Singapore Secondary School Cut-Off Points 2026: Official MOE Playbook

Name: Eclat Institute
Address: 442 Clementi Ave 3, #01-105, Singapore, 120442, SG
Telephone: +65 9006 5997
Price range: $300 - $500 per subject per month

Download printable cheat-sheet (CC-BY 4.0)

01 Oct 2025, 00:00 Z

TL;DR
For the 2026 Secondary 1 posting cycle, MOE still expects families to rely on SchoolFinder's PSLE score ranges from the latest completed exercise (currently labelled "PSLE score range of 2024"). Use those numbers as directional guides, layer on school fit, and reserve 2-3 safer options in your six choices just as MOE recommends (PSLE score ranges explainer; 2024 PSLE posting press release).

How to use this guide

Step 1: Understand the data: Revisit how MOE defines PSLE score ranges so you know what the numbers can (and cannot) promise.
Step 2: Pull the latest figures: Use SchoolFinder's filters to surface candidate schools and capture their displayed score bands.
Step 3: Stress-test your shortlist: Stack each school against your child's posting group and score to build a stretch/fit/safety mix.
Step 4: Adjust for special rules: Apply affiliation, SAP, and programme prerequisites before you lock in choices.
Step 5: Finalise on schedule: Track MOE's timeline and run the pre-submission checks so S1-IS entry is a formality.

Step 1: Understand how MOE frames PSLE score ranges

Range = first to last admitted: The band captures the best (first admitted) and least stringent (last admitted) PSLE score in the previous year's posting exercise for a given posting group. Source: MOE PSLE score ranges (updated 30 May 2025).
Direction, not certainty: MOE stresses that the ranges are references only; the current cohort's cut-off points crystallise only after the posting run concludes. Source: MOE PSLE score ranges.
Affiliation bands sit alongside general bands: Affiliated schools publish both the general posting group band and an additional affiliated band for pupils who meet their criteria. Source: MOE PSLE score ranges.
SAP schools layer HCL guidance: Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools may append Higher Chinese Language (HCL) grades to show the posting advantage granted to students who passed HCL with PSLE scores ≤ 14. Source: MOE PSLE score ranges.
The label shows the cohort: As of October 2025, SchoolFinder still displays "PSLE score range of 2024" because MOE will only refresh the dataset once the current posting cycle closes. Source: S1 posting hub.

Step 2: Pull the 2026 data points from SchoolFinder

Visit MOE's SchoolFinder and set the journey to Secondary school. Source: SchoolFinder.
Filter by admission type, programmes, CCAs, subjects, and location to surface schools that match your child's goals—these filters mirror the factors MOE highlights in its guidance. Sources: SchoolFinder; Things to consider.
Open each school card to read the latest PSLE score range, noting which cohort the label references, then click through to the school site for deeper programme details.
Log any eligibility requirements (auditions, subject prerequisites, affiliated minimum scores) so they do not surprise you during the final submission.

Tip: Screenshot or download the cards you shortlist. When MOE updates SchoolFinder with the 2025 posting data, you will instantly know what changed.

Step 3: Build a balanced shortlist for the 2026 submission

Tag stretch, fit, and safety options: Map each shortlisted school's PSLE score range against your child's score and posting group before logging into S1-IS. Source: MOE PSLE score ranges.
Lock in 2-3 safer schools: MOE explicitly advises keeping 2-3 safer schools—those with cut-off points less stringent than your child's score—within the six choices to protect posting odds. Source: 2024 PSLE posting press release.
Stress-test for holistic fit: Balance numerical odds with programme fit, CCAs, travel time, SEN support, and the school's ethos. Source: Things to consider.
Choose your posting group upfront: If you qualify for multiple posting groups, decide which one you will use before you enter the six options—MOE does not allow mixing posting groups within one submission. Source: Things to consider.

Example (tagging your six choices): Child score 10, Posting Group 3 (PG3)

School A (PG3 band 7-9): stretch
School B (PG3 band 9-11): fit
School C (PG3 band 11-13): safety

Step 4: Account for affiliation and SAP nuances

Affiliation applies to the SEC track: Dual-track IP schools extend affiliation consideration to the Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) stream, not the IP stream. Source: Things to consider.
Expect modest affiliation advantages: Between the 2021 and 2024 exercises, affiliated secondary schools were roughly 50% affiliate and 50% non-affiliate, with average COP advantages of 7 points in Posting Group 3, 2 points in Group 2, and 1 point in Group 1—use these averages to estimate how far affiliation might realistically stretch. Source: Parliamentary reply on cut-off points.
Mind SAP HCL bands: Students without HCL must meet the numerical COP without the HCL advantage; eligible HCL candidates can lean on the indicated grade range. Source: MOE PSLE score ranges.

Step 5: Timeline and pre-submission checks

MOE will publish the definitive 2026 S1-IS window closer to the November 2025 PSLE results release. In 2024 the portal ran from 20-26 November; treat that range as indicative only and re-check the S1 posting hub for this year's confirmed schedule. Source: S1 posting hub.

Pre-submission checklist

✅ Confirm the posting group you will submit under and verify every shortlisted school offers it.
✅ Capture the PSLE score range for each shortlisted school (tagging stretch/fit/safety) so you can pivot quickly if a new launch or update appears before submission closes.
✅ Audit any additional eligibility steps (affiliation declarations, auditions, talent programme interviews) well ahead of the S1-IS window—they can override a numerical COP.
✅ Keep your S1 PIN, S1 Option Form details, and SchoolFinder notes handy so the online form takes minutes, not hours.
✅ After the posting exercise concludes, archive the refreshed SchoolFinder ranges; they'll be the starting point for younger siblings aiming for the 2027 cycle.

Glossary (fast definitions)

Posting group (PG1/2/3): The MOE band used to allocate places after PSLE, reflecting subject combinations taken at Primary 5/6 and directing access to SEC/IP options.
Cut-off point (COP) / PSLE score range: The previous exercise's first-admitted to last-admitted PSLE scores for a school and posting group; a guide, not a guarantee (MOE PSLE score ranges).
Affiliation: Priority consideration for eligible pupils when applying to a secondary school's SEC track; does not extend to the IP stream (Things to consider).
SAP + HCL advantage: At SAP schools, pupils who passed HCL and have PSLE scores ≤ 14 may receive a posting advantage reflected by HCL grade bands (MOE PSLE score ranges).