Introduction
Entry Requirements
Application Procedure
FAQs
FAQ for O-Level Students
FAQ for ITE Students
FAQ for Working Adults
Frequently Asked Questions (O-Level Students)
1. What is the Polytechnic Early Admissions Exercise (Poly EAE) for O-Level students? 2. Who can take part in Poly EAE for O-Level students? 3. How many places are set aside for Poly EAE? 4. If I am really keen on a polytechnic education in a specific field, why do I still need to take the GCE O-Level Examinations? Why do I still need to meet academic criteria? 5. What happens if I do not meet the O-Level academic criteria? 6. When will I be able to apply through Poly EAE? 7. What attributes will be considered under Poly EAE? How will I be assessed for admission through this exercise? 8. How are students selected during EAE? How can students find out more about what is expected of them during the EAE selection? 9. What if I am unable to attend the selection tests (e.g. interviews) as I am unwell? 10. Can I receive more than one offer in the Poly EAE? How will the order of my course choices affect my final outcome? 11. Can I switch courses after the release of the GCE O-Level Examination results? 12. Can I apply through Poly EAE and the Direct Schools Admission – Junior College (DSA-JC) Exercise concurrently? 13. If I have accepted a Poly EAE offer but subsequently decide that I prefer taking part in JAE, what can I do? 14. What are the courses that have a course-level allowance of 50% for aptitude-based admissions? Why and how were these courses selected? 15. Why not expand the course-level allowance for these courses to 100%? 16. What about other courses that do not have a 50% allowance?
Frequently Asked Questions (ITE Students)
1. What is the Polytechnic Early Admissions Exercise (Poly EAE) for ITE students? 2. Who can take part in Poly EAE for ITE students? 3. Can I apply for Poly EAE if I have previously graduated from ITE? 4. Who should take part in the Poly EAE for ITE students? 5. If I am part of the Direct-Entry-Scheme to Polytechnic Programme (DPP), can I take part in Poly EAE for ITE students? 6. How many places are set aside for the Poly EAE? 7. Why do I still need to meet academic criteria? 8. What happens if I do not meet these requirements? 9. When will I be able to apply through the Poly EAE for ITE students? 10. What attributes will be considered under the Poly EAE for ITE students? How will I be assessed for admission through this exercise? 11. How are students selected during EAE? How can students find out more about what is expected of them during the EAE selection? 12. What if I am unable to attend the selection tests (e.g. interviews) as I am unwell? 13. Can I receive more than one offer in the Poly EAE? How will the order of my course choices affect my final outcome? 14. Can I switch courses after the release of my final Nitec / Higher Nitec results? 15. If I am offered and accept a place via Poly EAE for ITE students, can I still participate in the Joint Polytechnic Admissions Exercise? 16. If I have accepted a Poly EAE offer but subsequently decide that I prefer taking part in JPAE, what can I do? 17. What are the courses that have a course-level allowance of 50% for aptitude-based admissions? Why and how were these courses selected? 18. Why not expand the course-level allowance for these courses to 100%? 19. What about other courses that do not have a 50% allowance?
Frequently Asked Questions (Working Adults)
1. Who can take part in Poly EAE for working adults? 2. Will international students be eligible to apply for admission via the Poly EAE for working adults? 3. How will the polytechnics assess if an applicant’s work experience is relevant for the course? 4. Can I still apply if I have not met the prevailing minimum entry requirements (MERs)? 5. What if I am unable to attend the selection tests (e.g. interviews) as I am unwell? 6. Can I receive more than one offer in the Poly EAE for working adults? How will the order of my course choices affect my final outcome? 7. Can I switch courses after I have successfully obtained an offer? 8. Will the Poly EAE for working adults affect available polytechnic places for O-Level and ITE fresh graduates?
1. What is the Polytechnic Early Admissions Exercise (Poly EAE) for O-Level students?
The Polytechnic Early Admissions Exercise (Poly EAE) allows students to apply for and receive conditional offers for admission prior to their GCE O-Level Examinations. Students applying through the Poly EAE are considered for admission on the basis of demonstrated aptitude and interest, beyond just academic grades.
2. Who can take part in Poly EAE for O-Level students?
Poly EAE is open to:
3. How many places are set aside for Poly EAE?
The five polytechnics (Nanyang Polytechnic, Ngee Ann Polytechnic, Republic Polytechnic, Singapore Polytechnic and Temasek Polytechnic) admit about 20% of their Academic Year intake through Poly EAE. The EAE intake may differ from year to year, and would depend on student demand and the quality of the EAE applications.
4. If I am really keen on a polytechnic education in a specific field, why do I still need to take the GCE O-Level Examinations? Why do I still need to meet academic criteria?
While interest in a field of study is important, having the requisite academic foundation helps to assure that you will be able to cope with the rigour of a polytechnic education and benefit from it. It is for this reason that students seeking admission to the polytechnics are required to meet the following admissions criteria: (a) A net ELR2B2 aggregate score of 26 points or better for the GCE O-Level Examinations*; and (b) Minimum entry requirements (MERs) for their respective diploma courses. The MERs for each polytechnic course can be found on the polytechnics’ websites. * Exception is for Nursing courses, which require a net ELR2B2 aggregate of 28 points or better. Applicants may combine results from no more than 2 sittings of the GCE O-Level examination.
5. What happens if I do not meet the O-Level academic criteria?
If you do not meet the admissions criteria, your conditional offer will be automatically revoked upon the release of the GCE O-Level Examinations results. You will be eligible to participate in the Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE) and other polytechnic admissions exercises at that point.
Application
6. When will I be able to apply through Poly EAE?
Poly EAE applications for O-Level students will be open from 22 June 2023 to 28 June 2023.
Selection
7. What attributes will be considered under Poly EAE? How will I be assessed for admission through this exercise?
Poly EAE focuses on students who have strong aptitude and interest in a field related to the diploma course they are applying for. Where relevant to the course they are applying for, the polytechnics may consider students’ outstanding talents and achievements, such as in sports, arts, leadership, entrepreneurship and community service. Polytechnics will have the discretion to determine their modes of assessment, such as portfolios, interviews and aptitude tests, where relevant and appropriate. Polytechnics may also consider participation in relevant co-curricular activities (CCAs), Applied Learning Modules (ApLM) and Applied Subjects, as well as participation in activities such as work attachments and sustained involvement in projects that are related to the course students are applying for.
8. How are students selected during EAE? How can students find out more about what is expected of them during the EAE selection?
The polytechnics use a range of assessment modalities to determine students’ interest and aptitude in a particular area, including portfolios, aptitude tests, and interviews. Students may visit the respective institutions’ websites to find out more about the expectations of the EAE selection process for the different courses, and how they can be best prepared to demonstrate their interest and aptitude in the chosen course.
9. What if I am unable to attend the selection tests (e.g. interviews) as I am unwell?
You should inform the polytechnic immediately if you are unable to make it for their scheduled appointment, be it for online or on-campus selection, so that alternative arrangements can be made. When the polytechnics reach out to shortlisted applicants to inform them about the details of their interview, they will also share a point of contact which applicants may reach out to in the event that they are unable to make it for their scheduled appointment.
Offer and Acceptance
10. Can I receive more than one offer in the Poly EAE? How will the order of my course choices affect my final outcome?
While you may apply for up to three course choices, you are only eligible to receive up to one offer. If you are assessed to be suitable for more than one of your course choices during the selection stage, your received offer will be to the course which is ranked highest among your three choices.
11. Can I switch courses after the release of the GCE O-Level Examination results?
No. Once you have accepted your conditional offer and met the admissions criteria for the polytechnic course after the release of your final results, your EAE offer will be automatically confirmed and you will not be able to switch courses within or across polytechnics. You will also not be eligible to take part in the JAE and other polytechnic admissions exercises. Students are expected to honour the commitment to their choice of polytechnic and the course under Poly EAE. Poly EAE is targeted at students who are interested in a particular course in the polytechnics, and admission is based on the student’s suitability for that course. If you are still discovering and/or developing your strengths and interests related to specific polytechnic courses, you can instead apply for a polytechnic course through the JAE after receiving your GCE O-Level Examination results.
12. Can I apply through Poly EAE and the Direct Schools Admission – Junior College (DSA-JC) Exercise concurrently?
Yes, you can participate in both Poly EAE and the DSA-JC Exercise. However, you should only accept either a polytechnic or junior college offer. Students who accept both offers will be disqualified from both exercises, unless they reject one of the offers before the end of the Acceptance Stage on 11 September 2023.
Withdrawal
13. If I have accepted a Poly EAE offer but subsequently decide that I prefer taking part in JAE, what can I do?
Should you wish to withdraw your acceptance of the Poly EAE offer, you must submit your withdrawal online via the Poly EAE online portal no later than 13 October 2023. Students who have accepted a Poly EAE offer but do not withdraw by the deadline will be deemed to have confirmed their acceptance and will not be eligible to participate in the JAE and other polytechnic admissions exercises.
Course-Level Allowances
14. What are the courses that have a course-level allowance of 50% for aptitude-based admissions? Why and how were these courses selected?
The full list of courses with a course-level allowance of 50% for the upcoming 2023 Poly EAE will made available by early–June 2023 at https://eae.polytechnic.edu.sg. These courses have been given a higher allowance as interest and strengths in the field are particularly important, e.g. in Early Childhood, Social Work and Design.
15. Why not expand the course-level allowance for these courses to 100%?
Keeping the course-level intake allowance at 50% preserves a viable pathway into these specific diploma courses for other students who do not apply through aptitude-based admissions, whether it is because they have yet to discover or develop specific interests, or are undecided on the diploma course that they wish to apply for.
16. What about other courses that do not have a 50% allowance?
The course-level allowance for all other polytechnic diploma courses is 30%.
1. What is the Polytechnic Early Admissions Exercise (Poly EAE) for ITE students?
Poly EAE for ITE students is an admissions exercise that allows final-year ITE students to apply for and receive conditional offers for admission to polytechnic based on their aptitudes and interests before their final Grade Point Average (GPA) for Nitec or Higher Nitec is released. It allows the polytechnics greater flexibility to select students based on broader measures of merit, beyond just academic grades.
2. Who can take part in Poly EAE for ITE students?
Poly EAE for ITE students is for ITE students who are in the final year of their Nitec or Higher Nitec courses. For the AY2024 polytechnic intake, ITE graduates who complete their Nitec course in June or December 2023 or Higher Nitec course in September 2023 or March 2024 will be eligible to apply for admission via the Poly EAE for ITE students.
3. Can I apply for Poly EAE if I have previously graduated from ITE?
Only ITE students who are in the final year of their Nitec or Higher Nitec courses may apply to Poly EAE for ITE students. However, ITE graduates from previous cohorts can apply through the Poly EAE for working adults instead. More information about the Poly EAE for working adults can be found at https://eae.polytechnic.edu.sg.
4. Who should take part in the Poly EAE for ITE students?
ITE students in their final year of study who have strong aptitude and sustained interest in a field, and who wish to pursue their studies in that field through a polytechnic course, may wish to consider taking part in Poly EAE for ITE students. Students who are not completely sure about what they want to do may wish to first further explore their interests and deepen their skills after graduation, e.g. through work, or progressing to a Higher Nitec course. Students who wish to apply to polytechnic on the basis of their ITE GPA should take part in the Joint Polytechnic Admissions Exercise (JPAE).
5. If I am part of the Direct-Entry-Scheme to Polytechnic Programme (DPP), can I take part in Poly EAE for ITE students?
If you are a DPP student, you may take part in the Poly EAE for ITE students. Should you be offered a place and your conditional Poly EAE for ITE students offer is subsequently confirmed, you will not be eligible to participate in the JPAE and other polytechnic admissions exercises. Your DPP guarantee of a place to a mapped polytechnic diploma course (subject to meeting the minimum qualifying GPA) will also be voided. Should you not be offered a place through Poly EAE for ITE students or reject a Poly EAE for ITE students offer, you may apply for polytechnic admission through JPAE. If you successfully complete your Higher Nitec course and attain the required minimum qualifying GPA, you will be able to use your DPP guarantee for polytechnic admission.
6. How many places are set aside for the Poly EAE?
7. Why do I still need to meet academic criteria?
While interest and aptitude in a field of study is important, having the requisite academic foundation helps to ensure that you will be able to cope with the rigour of a polytechnic education and benefit from it. It is for this reason that ITE students seeking admission to the polytechnics are required to graduate from ITE and meet the following admissions criteria: a) Final net GPA 3.5 for Nitec holders* (including CCA bonus points); and b) Final net GPA 2.0 for Higher Nitec holders (including CCA bonus points). *For Nitec in Nursing holders only, the minimum GPA requirement for admission to Diploma in Nursing is 3.0.
8. What happens if I do not meet these requirements?
If you do not meet the minimum GPA requirements, your conditional offer through the Poly EAE for ITE students will be automatically revoked. You will be eligible to participate in JPAE and other polytechnic admissions exercises at that point.
9. When will I be able to apply through the Poly EAE for ITE students?
Applications will open from 8 June 2023 to 14 June 2023 for ITE students.
10. What attributes will be considered under the Poly EAE for ITE students? How will I be assessed for admission through this exercise?
Poly EAE focuses on students who have strong aptitude and interest in a field related to the diploma course they are applying for. Where relevant to the course they are applying for, the polytechnics may consider students’ outstanding talents and achievements, such as in sports, arts, leadership, entrepreneurship and community service. Polytechnics will have the discretion to determine their modes of assessment, such as portfolios, interviews and aptitude tests, where relevant and appropriate. Polytechnics may also consider participation in activities such as work attachments and sustained involvement in projects that are related to the course students are applying for, as well as relevant co-curricular activities.
11. How are students selected during EAE? How can students find out more about what is expected of them during the EAE selection?
12. What if I am unable to attend the selection tests (e.g. interviews) as I am unwell?
13. Can I receive more than one offer in the Poly EAE? How will the order of my course choices affect my final outcome?
14. Can I switch courses after the release of my final Nitec / Higher Nitec results?
No. Once you have accepted your conditional offer and met the admissions criteria for the polytechnic course after the release of your final results, your conditional Poly EAE for ITE students offer will be automatically confirmed and you will not be able to switch courses within or across polytechnics. You will also not be eligible to take part in the JPAE and other polytechnic admissions exercises. Students are expected to honour the commitment to their choice of polytechnic and the course under Poly EAE for ITE students. Poly EAE for ITE students is targeted at students who are interested in a particular course in the polytechnics, and admission is based on the student’s suitability for that course. If you are still discovering and/or developing your strengths and interests related to specific polytechnic courses, you can instead apply for a polytechnic course through the JPAE after receiving your final GPA.
15. If I am offered and accept a place via Poly EAE for ITE students, can I still participate in the Joint Polytechnic Admissions Exercise?
No. Once you accept a place and meet the minimum GPA requirements, your conditional Poly EAE for ITE students offer will be automatically confirmed and you will not be able to participate in the JPAE and other polytechnic admissions exercises.
16. If I have accepted a Poly EAE offer but subsequently decide that I prefer taking part in JPAE, what can I do?
Should you wish to withdraw your acceptance of the Poly EAE offer, you must submit your withdrawal online via the Poly EAE online portal no later than 13 October 2023. Students who have accepted a Poly EAE offer but do not withdraw by the deadline will be deemed to have confirmed their acceptance and will not be eligible to participate in the JPAE and other polytechnic admissions exercises.
17. What are the courses that have a course-level allowance of 50% for aptitude-based admissions? Why and how were these courses selected?
The full list of courses with a course-level allowance of 50% for the upcoming 2023 Poly EAE will made available by early–June 2023 at https://eae.polytechnic.edu.sg These courses have been given a higher allowance as interest and strengths in the field are particularly important, e.g. in Early Childhood, Social Work and Design.
18. Why not expand the course-level allowance for these courses to 100%?
19. What about other courses that do not have a 50% allowance?
Course-level allowance for all other polytechnic diploma courses will remain at 30%.
1. Who can take part in Poly EAE for working adults?
Working adults who are Singapore Citizens (SC) and Permanent Residents (PR), and have at least two years or more of relevant work experience in the year of the Polytechnic EAE application can take part in Poly EAE. As a general gauge, two years of relevant work experience is sufficient to provide applicants with the necessary exposure to meaningfully pick up and accumulate new skills and knowledge relevant to the course, as well confirm their interest in the field. Individuals with fewer than two years of work experience can submit an application, although shortlisting would be based on merit and subjected to available places in the course, with priority given to applicants with two or more years of work experience.
2. Will international students be eligible to apply for admission via the Poly EAE for working adults?
No. The Poly EAE for working adults will be for Singapore Citizens/Permanent Residents only. International students will continue to have access to polytechnics via EAE, but only if they are mainstream school or ITE candidates from the immediate past O-Level or ITE cohort. They will also continue to have access to polytechnics via the Direct Admissions Exercise, but will be considered primarily on the basis of their academic grades, as is the case today.
3. How will the polytechnics assess if an applicant’s work experience is relevant for the course?
The polytechnics will conduct a holistic assessment of applicants’ work experience, to consider the relevance of their demonstrated competencies and skills for their courses of interest. For example, prior experience working in the service industry (e.g. in F&B, or in a hotel) might be counted as relevant work experience for an individual applying to a course in the Hospitality field. Internships undertaken as part of full-time studies may be considered, but the duration would not be counted towards the two or more years of relevant work experience required for applicants to take part in Poly EAE. Applicants will need to submit their employment records together with their application, as well as employer recommendations where available. Applicants who are shortlisted for an interview can expect to discuss their work experience, and demonstrate how their work experience has prepared them for a polytechnic education.
4. Can I still apply if I have not met the prevailing minimum entry requirements (MERs)?
Yes. Although MERs remain relevant as a measure of applicants’ general ability to cope with the academic rigour of the polytechnic course, working adult applicants who are not able to meet the MERs can demonstrate that they have acquired the pre-requisite competencies for their chosen course, through supplementary assessments designed by the polytechnics. Polytechnics will have the discretion to determine their modes of assessment for such applicants, which will generally focus on the foundational competencies relevant to the specific polytechnic courses. For example, applicants interested in Engineering but do not possess the required Mathematics grade will be tested on specific numeracy skills required for the course.
5. What if I am unable to attend the selection tests (e.g. interviews) as I am unwell?
6. Can I receive more than one offer in the Poly EAE for working adults? How will the order of my course choices affect my final outcome?
7. Can I switch courses after I have successfully obtained an offer?
No. Once you have accepted your offer, you will generally not be allowed to switch courses within or across polytechnics, without submitting a fresh application. This is because you would have been assessed for your suitability to enter a specific course, on the basis of your aptitude and interest for that course, as well as your relevant work experience. In addition, applicants are expected to honour the commitment to their choice of polytechnic and the course under Poly EAE.
8. Will the Poly EAE for working adults affect available polytechnic places for O-Level and ITE fresh graduates?
No. Current O-Level and ITE students’ access to the polytechnics will not be compromised by this change. There will be additional places catered for working adults, on top of the places catered for fresh O-Level and ITE graduates.