Aptitude-Based Admissions (ABA) in Singapore Universities (2026): A Student-Friendly Writing + Evidence Checklist
Download printable cheat-sheet (CC-BY 4.0)23 Jan 2026, 00:00 Z
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Q: I’m worried my grades won’t be enough. Is “ABA” just a fancy name for writing a personal statement?
A: Not quite. Think of it as a structured way to show evidence of your interests, strengths, and achievements — and to make it easy for admissions to verify what you’re claiming.
Status: Last reviewed 2026-01-23. Different universities use slightly different language (ABA / holistic / aptitude-based). Always defer to your target university’s official admissions page.
Fast links
- Main uni prerequisites checklist: https://eclatinstitute.sg/blog/Singapore-University-Subject-Prerequisites-and-Subject-Planning-Guide-2026
- Bridging modules (if you’re missing prerequisites): https://eclatinstitute.sg/blog/Bridging-Modules-in-Singapore-Universities-2026
1 | Start from the official constraints (so you don’t write the wrong thing)
As one official example, NTU’s ABA page explicitly states that applicants may be asked to:
- provide short-answer responses (not more than 200 words each),
- submit at least 1 (maximum 2) appraisal online,
- attend an interview if shortlisted,
- and show supporting documents for verification upon request.
Official page: https://www.ntu.edu.sg/admissions/undergraduate/admission-guide/Aptitude-based-Admissions
Practical takeaway: don’t treat ABA as “writing something nice”. Treat it as writing + evidence packaging under real constraints.
2 | The simplest mental model: “claim → proof → meaning → fit”
If you want a one-line formula that works:
- Claim: what are you saying about yourself?
- Proof: what did you do that supports that claim?
- Meaning: what did you learn / what skill does it demonstrate?
- Fit: why does that matter for this course?
The best ABA responses are boring in one way: they are
