59 days (abt 8 weeks) to the PSLE
70 days (10 weeks) to the N-Levels
84 days (12 weeks) to the O-Levels
101 days (abt 14 weeks) to the A-Levels
JC H2/H1 Math Tuition
For our latest timetable, click here => 
=============================================================== ORIGINAL POST(OUTDATED):
To register, sms name, level, subject t0 97860411. 1) JC2 H2 Mathematics: (Investment amt: $280 per month) Sun 6.00 pm to 8.00 pm; (2) JC2 H1 Mathematics: (Investment amt: $280 per month) Mon 7.45 pm to 9.45 pm (3) JC1 H2 Mathematics: (Investment amt: $280 per month) Fri 7.45pm to 9.45pm Sun 4.00 pm to 6.00 pm (for RI & ACJC students, or of similar ability & syllabus) (4) JC1 H1 Mathematics: (Investment amt: $280 per month) Fri 7.45pm to 9.45pm DETAILS: Location: Blk 627 Bukit Batok Central #07-640 Tutor(s): Mr Teng K. S., NTU undergrad majoring in Math, who has 5 yrs’ experience tutoring students in A-Level H2 and H1 Math. Mr Ilyasa; M.Ed (NIE), PGDE (NIE), BSc (NUS), A-Level (RJC); ex-sch teacher, full-time tutor (8 years) of PSLE, O and A Level Math and Physics. Focus: Metacognitive thinking in math, mastering math concepts, scoring in math exams. Class Size: 2-6 students To register, kindly call, or send an sms to 97860411, indicating the Student Name, Subject and Level. Related link: Past Prelim Math Exam Papers
A-Level & O-Level 2013 Preparation (morning classes, mainly for those re-taking)
We do provide coaching for students who are free to attend classes in the mornings or early afternoons. Such students are typically those who are re-taking their A-levels or O-levels. The levels and subjects offered are:
A-Level: General Paper, (H2/H1) Economics, (H2/H1) Math, (H2) Management of Business. (H2/H1) Physics (upon request)
O-Level: English, Math, Additional Math, Science (Physics/Chemistry), Pure Physics, Pure Chemistry, Economics, Business Studies.
Class type: Small group or Individual
Location: 3-min walk from Bukit Batok MRT station.
For other details, such as timings and fees, kindly call or sms to 97860411, or send an email to ilyasa@conceptlearning.sg.
The Tutors:
Mr Ilyasa: A former MOE school teacher, Mr Ilyasa has been coaching students in ‘A’ Level Physics, Mathematics and Economics for more than 7 years, as well as ‘O’ Level Physics, Additional Math and Math for more than 10 years. An alumnus of RI and RJC, Mr Ilyasa holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Merit from the National University of Singapore, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education with Credit from the National Institute of Education, Singapore, and a Master of Education (Curriculum & Teaching) degree also from the NIE, Singapore.
Mr Jay Lim: An experienced full-time tutor, Mr Lim holds a Master of International Management (USA), B.Sc (USA) majoring in Finance & Retail Management, Higher Stage Certificate in Economics, The London Chamber of Commerce & Industry. He was formerly a financial services consultant and an ex-bank officer. Mr Lim has been teaching English at various levels in an Integrated Programme school for about 5 years. He will be focusing on General Paper, Management of Business and Economics in Singapore Learner.
For details, such as timings and fees, kindly call or sms to 97860411.
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For our latest timetable, click here =>
A-Level Results: What to do if you get BAD or DEAD, i.e., the ‘middle class’
I guess I have to write a bit for this group of students, who will not be allowed to redo their a-levels in their former schools (unlike students who obtained SUC for their H2 subjects), yet they’d find it difficult to be accepted into popular courses in the university.
With grades like BAD or DEAD, you might still be able to get into a local university, if you choose unpopular courses such as engineering, social work or nursing (I’m not sure if a degree in nursing is available in a local university, but if it does, you should seriously consider it). It also depends on what you had obtained your grade A for. It’s not that these courses don’t require academically bright students (can you imagine the impact to society of incompetent engineers, nursing managers or social workers?), but they are somehow very unpopular with university applicants in Singapore.
With a grade like BAD, you might even get a place in an arts or science faculty (but beware, these faculties have their pride too), and if you possess good O-Level results as well, you might even get a place in the NIE to train to become a teacher (to be admitted to NIE, you must have been at least in the top one-third of your O-level cohort; assuming NIE or MOE has not changed this requirement).
Grades like CCD or CDD might still get you into a university, for very unpopular courses. I’ve not heard of anyone getting into a uni with DDD though, or with anything lower. DEAD might get you somewhere because of the A, if there are very few good competitors for that same course. (Btw, if u obtained ACE, don’t say A,C,E, when anyone asks, just say Ace, so it sounds like AAAs). : )
So should you still accept the offer of a local uni if the course offered is not what you really want? Or should you just retake your A-Levels? If I were you, I will not retake the A-Levels if my grades can send me into any general course in an accredited or recognised university. A general course is typically one of those found in the faculty or school of science or arts. Yes, it’s ok to do an arts or science course or even engineering if you can’t get into the more popular courses such as medicine, law, accountancy and business. Why?
Please don’t forget there is such a thing as a Postgraduate First Degree, or Graduate Programs Leading To A First Degree. WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT IS TO FIRST GET INTO ANY RECOGNISED UNIVERSITY AND WORK HARD TO GET AT LEAST A SECOND UPPER HONOURS DEGREE. Then you can apply to any graduate first degree programme. For example, if you want to be a doctor, lawyer or accountant, you can still become one if you have a very good honours first degree, through the Duke-NUS Doctor of Medicine (MD) course, SMU’s Jurist Doctor (JD) program or SMU’s Master of Professional Accounting (MPA) program, respectively. Or you can apply to any postgraduate program you like, whether it leads to a first degree, master degree or even a direct Ph.D program.
My point is, your first degree may not determine your career, and it need not be in something YOU THINK you are passionate about. It is more important to get into ANY recognised degree programme, and work very hard to achieve at least a 2nd Upper Hons degree ( I didn’t get one, so I had a hell of a time trying to get into a master degree programme. Luckily, NTU gave me a chance and I proved myself right about myself by getting a CGPA of 4.55, out of 5, for my master degree program. I’m still angry with NUS for thinking that I wasn’t good enough for their postgrad programs. Now I intend to a do Ph.D program, and it’ll be interesting to see which university would take me in).
Please also remember that some employers, like banks and the govt, will take you in if you have a very good first degree in ANY discipline. Hence please don’t be fussy about your first degree. I’ll always remember what my father told me when I asked him what course I should do at uni. He said,”Just get yourself into a university and graduate”.
Lastly, dont be fussy about your first job too. In today’s economic environment, having a job is better than having none at all.
Good luck!
Rgds,
Ilyasa
Related post: What to do if your A-level results are bad …
SCIENCE PRACTICAL TRAINING
We provide A-Level / H2 and O-Level Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Science (Physics/Chemistry/Biology) Practical Training for private / school candidates and homeschoolers, for both local (eg. H2, Singapore-Cambridge) and international exams (CIE, IGCSE). School candidates who need more FULL PRACTICAL PRACTICE are also welcome.
You may need science practical lessons if you are a private candidate who needs a science lab and apparatus as well as practical coaching, or you are a school candidate who needs more practical training or timed practice for a FULL PRACTICAL.
For details on Practical Courses, Mock Exams or Schedules, kindly click on any of the following links relevant to the exam and level you will be doing:
A-LEVEL H2 PRACTICALS
CAMBRIDGE CIE A-LEVEL PRACTICALS
Singapore Learner @ Bukit Batok
Blk 644, Bukit Batok Central, #01-68. S(650644).
Tel: +(65) 6569 4897, +(65) 88765498 (SMS)
Email: principal@singaporelearner.com
If you wish to visit us, kindly call or sms first. Thank you.
Yay, my H1 Economics tutee got a ‘B’.
My ex-tutee for H1 Econs, Jong Fei, was the first to give me good news today. Usually failing his econs tests, he just smsed me: “Thank you very much for guiding me through econs when I thot all hope is lost. I got a ‘B’ for my econs. Thank u : )”
It’s not easy to teach econs, and it’s even harder for 18 yr olds to understand economic principles and apply them to essays and case studies. I always tell my students that for microeconomics, you’d have to think like a business owner and for macroeconomics, you’d have to think like a minister. Unfortunately, most Singaporean students have neither the maturity nor experience to analyse economic issues.
It can be quite hard for JC or Poly students to master Economics because most Sporean students have not done Econs in secondary school before. However, Economics done in Spore is more a science than a humanities subject, thus it can actually be mastered, in almost the same way as you master Physics. In fact, there are only around 6 to 8 important concepts in A-Level Economics that you need to understand deeply, one of which is the concept of “margin” or being “marginal” (eg. marginal cost, marginal revenue etc).
Then you’d also need the general writing skills and the specific writing skills for Economics essays. You cannot get an ‘A’ just because you understand all the concepts in Economics. You’d need to be able to write fast and coherently, and write ‘economics’ statements that examiners want to see, just as in Physics or Chemistry.
Then you’d also need the economics acumen to answer Case Studies questions. It’s difficult at first, but after doing many case studies, you’ll begin to see the ‘pattern’ of answering.
Anyway, I wish all current Economics students all the best in your economic studies.
Rgds,
Ilyasa, M.Ed., B.Sc., PGDE, full-time tutor (h/p: 97860411)
JC Tuition:
A-Level: Math, Economics, General Paper.
(1) Economics Revision Package
(2) General Paper Resource & Practice Package
Related Links:
(1) Which subject combination to choose in JC?
(2) JC rankings by A-Level results 2012?
A former MOE school teacher, Mr Ilyasa has been coaching students in ‘A’ Level (H2/H1) Physics, Mathematics and Economics for more than 7 years, as well as ‘O’ Level Physics, Additional Math, Math and PSLE Math for more than 10 years. An alumnus of RI and RJC, Mr Ilyasa holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Merit from the National University of Singapore, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education with Credit from the National Institute of Education, Singapore, and a Master of Education (Curriculum & Teaching) degree also from the NIE, Singapore.
Announcement of Release (2013) of A-Level (2012) Results
I think it should be out next week (probably Friday 1 Mar) (It is now confirmed to be on Fri 1 Mar). For those of you who receive good news, you may want to click on one of the links below before you end up in the ‘wrong’ university:
1. List of recognised Universities and Post-secondary Institutes with campuses in Singapore
2. List of Approved Universities for Admission to the Singapore Bar
3. List of Registrable Basic Medical Qualifications for practice in Singapore
For those who receive bad news, you may want to click on the following link for some consolation and advice:
4. What to do if your A Level results are bad.
Wish you all the best!
Rgds,
Ilyasa
Related pages:
(2) JC Math Tuition
Related articles:
(a) Between JC and Poly.
(b) What subject combination to choose in JC.
A former MOE school teacher, Mr Ilyasa has been coaching students in ‘A’ Level (H2/H1) Physics, (H2/H1) Mathematics and (H2/H1) Economics for more than 6 years, as well as ‘O’ Level Physics, Additional Math, Math and PSLE Math for more than 10 years. An alumnus of RI and RJC, Mr Ilyasa holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Merit from the National University of Singapore, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education with Credit from the National Institute of Education, Singapore, and a Master of Education (Curriculum & Teaching) degree also from the NIE, Singapore.
Some news about JC rankings, postings, cut-off points in 2013 and A-Level results of 2012
I did post the list of JC cut-off points in 2012. However, u’d find that for 2013, the cut-off points and thus rankings will be slightly different. The official list from the MOE will be out next year, but here I will list some of my recent discoveries based on feedback from past students who enter JC this year.
(1) It seems that NYJC has outranked AJC in terms of cut-off points for their Science courses, as I know of students who applied to NYJC science as first choice but got posted to AJC instead.
(2) PJC may have outranked JJC in the same manner above, but I think they are still one above the other in the rankings by cut-off points.
(3) I will post more if I hear more.
But how about the rankings of JCs based on results? Well, for 2012, I have a credible source informing me that RI produced about 600 students with 4 As in their H2 subjects, while the second most successful JC, VJC, produced about 300 and HCI produced about 200. There is a large gap between RI and HCI at the A-levels and I believe I know why. I also feel that AJC has become less popular nowadays and I believe I know why. I’m not surprised VJC continues to do well and I believe I know the reason as I have had tutees from there too. But some of these things I shouldn’t say publicly, so if you need more info, sms me at 97860411.
At the end of the day, pls don’t be silly; it doesn’t matter much which JC you go to. It’s about yourself, get it? An A-Level cert from Yishun JC with four As is at all times superior to an A-Level cert from RI with three As. Many times, it’s easier to be a big fish in a small pond than to be a small fish in a big pond. Take my case in point; I was the top student of my primary school, an average student in RI and the bottom 5 students in my RJC class! Why? In RJC, I was placed in the ASEAN Scholars’ class (although I was perfectly Singaporean and still is) and one of my Singaporean classmates also turned out to be a President’s cum SAF Scholar; I was no match for their determination and time management skills! Fortunately, I was not the type that would let pressure get to me.
But not all of you are like that. Some of you have been top students all the while and your first failure in a test will demoralise you and your second failure will devastate you. Every year I have some tutees who are like that and I have to coach them slowly until they regain their confidence in themselves. So whether or not being in a top JC is good for you partly depends on your personality and mental strength. : )
Rgds,
Ilyasa, M.Ed, PGDE, BSc, ex-sch teacher (h/p: 97860411)
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TUITION CLASSES:
_______________________________________________________________
EDUCATIONAL SERVICES:
______________________________________________________________
By EX-MOE TEACHERS & EXPERIENCED TUTORS
@ BLK 644, BUKIT BATOK CENTRAL, #01-68. S(650644).
CALL 65694897 OR SMS 98530744 OR 97860411.
JC 2/1 H2/H1 A-Level Economics Tuition for 2013
For our latest timetable, click here =>
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ORIGINAL POST (OUTDATED):
(1) JC2 H2 Economics: (Investment amt: $320 per month)
Sat 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm
(2) JC2 H1 Economics: (Investment amt: $320 per month)
Sun 7.00 pm to 9.00 pm;
(3) JC1 H2 Economics: (Investment amt: $320 per month)
(upon request)
(4) JC1 H1 Economics: (Investment amt: $320 per month)
(upon request)
DETAILS:
Location: Blk 627 Bukit Batok Central #07-640
Tutor(s): Mr Jay Lim, Master of International Management, ex-banker, experienced full-time tutor.
Content: A-Level micro and macro economics, directed readings, case studies, examples from real life and current affairs.
Focus: How to score in economics essays, must-have skills for handling economics case studies, metacognition in economics, thinking the economists’ way.
Class Size: 2-6 students
To register, kindly call, or send an sms to 97860411, indicating the Student Name, Subject and Level.
Related links:
(1) Economics Revision Package
(2) General Paper Resource & Practice Package
List of Junior Colleges (JC) (2012) in Singapore by Cut-Off L1R5 aggregate score (including bonus points)
SCIENCE PRACTICAL TRAINING
PRACTICAL CRASH COURSES (Mar, Jun, Sep and Oct)
MOCK EXAMS FOR SCIENCE PRACTICAL (Sep and Oct)
H2 PHYSICS PRACTICAL
H2 CHEMISTRY PRACTICAL
H2 BIOLOGY PRACTICAL
The table below shows the net L1R5 aggregate of the lowest ranked students who were admitted to the Junior Colleges (JCs) through the 2012 Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE).
| S/No | Junior College | Arts | Science/IB |
| 1 | Hwa Chong Institution | 3 | 3 |
| 2 | Raffles Institution | 3 | 3 |
| 3 | Victoria JC | 5 | 4 |
| 4 | National JC | 5 | 5 |
| 5 | Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) | – | 5 |
| 6 | Temasek JC | 7 | 6 |
| 7 | Anglo-Chinese JC | 7 | 6 |
| 8 | Anderson JC | 10 | 8 |
| 9 | Meridian JC | 9 | 9 |
| 10 | Nanyang JC | 9 | 9 |
| 11 | St. Andrew’s JC | 9 | 9 |
| 12 | Catholic JC | 10 | 10 |
| 13 | Serangoon JC | 13 | 13 |
| 14 | Tampines JC | 13 | 14 |
| 15 | Jurong JC | 13 | 16 |
| 16 | Pioneer JC | 16 | 16 |
| 17 | Innova JC | 20 | 20 |
| 18 | Yishun JC | 20 | 20 |
| 19 | St. Joseph’s Institution | – | – |
SCIENCE PRACTICAL TRAINING
H2 PHYSICS PRACTICAL
H2 CHEMISTRY PRACTICAL
H2 BIOLOGY PRACTICAL
General Paper: Tuition Timetable (2013)
For our latest timetable, click here =>
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ORIGINAL POST (OUTDATED):
(1) JC2 General Paper:
Fri 7pm to 9pm (Mr Virgilio);
Sun 9.30am to 11am (Ms Foo);
(2) JC1 General Paper:
Sat 5pm to 6.30pm (Ms Foo) ;
DETAILS:
Location: Bukit Batok Central
Tutor(s):
Ms June Foo, NUS graduate, NIE-trained, Master of Arts degree, ex-MOE school teacher (including GEP and JC), alumnus of MGS and RJC.
Mr Virgilio E. Hollen, SMU undergrad, experienced tutor for General Paper, supported by Current JC GP teacher who wishes to be anonymous.
To register, kindly call, or send an sms to 97860411, indicating the Student Name, Subject and Level.