TL;DR If you miss a GCE N-, O- or A-Level paper because of an unforeseen situation, or sit it while ill, injured or affected by a bereavement, you may apply to SEAB for special consideration (SC). Under SEAB's 2026 rules you must have completed at least 50% of the paper weighting for the affected subject, have supporting evidence (for illness, a medical certificate or letter with the doctor's diagnosis), and apply no later than three working days after the affected paper: through your school if you are a school candidate, or through SEAB's Candidates Portal if you are a private candidate. There are no re-sits (except some Mother Tongue papers after the mid-year sitting), and a subject with a missed paper is graded "Absent" unless SEAB grants special consideration or an exemption.
Last reviewed: 21 October 2026 against SEAB's 2026 examination rules for GCE N(A), N(T) and O-Level candidates and for GCE A-Level candidates. Both booklets set the same special consideration conditions and routes; their final cut-off dates differ. SEAB's private-candidate page still links the 2026 booklets; check for 2027 editions, including rules for the new SEC examinations.
What special consideration is
SEAB's rules say that if you are "unable to sit for an examination due to unforeseen situations or have sat an examination under adverse conditions (e.g. medical reasons, bereavement, physical injuries), you may apply for special consideration (SC)".
Two rules frame everything else:
No re-sits. "There are no re-sits for all examination papers except for" some Mother Tongue papers: at O-Level, the MTL and MTL Syllabus B written, oral and listening papers; at A-Level, the H1 MTL written and MTL Syllabus B written, oral and listening papers. Eligible candidates may register for the year-end sitting after the mid-year results.
Missing a paper means "Absent" for the subject. "You will receive an 'Absent' grade for the subject if you do not turn up for one or more papers, unless you have been granted exemption or special consideration by SEAB for that paper." Subjects marked "Absent" are not shown on the certificate.
An SC application is assessed by SEAB. It is not an automatic grade, and the rules do not describe how SEAB arrives at a result after an approved application.
The conditions in the 2026 rules
1. At least 50% of the subject completed
You must have "completed at least 50% of the paper weighting for the affected subject". Check the paper weightings in your subject's syllabus. For example, in O-Level Physics (6091) and Chemistry (6092), Paper 1 is 30%, Paper 2 is 50% and the Paper 3 practical is 20%.
2. Evidence
You need "the relevant evidence and supporting documents", for example a medical report or statement from a qualified medical practitioner, or a death certificate for a bereavement.
3. Medical certificates must state a diagnosis
For illness, SEAB accepts "only Medical Certificates with diagnosis or medical letters with diagnosis, covering the examination period and issued by doctors endorsed by the Singapore Medical Council". The rules add:
applications with medical certificates without the doctor's diagnosis "will not be accepted and will not be processed";
the document must "be dated before or on the same day as the affected examination date(s), and state that you were unwell while taking the examination or are unfit to take the examination"; and
medical documents with dates that do not cover the examination dates "will not be accepted".
Ask the doctor to write the diagnosis on the certificate. A certificate that only says "unfit for school" does not meet the rule.
4. Bereavement
You may apply on compassionate grounds if you are affected during the examination "by the bereavement of a person you are close to". A bereavement "more than six months before the examination date(s) will not be accepted".
5. Access arrangements
"You will not be eligible for SC if you have already received AA for the same medical condition for the applied subject paper."
How to apply
School candidates
Inform your school early: before the affected paper starts, or immediately after it.
Submit your application and documents "to SEAB through your school no later than three (3) working days after the day of the affected examination paper".
Private candidates
Apply through SEAB's Candidates Portal with Singpass, or with the username and password created at registration, "no later than three (3) working days after the day of the affected examination paper". After logging in, choose Making Requests > Special Consideration.
If you are hospitalised or have a contagious disease such as chicken pox, tell your school (school candidates) or SEAB through its feedback form (private candidates) as soon as you have seen a doctor. SEAB can arrange for you to sit the paper in hospital, or at your own school or a designated centre for certain contagious diseases, if a doctor certifies you fit to sit and the request reaches SEAB before the examination starts. You bring your own stationery and calculator.
If you are unwell but able to sit, ask your school (or SEAB, if you are a private candidate) about sitting the paper and applying for special consideration for adverse conditions, which the rules also cover.
If you arrive late
You are told to report at least 30 minutes before the start and to be seated 15 minutes before (30 minutes before for listening comprehension). The rules say: "You will not be given any make-up time if you report late for your examination." If you arrive after the examination has ended, you cannot sit it and receive an "Absent" grade for the subject.
For a major train disruption, SEAB says you do not need an excuse letter or travel chit; follow the station's bridging-transport instructions. See SEAB's train disruption advice.
Special consideration is not a results review
A results review (appeal) is a separate process after results day. It "includes remarking and a thorough review of the accuracy of mark entries" by a different senior marker. You apply within five working days from the day of results release (school candidates through the school, with payment on the Candidates Portal; private candidates on the portal), an appeal fee is charged per subject, and SEAB says you "can expect to receive the outcome within six (6) weeks after the appeal deadline".
Practical papers
The science practical is one paper among several, so the 50% rule is about the subject's total weighting. In O-Level Physics and Chemistry, for example, a candidate who sat Papers 1 and 2 (80% together) but missed the Paper 3 practical (20%) has completed more than 50%. A candidate who sat only the practical has not.
Can I take a make-up paper if I miss an examination?
No. SEAB's rules say there are no re-sits, except that eligible candidates may sit some Mother Tongue papers again at the year-end sitting after the mid-year results (O-Level MTL and MTL B; A-Level H1 MTL written and MTL B).
What is the deadline to apply?
No later than three working days after the affected paper, and by SEAB's final cut-off date for that paper type (table above).
Does a medical certificate from a TCM practitioner count?
The rules accept medical certificates or letters "issued by doctors endorsed by the Singapore Medical Council". See a doctor registered with the Singapore Medical Council and ask for the diagnosis to be stated.
Can I apply if I sat the paper while unwell?
Yes. The rules cover candidates who "have sat an examination under adverse conditions", subject to the same conditions and deadlines.
Can my parent or tutor apply for me?
School candidates apply through their school. Private candidates apply through their own Candidates Portal account.
What if I miss every paper of a subject?
You will not meet the condition of completing at least 50% of the paper weighting, so SC is not available, and the subject is graded "Absent" unless SEAB has granted an exemption. Speak to your school or SEAB about your options, such as registering for a later year. For N- and O-Level subjects, a sitting from 2027 is an SEC examination (see the SEC explainer); SEAB's SEC page covers the N(T)-, N(A)- and O-Level examinations, not the A-Level.
