After your final exam in Y4 IP, you will be streamed into different classes for Y5 and Y6 based on your competencies and Y4 subject combination. As a parent or student, you might ask, what options are made available to me? The following few paragraphs will illustrate to you the paths you can take from Y5 onwards.
Y5 follows the Junior College system, which grades subjects based on H1 and H2. In Y5, you are required to take the following, H1 General Paper, H1 project work, H1 Higher Mother Tongue (most students are exempted as long as they have passed higher mother tongue in O level), and last but not least, to decide on the 3H2,1H1 or the 4H2 combination.
What is the significance of 3H2, 1H1 versus 4H2? A subject taken at the H2 level is deeper as compared to taking it at the H1 level, and it also bears a more significant weight when it comes to calculation of rank points. IP students who wish to take the 4H2 combination would also typically have to maintain a 3.0GPA in most schools for Y4. Otherwise, you will have to take the 3H2, 1H1 combination.
What is the purpose of taking 4H2 then if it gives more workload? Typically, students taking the 4H2 combination would have a wider variety of H2 subjects to choose from, which will give them more choices in University. Some courses, such as Chemical Engineering, require the student to take H2 chemistry at Alevel as a pre-requisite. If a student has not taken chemistry as he has taken H2 physics, H2 Math and H2 Econs, they will not be allowed to make the choice of taking such a course at University and would have to settle for other courses such as mechanical engineering, as compared to a student who has taken the 4H2 combination such as H2 Physics, H2 Math, H2 Chem and H2 Econs, who can take almost all engineering courses. 4H2 combination also typically opens more doors to scholarships, and certain courses such as medicine would also require students to take 4H2.
So is taking 3H2,H1 bad? Not necessarily. By taking that combination, an IP student would have more time to focus on all of their subjects, and eventually even perform better than their peers at Alevels. Students who are very sure of their path in University and want to forgo the stress of handling 4H2s can opt for the 3H2, H1 plan as well. This leaves more time to attend to extra-curricular activities and also other actvities such as learning programming or other important skills that are valued in the workforce. The student can still stream into popular courses such as computer science, engineering, and sciences with only 3H2s.
If you have failed the promotional exams and feel very lost, please schedule a consultation with me ASAP.
Mr YS Pang, IP tutor at SL
For lessons, contact 9385 534.
Location: Blk 644, Bukit Batok Central, #01-68. S(650644).
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