels include:
- Computing
- Economics
- Higher Art
There are no pure sciences in N-Level
In O-Levels, you are able to take a pure science subject (either Bio, Chemistry or Physics). Meanwhile, this is not possible for N-Levels where you are only able to take combined sciences (e.g. Bio + Chem).
The step-up from a combined science subject to a pure science subject may be quite steep, so that’s something that you may want to take note of.
You may also want to note that you won’t be able to take triple science as a JC student.
Syllabus
In general, the scope of the syllabus tested for a subject in O-Level will be more extensive compared to the same subject taught at N-Levels.
For example, let’s take a look at the syllabus for History at O-Level and N-Level.
In the O-Level syllabus, there are 4 units which are being tested:
- European Dominance and Expansion in the late 19th century
- The World in Crisis
- Bi-Polarity and the Cold War
- Decolonisation and Emergence of Nation-States
Meanwhile, only the first 3 units are tested in the N-Level examinations.
The breadth of topics that are tested in an O-Level subject will be wider compared to that of the same N-Level subject.
Scoring in subjects
In O-Levels, the score that you get for each subject is based on this system (from A1 – F9):
| Grade | Percentage |
|---|---|
| A1 | 75% and above |
| A2 | 70% to 74% |
| B3 | 65% to 69% |
| B4 | 60% to 64% |
| C5 | 55% to 59% |
| C6 | 50% to 54% |
| D7 | 45% to 49% |
| E8 | 40% to 44% |
| F9 | Below 40% |
Meanwhile, the scoring for each subject in N-Level is just 6 different grades:
| Grade | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 1 | 75-100 |
| 2 | 70-74 |
| 3 | 65-69 |
| 4 | 60-64 |
| 5 | 50-59 |
| U | <49 |
Total calculated score
In O-Levels, the total score is calculated by these formulae, depending on which institution you intend to apply for:
| Institution | Scoring System |
|---|---|
| JC | L1R5 |
| MI | L1R4 |
| Polytechnics | ELR2B2 |
Meanwhile, the score for your N-Level is calculated using the EMB3 formula. This is done by calculating the score from the sum of:
- English
- Maths
- Best 3 subjects
Prospects after completion
After you have completed your N-Levels, you are given 5 different routes that you can take:
- Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP)
- Direct-Entry to Polytechnic Programme (DPP)
- Early Admission Exercise for the Institute of Technical Education (EAE-ITE)
- Institute of Technical Education National ITE Certificate Courses (ITE-NITEC)
- Progress to Secondary 5
If you choose to progress to Secondary 5, you will be taking your O-Levels at Secondary 5.
Meanwhile, after taking your O-Levels, you will be able to apply for these 3 different routes:
- Junior College or Millennia Institute (MI)
- Polytechnic
- ITE
Both a Junior College and the Millennia Institute allows you to take A-Levels, and you can find out the differences with this comparison.
If you are wondering if it’s still possible to go to a university if you’re studying in a polytechnic, you can read this article to find out more.
Verdict
Here is a summary of the comparison between these 2 examinations:
| O-Level | N-Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Oral (English) | July | July |
| Oral (Other Languages) | July | August |
| Listening Comprehension | July | September |
| Practical Exams | October | September |
| Written Exams | October – November | September – October |
| Subjects offered | More | Less |
| Pure science offered? | Yes | No |
| Syllabus | More breadth | Less breadth |
| Scoring for subjects | A1 – F9 | 1-5, U |
| Total score formula | L1R5 (JC) L1R4 (MI) ELR2B2 (Poly) | EMB3 |
| Prospects after completion | JC / MI Polytechnic ITE | PFP DPP EAE-ITE ITE-NITEC Secondary 5 (do O-Levels) |
Conclusion
In general, the O-Levels will have more breadth and depth in the subjects as compared to N-Levels.
Furthermore, with an O-Level certificate, it will open the door to more pathways, such as JCs, Polytechnics or ITE.
However, if you do not want to pursue an O-Level certificate, it is still possible for you to find a career path as an N-Level graduate!
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