SEAB says private SEC candidates can choose subjects and levels from the syllabuses available in their examination year. Its published SEC overview does not identify English and Mathematics as compulsory entries for every private candidate. Check the full instructions for your registration year before submitting a subject list.
If you are taking the Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) for admission, check the course requirements separately. An institution can require a subject or grade for entry even when the examination authority does not require every private candidate to sit that subject.
- Check the private-candidate syllabus list for your year.
- Identify the subject requirements of your intended course.
- Confirm the level and code for each entry.
- Check any combination or component rules before paying.
Start with the reason you are taking the examination
A candidate retaking Mathematics for a course requirement and a candidate building a full set of results have different decisions to make. Write down the purpose of each proposed entry. If you are using prior results as well, check which sittings and qualifications the admissions exercise accepts.
Compare admission requirements with registration options
Suppose a course asks for an English result and a specified Mathematics grade. Check the required level and whether an existing result can be used before deciding what to register for. A subject being available in the exam directory does not establish that it will satisfy a course requirement.
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Confirm the final list in the official portal
Use the directory for private candidates, check the syllabus code and read the rules for the examination year. Check any minimum or maximum number of entries and component requirements when SEAB publishes the registration instructions. Review the final list before payment.
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Frequently asked questions
Does a school timetable decide what I must take privately?
Use SEAB’s private-candidate rules for registration and the institution’s rules for admission.
Can I choose subjects at different levels?
SEAB permits mixed levels across different subjects, subject to the applicable registration rules.
Does one eligible subject guarantee course entry?
Check the full admission requirements for the course and intake.