Direct School Admission Exercise for Junior College 1 and Equivalent Level: Frequently Asked Questions

General FAQs

1. How much flexibility is given to JCs/Institutions to select their students?

   For the DSA-JC Exercise, schools can select students based on their talents and achievements in both academic and non-academic areas. Each school will have its own merit-based academic and non-academic criteria for selection. The schools may emphasise in areas such as talent in science, music or sports. To assess these qualities, schools may conduct tests, interviews or trials as necessary.

2. If I am offered a DSA-JC place in a JC/Institution, do I have to meet the eligibility criteria for JC admission?

   If you are given an offer by a JC/Institution, you must meet the eligibility criteria for JC admission based on your GCE ‘O’ Level examination results.

3. When will I know if I am successful in my application in the DSA-JC Exercise?

   Once you have accepted a confirmed offer from a JC/Institution, you will be deemed to be admitted into the school subject to you meeting the eligibility criteria for JC admission based on your GCE ‘O’ Level examination results. You will be informed if you are successful upon the release of the GCE ‘O’ Level examination results.

4. If I accept a DSA offer, can I still participate in the Joint Admissions Exercise?

   You cannot participate in the Joint Admissions Exercise if you meet the eligibility criteria for JC admission and is successfully admitted into a JC/Institution via DSA. If you are unable to meet the eligibility criteria for JC admission, you can participate in the JAE if you still wish to seek admission into Millennia Institute (MI), Polytechnics or ITE.

5. I am successfully admitted to a JC/Institution via DSA, can I request for a change of school?

   No, you are not allowed to request for a change of school if you have been successfully admitted to a JC/Institution via DSA as you are expected to honour your commitments to the posted DSA-JC schools.

6. I am currently taking my Singapore-Cambridge GCE ‘O’ Level in a private school this year. Can I participate in the DSA-JC Exercise?

   Yes, you can participate in the DSA-JC Exercise if you fulfill the age requirement for the level [i.e. 16 to 20+ for JC1 admission if you are Singaporean Citizen (SC) or Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR)]. If you are non-SC/SPR, you must be between 16 and 18+. If you are given an offer by a JC/Institution, you must achieve GCE ‘O’ Level examination results that meet the eligibility criteria for admission to JCs.

7. I am an International Student with qualifications other than GCE ‘O’ Level. Am I eligible to apply under the DSA-JC Exercise?

   Yes, you can apply for the DSA-JC Exercise if you fulfil the age requirement for the level (i.e. 16 to 18+ for JC1 admission). In addition, you might need to sit for the entrance tests conducted by the JCs/Institutions concerned to determine your eligibility for admission.

8. What happen if I want to indicate my preference for special programmes (e.g. Language Elective Programmes, Humanities Programme etc)?

   If you wish to apply for elective programmes (e.g. Language Elective Programmes, Humanities Programme), you should first check if the JC/Institution you wish to apply to offers the elective programmes. In addition, you should check if the JC/Institution has incorporated the eligibility criteria for the elective programmes as part of the admission criteria. If so, you can proceed with admission to the elective programme. If not, you can still register your interest in these programmes with the JC/Institution after you have accepted a Confirmed Offer from the JC/Institution.

9. Can I take part in both the DSA-JC and DPA?

   Yes, you can participate in both DSA-JC and DPA Exercises. However, you can only accept either a JC/Institution or a Polytechnic offer. Students who accept both DSA-JC and DPA offers will be disqualified from both exercises.

Phase 1

10. I have received several DSA-JC Phase 1 Offers. When must I decide to accept one?

    You are allowed to accept only one DSA-JC Phase 1 Offer during the Acceptance Stage. You must accept an offer by 27 Jul 2012. Otherwise, the offers will lapse and you will be considered to have rejected the schools’ offers.

11. What must I do to confirm acceptance of the DSA-JC Phase 1 Offer?

    Students are required to complete and sign 2 copies of the DSA-JC Phase 1 Acceptance Form and return them to the JC/Institution for endorsement. The JC/Institution will retain a copy, while the student will retain another copy (duly endorsed by the JC/Institution) for reference.

12. I have accepted one DSA-JC Phase 1 Offer during the Acceptance stage. Can I still change my mind during the Acceptance Stage to accept another Offer?

    Yes, provided you have another valid offer and if you are interested in taking it up, you must cancel your earlier acceptance by submitting a DSA-JC Phase 1 Cancellation Form before you accept the offer from another JC/Institution. Cancellation must be done at MOE Customer Service Centre before the end of Phase 1 Acceptance Stage (27 Jul 2012).

13. Can I accept more than one DSA-JC Offer?

    No. If you are found to have accepted more than one DSA-JC Offer, you will be disqualified from the DSA-JC Exercise. If you would still like to be admitted into a JC/Institution, you will have to participate in the JAE.

14. What happen if I accidentally accept two DSA-JC Phase 1 Offers?

    Once you are found to have accepted more than one DSA-JC Phase 1 Offer at the end of Phase 1, all your offers will be rendered void, unless you cancel one of them before the end of the Acceptance Stage which is (27 Jul 2012).

15. If I accept a DSA Phase 1 Offer, can I accept a DPA (Direct Polytechnic Admission) Offer subsequently?

    Yes, you are allowed to accept a DPA offer if it is your preferred choice over DSA Phase 1 Offer. If so, your DSA Phase 1 Offer will be automatically rendered void.

16. I forgot to accept the DSA-JC Phase 1 Offer by 27 Jul 2012. Can I still take up the offer on 28 Jul 2012, only one day later?

    No. The terms of offer are clearly spelt out in the offer letter. If you do not accept the offer by 27 Jul 2012, you will be considered to have rejected the offer. You will also not be issued another DSA-JC offer under Phase 2 by the same school.

17. I am not available to accept my DSA-JC Offer during the acceptance period, can I still submit my acceptance after 27 Jul 2012?

    You are not allowed to submit your acceptance after the end of Phase 1 Acceptance Stage, which is 27 Jul 2012. If you are unavailable to accept an offer, you may appoint a proxy (download Proxy Form) to submit the Acceptance Form on your behalf.

Phase 2

18. If I have just been offered a DSA-JC Phase 2 Offer by a school but have already accepted a DSA-JC Phase 1 Offer from another school, what must I do?

    If you are interested in taking up the DSA-JC Phase 2 Offer, you must cancel your DSA-JC Phase 1 Offer by submitting a DSA-JC Phase 1 Cancellation Form to MOE Customer Service Centre before the end of the Cooling-Off Stage, which is no later than 1 Aug 2012. Once you have cancelled your earlier acceptance, you will then be eligible to accept the DSA-JC Phase 2 Offer during the DSA-JC Phase 2 Acceptance Stage from 17 Aug 2012 to 23 Aug 2012.

19. I have been informed that I must cancel my DSA-JC Phase 1 Offer before 1 Aug 2012 so that I can take up a DSA-JC Phase 2 Offer from another school. Why is this so, as the Acceptance Stage under DSA-JC Phase 2 has yet to commence?

    This is to ensure that vacancies arising from cancellations can be filled by other deserving students.

20. If I have received multiple DSA-JC Phase 2 Offers and have accepted one of them during Phase 2 Acceptance Stage but now wish to change my mind and accept another, is this possible?

    You can still change your mind to accept another DSA-JC Phase 2 Offer provided that you submit your official Cancellation Form to MOE Customer Service Centre before the end of the Phase 2 Acceptance Stage (23 Aug 2012).

21. What happen if I accidentally accept two DSA-JC Phase 2 Offers?

    Once you are found to have accepted more than one DSA-JC Phase 2 Offer at the end of Phase 2, all your offers will be rendered void, unless you cancel one of them before the end of the Acceptance Stage (23 Aug 2012).

22. Can I accept a DSA Phase 2 Offer and a DPA Offer concurrently?

    No. If you are found to have accepted a DSA Phase 2 Offer and a DPA Offer concurrently, all your offers will be rendered void, unless you cancel one of them before the end of Acceptance Stage (23 Aug 2012).

23. If I have turned down the DSA-JC Phase 1 offer from one school, can I reconsider and take up their offer again in Phase 2?

    No. Once you have rejected a DSA-JC offer from one school, you will not be given another DSA-JC offer from the same school.

Cancellations and Withdrawals

24. What do I do to cancel or withdraw my DSA-JC acceptance?

    To cancel or withdraw your DSA-JC acceptance, you must obtain 2 copies of the DSA-JC Cancellation/Withdrawal Forms from MOE Customer Service Centre. Once the forms are completed and signed, you must submit them, in person, to MOE Customer Service Centre. You may keep one copy for your record. You are required to bring the originals of the following to MOE Customer Service Centre:

    1. The offer letter from the school
    2. The endorsed acceptance form submitted to the school
    3. Your NRIC / Student Pass for verification

    Please note that MOE will retain the original offer letter and endorsed acceptance form when you cancel or withdraw your DSA-JC acceptance.

25. After I have cancelled my acceptance, what evidence/proof/verification must I produce to another school that I have cancelled before I can accept their DSA-JC offer?

    If you have cancelled an earlier DSA-JC acceptance, you would have retained one copy of the Cancellation Form, duly endorsed by MOE. You must show it to the school before you accept their DSA-JC offer.

JAE / JPSAE

26. If I have accepted a DSA-JC Offer to JC/Institution this year, am I allowed to participate in JAE / JPSAE?

    Once you have accepted a confirmed offer, and meet the eligibility criteria for JC admission based on your GCE ‘O’ Level examination results, you will not be able to participate in the JAE and Joint Polytechnic Special Admissions Exercise (JPSAE). You are also not allowed to transfer to another school after the release of the GCE ‘O’ Level examination results as you are expected to honour your commitment to the posted DSA-JC school. Hence, please consider very carefully before you accept a Confirmed Offer to be admitted to a JC/Institution via the DSA-JC Exercise.

27. If I have accepted a DSA-JC Offer and want to withdraw so that I may participate in JAE / JPSAE, what must I do?

    You must withdraw from your DSA-JC offer no later than 5 Oct 2012. Withdrawal from DSA-JC must be done personally at MOE Customer Service Centre.