G1, G2 and G3 Explained: How Your Child’s PSLE Score Sets Their Secondary School Subject Levels

When PSLE results come out, most parents look at one number: the PSLE Score. Under Singapore’s Full Subject-Based Banding (Full SBB), that number now does something different from before. It no longer puts your child into a stream. It sets the starting level for each subject in Secondary 1.

From the 2024 Secondary 1 cohort onwards, the Express, Normal (Academic) and Normal (Technical) streams have been removed. In their place are three subject levels: G1, G2 and G3. Your child may take English at one level and Science at another, and the levels can change as they go through secondary school.

This guide explains how it works, using MOE’s published rules. For the official overview, see MOE’s page on the secondary school experience under Full SBB.

What Do G1, G2 and G3 Mean?

The “G” stands for General. Each level is mapped from one of the old streams:

Parents sometimes describe these as “advanced”, “intermediate” and “foundational”. Those are handy descriptions, but MOE doesn’t use them as official names. On school letters and report books, you’ll see G1, G2 and G3.

How Does the PSLE Score Decide the Starting Level?

The overall PSLE Score places a student in one of three Posting Groups (PG). The Posting Group sets the starting level for most of their subjects in Secondary 1:

Source: MOE, What are Posting Groups

Placement in PG1 also requires AL7 or better in both English and Mathematics.

For PSLE Scores of 21–22 and 25, families get a choice of Posting Group. That choice matters: it decides the starting level for most subjects, so it’s worth thinking about which subjects your child is strongest in before deciding.

The Posting Group Isn’t the Whole Story

This is the part many parents miss. A PG2 or PG1 student doesn’t have to take every subject at G2 or G1. For four subjects, English, Mathematics, Science and Mother Tongue, a strong PSLE grade in that subject can unlock a higher level from day one:

It also works the other way. A PG3 student who took English, Maths or Science at Foundation level at PSLE can choose to take that subject at G2, in consultation with their school.

So a PG2 student with AL4 in English could start Secondary 1 taking English at G3, alongside classmates from PG3. For a child whose English is their strong subject, that’s worth knowing before Secondary 1 starts.

Can Subject Levels Change After Secondary 1?

Yes. Schools review subject levels at set points in lower secondary, usually during Secondary 1 and at the end of Secondary 1 and Secondary 2. Decisions are based mainly on school assessment results, along with teacher recommendations.

• A student who does consistently well in a G2 subject can move up to G3.
• A student who finds a higher level too demanding may be allowed to move down (for example, from G3 to G2) to manage their overall workload.

Exact criteria vary by school, so ask your child’s school how it decides. The reviews don’t happen every term, which is why steady results across Secondary 1 matter more than one good test.

Which Subjects Have G Levels?

English Language, Mother Tongue Languages, Mathematics, Science and the Humanities are offered at G1, G2 and G3. Other subjects, such as Art, Music, Physical Education and Character and Citizenship Education, form a common curriculum taken together in mixed form classes, with classmates from all three Posting Groups.

What Happens at the End of Secondary School?

Students from the 2024 Secondary 1 cohort onwards sit the Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) instead of separate O-Level and N-Level exams. The first SEC examination is in 2027. Each subject is examined at the level the student takes it: G1, G2 or G3.

G3 is set at the same standard as the former O-Level. For English, GCE O-Level English Language 1184 becomes SEC G3 English Language K300. For what that means for the English exam itself, read our guide to the 2027 change from O-Level to SEC G3 English.

Why English Is the Subject to Watch

English is one of the four subjects where a student can start above their Posting Group, and one where moving up later is realistic with the right support. It also carries real weight later on: English counts in the L1R4 aggregate used for Junior College admission from 2028 (see what L1R4 means for English).

In my experience, what holds a G2 student back from G3 English is rarely vocabulary alone. It is usually three things:

• Comprehension: answering inference questions with evidence from the passage, not general knowledge
• Summary: picking out the right points and rephrasing them concisely
• Writing: developing an argument or story with clear structure, not just more words

These are trainable skills. A student who works on them steadily through Secondary 1 gives the school clear evidence at the review points.

What Parents Can Do Now

1. Look at the subject grades, not just the PSLE Score. An AL5 or better in English, Maths, Science or Mother Tongue may open a higher level in that subject.
2. If you have a Posting Group choice (PSLE 21–22 or 25), weigh which subjects your child is strongest in.
3. Ask the school how and when it reviews subject levels, and what results it looks for.
4. Start early in Secondary 1. The first review can come within the first year.

Frequently Asked Questions: G1, G2 and G3 Subject Levels and PSLE Scores