Q: What does 70RP vs 90RP: What the New A-Level University Admission Score Means for IP Students cover? A: From AY2026 admissions the maximum University Admission Score (UAS) used by universities is expressed on a 70-point scale (instead of 90), with PW becoming pass/fail and the fourth content subject counted only if it improves your score.
TL;DR Three H2s + General Paper will decide ≈86%(60/70) of your admission score from AY2026 admissions; Project Work becomes pass / fail; your 4th content subject and/or H1 Mother Tongue only matter if they increase your final UAS (via “rebasing”). For IP students aiming at Engineering, Computing or Physics, that magnifies the weight of H2 Mathematics and H2 Physics - strategic tuition and WA timing matter more than ever.
You can follow the updated JC roadmap via our H2 Maths Notes and H2 Physics Notes hubs.
Try our interactive tool: 70-point UAS calculator + target UAS planner.
Status: UAS (70-point) computation and AY2026 admissions framing last checked 2025-12-12 - see ASRJC (MOE) - University Admission Score (UAS) and the admissions pages / AU FAQs for NUS, NTU and SMU. Always confirm details on each university's admissions pages.
1 Snapshot - old 90RP vs new 70RP
Feature
A-Levels 2024 or earlier (legacy 90-point computation)
A-Levels 2025 and after (revised framework used from AY2026 admissions)
Content subjects counted
Best 4 content subjects (at least 3 H2; the 4th is H1, or the weakest H2 is treated as H1).
Best 3 H2 + GP form the base UAS. The 4th content subject (H1, or the weakest H2 treated as H1) and/or H1 MTL are only counted if they improve the final UAS (via rebasing).
General Paper
10 pts
10 pts (unchanged)
Project Work
10 pts (counted in score)
Pass / fail, no points (but Pass is required for eligibility)
Max score (base case)
3×20+10+10+10=90
3×20+10=70
Weight of each H2 A
9020=22.2%
7020≈28.6%
Who is “first affected”
-
AY2026 admissions (first affected: A-Levels 2025)
Important transition note (repeat applicants): If you sat for A-Levels in 2024 or earlier, universities may still compute a legacy /90 score for AY2026–AY2027 applications, then proportionately weight it to the /70 scale for comparison. From AY2028 admissions, UAS is computed on the /70 scale regardless of exam year.
2 How the 70RP is calculated
Each H2 grade still maps to a maximum of 20 rank points and H1 General Paper maps to a maximum of 10.
Let H21,H22,H23 be the best three H2 content subjects (after converting grades to rank points) and GP the GP rank points.
2.1 Base UAS (default)
The default University Admission Score is:
UAS70=H21+H22+H23+GP.(1)
2.2 What exactly is the “4th content subject”?
The “4th content subject” depends on your subject offering:
If you offer 3 H2 + 1 H1 content subjects, the “4th” is your H1 content subject (max 10).
If you offer 4 H2 content subjects, the “4th” refers to your weakest H2, treated as an H1-equivalent for UAS purposes (max 10).
2.3 Optional subjects: only counted if they improve UAS (rebasing)
If you present either:
an H1 content subject / fourth H2 treated as H1-equivalent (call this X, max 10), and/or
H1 Mother Tongue Language (call this MTL, max 10),
then your score may be computed with “rebasing” - and only used if it increases your final UAS.
Include either ONE of (X OR MTL):UAS70=(80H21+H22+H23+GP+X)×70.(2)
Include BOTH (X AND MTL):UAS70=(90H21+H22+H23+GP+X+MTL)×70.(3)
Key takeaway: your UAS will not be “punished” for taking an extra subject - the fourth content subject / MTL are only brought in if they improve the final UAS.
2.4 PW: pass/fail, but still a gate
Project Work now appears on the certificate as Pass / Fail, and its old PW=10 contribution in the 90RP computation is removed from UAS.
However, a Pass in PW is still required for eligibility for local AU admissions (with exceptions such as some private candidates / exempted cases).
2.5 Quick math shortcut (optional, for planning)
If your base score from (1) is S, and you're considering whether adding one optional 10-point subject via (2) can help:
(80S+X)×70>S⟺X>7S.
So:
if S≈66, you typically need X≈10 (an H1 A / H1-equivalent A) to move the needle;
if S≈60, even X=8.75 (an H1 B) may help.
3 Why IP Maths & Physics students must recalibrate
3.1 Harder to “average out” a missed A
Under the 90RP scheme an A in H2 Maths contributed 22% of the cap score; under 70RP it jumps to 28.6%.
So a single A→B slip in a core H2 is now harder to offset with GP/PW.
3.2 Subject-combination strategy (what matters vs what is still required)
STEM hopefuls should anchor three H2s that the admissions algorithm always counts: H2 Maths, H2 Physics and a companion (H2 Chem or H2 Further Maths). Your contrasting subject is still required at A-Levels - but its grade becomes a buffer rather than a guaranteed “must-count”.
Hybrid combinations such as Maths-Physics-Econs retain breadth, but the Math and Physics tuition clocks must adjust - each slip directly cuts the base UAS.
Tuition calendars should now front-load Term 1 WA drills on calculus (Maths) and uncertainty spreadsheets (Physics), because those two H2s can easily dominate ≈40/70 of the score by themselves.
Upgrade PW prep to pass/fail mode (but don't ignore it). You no longer chase PW points, but you still must clear the Pass requirement. Focus on meeting the rubric efficiently, lock the Pass early, then redeploy time to H2s.
Use LINEST for Physics labs. A 4% gradient error can translate into a full grade step; the 70RP leaves less headroom to absorb that loss.
Add X=8.75 through (2): (8066.25+8.75)×70=65.625, which is lower.
So the H1 Econs grade is not counted here.
The same slip from A→B in H2 Chem hurts more as a percentage of the cap: ΔUAS=2.5 under 70RP vs 2.5 under 90RP, but the percentage hit is 702.5=3.6% vs 902.5=2.8%.
5.2 Fourth subject rescue (two different “rescues”)
Rescue A: take 4 H2s so the best 3 H2s can be used. If the student adds H2 Further Mathematics and scores an A (20 RP), the best three H2s become 20+20+20, so:
UAS70=20+20+20+8.75=68.75RP.
Rescue B: a strong H1 (or H1-equivalent) can sometimes bump you via rebasing. Using the shortcut X>S/7, if your base S is around 60, even an H1 B (8.75) may help. But if your base S is already mid/high-60s, you usually need an H1 A (10) to see a gain - and even then it's often a small nudge.
5.3 H1 Mother Tongue rebasing example (when it helps)
Suppose a student gets:
H2 Maths: B (17.5)
H2 Physics: A (20)
H2 Chemistry: B (17.5)
GP: E (5)
H1 Mother Tongue: B (8.75)
Base S=17.5+20+17.5+5=60.
Apply (2) with MTL=8.75:
(8060+8.75)×70=60.15625.
So H1 Mother Tongue gives a small increase, and would be included.
5.4 When BOTH the 4th content subject and H1 MTL help
Using the same base S=60, suppose the student also has an H1 content subject (or a weakest H2 treated as H1-equivalent) with X=8.75, and H1 Mother Tongue MTL=8.75.
Apply (3) with both:
(9060+8.75+8.75)×70≈60.278.
This is slightly higher than using just one optional subject via (2), so in a borderline case both can matter.
5.5 4 H2s: the weakest H2 doesn’t “drag you down”
Suppose a student offers 4 H2s and scores:
H2 Maths: A (20)
H2 Physics: A (20)
H2 Chemistry: B (17.5)
H2 Economics: E (10)
GP: B (8.75)
Base uses the best three H2s:
S=20+20+17.5+8.75=66.25.
The weakest H2 is treated as an H1-equivalent optional subject (max 10). Here, grade E corresponds to X=5.
Rebasing with (2):
(8066.25+5)×70=62.34375,
which is lower, so it is ignored and the final UAS remains 66.25.
6 FAQ
When does the 70-point UAS apply? From AY2026 admissions onwards. The first affected cohort is those sitting A-Levels in 2025 (i.e. JC1 in 2024). For applicants who sat A-Levels in 2024 or earlier, universities may compute a legacy /90 score for AY2026–AY2027 applications and then proportionately weight it to /70. From AY2028 admissions, UAS is computed on the /70 scale regardless of exam year.
Is Project Work now unimportant? PW no longer contributes points to UAS, but a Pass is required to be eligible for local AU admission (with exceptions such as private candidates / exempted cases). Failing PW can mean you need to re-take it, depending on your situation and school's assessment.
Does the 4th subject still matter? Yes - but only if it improves your final UAS. That means it's a buffer, not a guaranteed component. Strategically, it's still worth doing properly because it can rescue borderline cases.
What about Knowledge & Inquiry (KI)? From AY2026 admissions, KI is no longer considered in lieu of GP (if offered, it's treated as a content-based subject). This matters mainly for students on older syllabuses / legacy cases.
Will university COPs “fall by exactly 20 points”? Don't treat it as “minus 20”. The scale changed, and admissions also depend on subject prerequisites, demand, interviews/tests (for some courses), and aptitude-based admissions. Use the latest IGP / admissions guidance from each university and compare carefully across years.
