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Q: What does this Singapore Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE) scoring guide cover? A: The three main O-Level “scorecards” families talk about — L1R5 (JC / JAE IB), L1R4 (MI), and ELR2B2 (polytechnic) — plus raw vs net and why net scores can be below 6.
TL;DR (for students and parents)
You don’t “choose” L1R5 vs L1R4 vs ELR2B2 — the pathway decides the scorecard.
JC / JAE IB posting uses L1R5 (gross → net after bonus points).
Millennia Institute (MI) uses L1R4 (gross → net after bonus points).
Polytechnic posting (via JAE) uses ELR2B2 (gross → net after CCA bonus points; and it’s course-dependent).
Gross / raw = points before bonus points. Net = gross minus bonus points, which is why people can have a net L1R5 below 6.
If you want to apply this immediately, use our shortlist tool:
First Language + 5 other counted subjects (6 total)
MI
L1R4
First Language + 4 other counted subjects (5 total)
Poly
ELR2B2
English + 2 course-relevant subjects + best 2 other subjects (5 total)
Important: each aggregate has official computation rules (e.g. which subjects can be counted, and what minimum requirements apply). When in doubt, treat MOE’s pages as the source of truth:
One important nuance: your aggregate score is not the only rule. There are also minimum subject-grade requirements for JC/MI, and minimum entry requirements (MER) for polytechnic diplomas — check MOE’s pages for the latest details.
Step 1: Convert grades to points (how a “6” is even possible)
For O-Levels, people commonly convert grades into points like this:
A1 = 1, A2 = 2, B3 = 3, …, F9 = 9
Lower points = better result.
So if a student scores A1 for six counted subjects, their raw L1R5 would be 6.
L1R5 (JC / JAE IB posting)
L1R5 is the aggregate used for JC posting, and it’s also used for JAE entry into IB schools.
L1 = First Language (for many students, this is English)
R5 = five other subjects counted under the L1R5 rules
So the aggregate counts 6 subjects in total.
Important nuance: MOE allows English or Higher Mother Tongue Language to be used as the “language” part of the computation, but you cannot double-count the same language twice (e.g. if Higher Chinese is used as L1, Chinese cannot also be used in R5). See MOE’s JC/MI admissions guide for the exact rules:
https://www.moe.gov.sg/post-secondary/admissions/jae/junior-colleges-and-millennia-institute
If a student takes 7–9 subjects, they don’t add all of them into L1R5. Instead, the system effectively picks a valid combination that gives the lowest total under MOE’s computation rules.
L1R4 (MI posting)
L1R4 is the aggregate used for Millennia Institute (MI) posting.
L1 = First Language
R4 = four other subjects counted under the L1R4 rules
So the aggregate counts 5 subjects in total.
This can make MI’s aggregate look “lower” than JC’s (because one fewer subject is counted), but it does not mean O-Levels are “one subject less” — most students still take multiple subjects, and the posting aggregate is computed after results are released.
ELR2B2 (Polytechnic posting)
Polytechnic posting (via JAE) uses ELR2B2, which is a course-based aggregate:
EL = English Language
R2 = 2 subjects relevant to the diploma/course (this is the part that changes by course)
B2 = your best 2 other subjects (not already used in EL or R2)
So ELR2B2 counts 5 subjects in total — but the exact number depends heavily on the diploma because R2 is course-dependent.
MOE also groups diplomas into official ELR2B2 aggregate types (e.g. ELR2B2-A/B/C/D) which determine what counts as “relevant” for R1/R2. For the authoritative mapping, use MOE’s polytechnic admissions page (and CourseFinder):
https://www.moe.gov.sg/post-secondary/admissions/jae/polytechnics
Raw vs net (bonus points)
You’ll often hear “raw aggregate” and “net aggregate”:
Raw = the total points before any bonus points.
Net = raw minus bonus points (subject to MOE’s rules).
This is the key reason people can have a net L1R5 below 6:
Minimum raw L1R5 is 6 (six A1s).
But if you have bonus points, your net can be lower than 6.
Example:
If raw L1R5 = 6 and you have 2 bonus points → net L1R5 = 4.
Bonus points (what usually gets deducted)
Because bonus point schemes can change, always verify the current-year rules on MOE’s pages. As of MOE’s current guidance:
JC (L1R5): MOE states you can get a maximum of 4 bonus points from a combination of types like CCA, language-related bonuses (e.g. Higher Mother Tongue / special programme languages), and (for eligible students) affiliated JC bonus points; there is also an additional 2 bonus points if you are selected for certain JC language elective programmes (CLEP/MLEP/TLEP). Source: https://www.moe.gov.sg/post-secondary/admissions/jae/junior-colleges-and-millennia-institute
Worked example: 8 subjects (and how the “best combination” works)
Imagine a student takes 8 subjects and their point scores (lower is better) are:
English (EL): 2
EMath: 1
AMath: 2
Physics: 2
Chemistry: 1
Humanities: 4
Mother Tongue: 3
POA: 5
Example A: L1R5 (JC / JAE IB)
Assume L1 = English = 2.
Pick the best 5 other subjects (lowest points):
EMath 1
Chemistry 1
AMath 2
Physics 2
Mother Tongue 3
So raw L1R5 = 2 + (1 + 1 + 2 + 2 + 3) = 11.
Example B: L1R4 (MI)
Assume L1 = English = 2.
Pick the best 4 other subjects:
EMath 1
Chemistry 1
AMath 2
Physics 2
So raw L1R4 = 2 + (1 + 1 + 2 + 2) = 8.
Example C: ELR2B2 (Polytechnic) — why course matters
ELR2B2 always includes English (EL), but R2 changes by diploma.
If Diploma X treats R2 = EMath + Physics:
EL = 2
R2 = 1 + 2 = 3
B2 = best 2 other subjects (not already used): Chemistry 1 + AMath 2 = 3
So raw ELR2B2 = 2 + 3 + 3 = 8.
If Diploma Y treats R2 = EMath + Humanities:
EL = 2
R2 = 1 + 4 = 5
B2 = Chemistry 1 + Physics 2 = 3
So raw ELR2B2 = 2 + 5 + 3 = 10.
Same grades. Different diploma assumptions. Different ELR2B2.
Quick FAQ (common misunderstandings)
“Is L1R4 always better than L1R5?” Not automatically. They’re different scorecards for different pathways. You can’t “use” L1R4 to enter JC if JC posting uses L1R5.
“Is poly L1R4 or L1R5?” Neither. Polytechnic posting (via JAE) uses ELR2B2 (course-dependent). L1R4 is for MI, and L1R5 is for JC/IB.
“Can I compare L1R4 and L1R5 directly?” Not really. They count different numbers of subjects.
“What does ELR2B2 mean?” It’s the polytechnic aggregate: English + 2 course-relevant subjects + best 2 other subjects (5 components total).
“Does taking 7–9 subjects mean they will all be counted?” No. Only a subset is counted for each aggregate, but the official subject-computation rules still apply.
