Q: What is LEAPS 2.0 and how does it affect JAE or university admission? A: LEAPS 2.0 is MOE's framework for assessing secondary school CCA involvement across four domains: Participation, Achievement, Leadership, and Service. Your overall LEAPS grade converts to up to 2 bonus points deducted from your L1R5 or ELR2B2 in JAE. It does not directly affect university admission, which uses separate criteria including the A-Level University Admission Score (UAS) and faculty-specific portfolio reviews.
TL;DR: LEAPS matters most at JAE. Excellent gives 2 bonus points, Good gives 1, and Fair or below gives 0. For university, the story behind your CCA matters more than the LEAPS grade itself.
Quick scoring map
Question
Short answer
What is scored?
Participation, Achievement, Leadership, and Service
What do you get?
An overall grade such as Excellent, Good, or Fair
What does it change?
Your net JAE aggregate, by up to 2 points
What does it not change?
Your A-Level UAS or university admissions score
Concrete example: why this matters
If two students both score raw L1R5 14, the student with Excellent LEAPS can have net L1R5 12 before other applicable bonus points. That can shift the student into a JC cut-off range that would otherwise be out of reach.
LEAPS 2.0 determines whether your CCA involvement earns 0, 1, or 2 bonus points off your JAE aggregate. Students rated Excellent receive 2 points, Good receives 1 point, and Fair or below receives 0. These points are applied at the JAE posting stage only, not at the O-Level certificate level.
What is LEAPS 2.0?
LEAPS 2.0 stands for Leadership, Enrichment, Achievement, Participation, and Service. It is MOE's structured framework for recognising secondary school students' holistic development through their CCA journey.
The framework replaced the earlier LEAPS system and is used across all MOE secondary schools. Your LEAPS 2.0 assessment is conducted by your school based on your CCA record across your secondary school years. The resulting grade - Excellent, Good, Fair, or Unsatisfactory - determines whether you receive CCA bonus points in JAE.
Reviewed by
Marcus Pang·Managing Director (Maths)
LEAPS 2.0 serves two purposes:
Bonus point allocation in JAE (Joint Admissions Exercise) for JC and polytechnic posting at the end of Secondary 4 or 5.
Recognition of holistic development in school leaving documents, which some universities read as context alongside academic results.
It does not compute a numerical score that appears on your O-Level certificate. The conversion to bonus points happens administratively during the JAE process.
The four domains
LEAPS 2.0 assesses students across four domains. Each domain uses a five-level scale (Level 1 to Level 5), with Level 5 representing the highest attainment. Your school awards a level in each domain based on evidence gathered throughout your secondary education.
Domain 1: Participation
Participation measures your active involvement and commitment to your CCA over time.
Level
Description
Level 1
Joined a CCA but attendance or involvement is minimal or irregular
Level 2
Regular attendance with basic active participation in CCA activities
Level 3
Consistent attendance and active contribution to CCA activities and events
Level 4
Sustained, high-level participation including representing the school in activities or competitions
Level 5
Exceptional and sustained involvement; representing the school at national or highly competitive levels over multiple years
Domain 2: Achievement
Achievement recognises performance outcomes in your CCA, including competitions, graded assessments, and formal recognition.
Level
Description
Level 1
Participation without notable results or recognition
Level 2
Attainment of participation-level recognition (e.g., participation certificate in competition)
Level 3
Attainment of merit-level recognition or commendation at school or zonal level
Level 4
Award, distinction, or placing at zonal, national, or equivalent external competition level
Level 5
Top-tier national or international award, placing, or distinction in the CCA
Domain 3: Leadership
Leadership captures formal and informal leadership roles held within the CCA, school, or community.
Level
Description
Level 1
No formal or informal leadership role taken
Level 2
Contributed as a committee member or took on a minor CCA responsibility
Level 3
Held a junior leadership role (e.g., vice-captain, section leader) or mentored junior members
Level 4
Held a senior CCA leadership role (e.g., captain, president of club, CCA EXCO)
Level 5
Held school-wide student leadership (e.g., Prefect Board, Student Council) or equivalent high-level leadership with significant responsibility
Domain 4: Service
Service assesses your involvement in Values-in-Action (VIA) and community service, whether school-organised or student-initiated.
Level
Description
Level 1
Minimal or no participation in service or VIA activities
Level 2
Participated in school-organised VIA activities at a basic level
Level 3
Active and regular participation in VIA or community service; completed school VIA requirements with genuine involvement
Level 4
Demonstrated initiative in service; organised or led a service project or sustained community involvement over time
Level 5
Student-initiated service project with measurable impact; recognised contribution to community at school or external level
Overall LEAPS grade and bonus point conversion
Your school determines an overall LEAPS 2.0 grade by considering your attainment across all four domains. The final grade is not a simple average; schools exercise professional judgment to arrive at a holistic assessment.
Overall LEAPS grade
JAE bonus points awarded
Excellent
2 bonus points
Good
1 bonus point
Fair
0 bonus points
Unsatisfactory
0 bonus points
These bonus points are deducted from your L1R5 or ELR2B2 aggregate in JAE, which means a lower net aggregate is better. Two bonus points can be the difference between meeting a JC cut-off and missing it.
Example: how bonus points change the JAE outcome
Student
Raw L1R5
Affiliation bonus
LEAPS bonus
Net L1R5
Student A
14
0
2 (Excellent)
12
Student B
14
2 (affiliated)
1 (Good)
11
Student C
14
0
0 (Fair)
14
Student B's combined bonus points (affiliation + LEAPS) reduce a raw aggregate of 14 to a net of 11, making competitive JC cut-offs accessible that would otherwise be out of reach.
LEAPS 2.0 and JAE: how the system works in practice
At the end of Secondary 4 (or 5 for the N-Level route), your school submits your LEAPS 2.0 assessment to MOE. During JAE, MOE applies the applicable bonus points to your aggregate before matching you to school vacancies.
Key points about the JAE process:
The 2 points from LEAPS Excellent and the 2 points from school affiliation can be combined, giving a maximum of 4 net bonus points off your aggregate in total.
CCA bonus points apply to both JC admission (L1R5) and polytechnic admission (ELR2B2).
You do not apply for the bonus points separately - they are applied automatically based on your school's submission.
Your LEAPS grade is assessed by your school, not by MOE centrally or by an external body.
LEAPS 2.0 and university admission: what it does and does not do
This is where many parents and students carry a significant misconception.
What LEAPS 2.0 does at the university stage:
It does not produce a score that NUS, NTU, SMU, SUTD, SIT, or SUSS use to make admission decisions.
Your LEAPS grade does not appear on your A-Level certificate (LEAPS is a secondary school framework; it ends at the JAE stage).
Some universities may receive or request secondary school leaving documents that include co-curricular records, but this is contextual - it is not a scored input into the University Admission Score (UAS).
What actually matters for university admission:
Your A-Level results (UAS under the 2026 70RP system).
Faculty prerequisites (specific H2 or subject requirements).
For competitive courses: portfolios, interviews, and DSA-U (Direct School Admission at the university level).
For certain scholarships: CCAs, leadership, and service records are read by scholarship panels, not by the general admissions algorithm.
The confusion arises because CCA involvement genuinely matters at the secondary school stage (via LEAPS bonus points) and again at the scholarship or faculty portfolio stage - but by different mechanisms and under different criteria at each stage.
LEAPS 2.0 vs the ABA portfolio: a critical distinction
The Achievement-Based Admissions (ABA) framework, which some universities use for DSA-U or specific faculty tracks, asks students to submit a portfolio of academic and co-curricular achievements. ABA portfolios are curated, student-submitted, and faculty-specific.
LEAPS 2.0 is not the same as an ABA portfolio:
LEAPS 2.0
ABA portfolio
Who assesses it
Your secondary school
The applicant, then reviewed by the university faculty
When it applies
End of secondary school (JAE stage)
University admission application stage
What it affects
JAE bonus points (0, 1, or 2)
Faculty-specific merit consideration for DSA-U or special tracks
Level of detail
Domain-level grade (Levels 1 - 5)
Activity list, descriptions, supporting documents, personal statement
Format
School assessment → MOE database
Student-submitted online application
If a university says it considers your "holistic record," it is asking you to demonstrate this through the ABA or portfolio submission process - not by referencing your LEAPS grade.
"My child must hit Excellent to have a strong university application."
Excellent in LEAPS 2.0 gives 2 JAE bonus points. It does not directly improve your university admission score. At the university level, what matters is the quality and narrative of your CCA record (for portfolios or scholarship applications), not the LEAPS grade itself.
"LEAPS score appears on the O-Level certificate."
It does not. Your O-Level certificate shows subject grades and an indication of CCA attainment, but the LEAPS grade is an administrative input into the JAE bonus point system, not a certificate entry.
"We should change CCA just to improve the LEAPS grade."
LEAPS levels reward depth and sustained involvement. Switching CCA in Secondary 3 or 4 to chase a higher level typically backfires - you lose the years of participation, leadership accumulation, and achievement history that drive higher levels. Staying and leading in one CCA consistently is almost always the more effective strategy.
"Two points is too small to matter."
Two bonus points is the difference between a net L1R5 of 9 and 11. That span covers multiple JC cut-offs. For students applying to competitive JCs, 2 points is material.
"The school decides LEAPS unfairly."
LEAPS assessment follows MOE's framework, which is applied by trained teachers. Schools have some flexibility in professional judgment but must follow domain-level descriptors. If you believe an assessment is incorrect, you can raise it with your CCA teacher-in-charge or school administration before JAE applications close.
How to maximise your LEAPS score: practical guidance
Start early and stay in one CCA
LEAPS rewards sustained participation across multiple years. Students who join a CCA in Secondary 1 and remain committed through Secondary 4 build the participation record that supports Level 4 - 5 in the Participation domain. Changing CCA frequently resets that accumulation.
Seek formal leadership roles from Secondary 3
Leadership levels 4 and 5 require captaincy or school-level student leadership. These positions are typically available from Secondary 3. If you have the aptitude and commitment, begin positioning yourself for a leadership role early - both through performance in the CCA and through involvement in mentoring junior members.
Target competition participation with results
Achievement at Level 4 or 5 requires external recognition - zonal or national competition placings, not just participation. Identify your CCA's main competitions, participate consistently, and focus on preparation in the periods leading up to graded events.
Initiate a VIA project rather than just attending
Service at Level 4 and 5 requires initiative. A student-organised VIA project with documented outcomes - even a modest school-community initiative - demonstrates initiative in a way that attending school-organised events does not. For project ideas and how to document them effectively, see our VIA project ideas guide.
Document everything from Secondary 1
Schools assess LEAPS based on records. Keep a running log of:
CCA attendance and roles held, with dates
Competition results and certificates
Service activities, project names, and your specific contribution
Any formal recognition (school awards, external recognition letters)
This documentation will also serve you later when compiling a portfolio for DSA-U or scholarship applications. See our STEM portfolio guide for DSA and university for how to structure this.
Aim for consistency over intensity
A student who attends CCA reliably for four years, holds a leadership role in Secondary 3 - 4, participates in competitions, and completes VIA will score well across all four domains without heroic effort. Inconsistent attendance and a last-minute flurry of activities in Secondary 4 will not produce the same result because most of the domain evidence was already set by then.
Frequently asked questions
What is LEAPS 2.0? LEAPS 2.0 is MOE's framework for assessing secondary school CCA involvement across four domains: Participation, Achievement, Leadership, and Service. Each domain uses a five-level scale, and the overall grade converts to 0, 1, or 2 JAE bonus points for use in JC and polytechnic admission.
How many bonus points can LEAPS give? A maximum of 2 bonus points if your school assesses you as Excellent overall. Good gives 1 bonus point. Fair and Unsatisfactory give 0 bonus points. These are separate from the 2 bonus points available for school affiliation, so the maximum combined bonus in JAE is 4 points.
Does LEAPS matter for university admission? Not directly. LEAPS 2.0 bonus points apply only at the JAE stage for O-Level post-secondary posting. University admission uses the A-Level UAS and faculty-specific criteria. CCA records can matter in university ABA portfolios and scholarship applications, but that is a separate process where you present your achievements yourself - it is not driven by your LEAPS grade.
Can I appeal my LEAPS assessment? LEAPS is assessed by your school. If you believe your assessment does not reflect your actual record, raise the concern with your CCA teacher-in-charge or HOD in a timely manner - ideally before JAE applications open. Schools are required to follow MOE's domain descriptors.
Does LEAPS 2.0 apply to IP students? LEAPS 2.0 applies to students in mainstream secondary schools, including IP students. IP students do not sit O-Levels and typically do not go through JAE, so LEAPS bonus points are rarely relevant to their post-secondary transition. The CCA record itself may still be relevant if they are applying for scholarships or DSA-JC programmes.
What counts as a CCA for LEAPS? MOE-approved CCAs in four categories count: Physical Sports, Uniformed Groups, Performing Arts, and Clubs and Societies. Activities outside your school's CCA programme (e.g., private music lessons, community sports leagues) may support your overall profile but do not directly feed into LEAPS unless they tie into a school-registered CCA.
Is LEAPS the same as the Student Development Experiences (SDE) record? No. The SDE transcript is a broader record of student development experiences compiled by MOE. LEAPS 2.0 is one component of how CCA involvement is structured and assessed. The SDE transcript may be requested by universities for context but functions differently from the LEAPS bonus point mechanism.
Can a student who was in a CCA for only one year achieve Excellent? It is possible in theory if the student achieved exceptional results in Achievement (Level 5) and led at school level, but Level 5 in Participation specifically describes sustained multi-year involvement. A one-year CCA record will almost certainly cap the Participation domain at Level 2 - 3 regardless of other domain performance, making Excellent overall difficult to attain.
