Assessment Policy
Find out how the school measures student progress through formative and summative assessments, and what the promotion criteria are for SEC, O-Level, and IP track students.
Our Assessment Policy comprises a learner-centred and balanced assessment (formative and summative) system that supports quality teaching and learning, builds intrinsic motivation in students to learn, and develops in them the capacity to learn for life.
Formative Assessment (e.g., daily class work, quizzes, homework, etc.) plays an important role in informing students about their learning progress and in identifying learning gaps to address. Students’ performance in Formative Assessment also helps teachers evaluate the students’ readiness for Summative Assessment.
Summative Assessment (e.g., Weighted Assessments (WAs) and End-of-Year Examination (EYE)) are milestone checks on students’ learning progress. It also evaluates their readiness for progression to the next level of learning.
The Summative Assessment Plan is as follows:
Sec/Year 1 – 3
Summative assessment plan for Secondary/Year 1 to 3
Period | Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Term 4 |
Assessment | WA1 | WA2 | WA3 | EYE |
Weighting | 10% | 15% | 15% | 60% |
Exception: coursework-based subjects, for e.g., AEP, D&T and FCE may not follow this distribution due to the nature of the subject.
Year 4
Summative assessment plan for Year 4
Period | Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Term 4 |
Assessment | WA1 | WA2 | WA3 | EYE |
Weighting | 10% | 10% | 10% | 70% |
Exception: coursework-based subjects, for e.g., AEP may not follow this distribution due to the nature of the subject.
Sec 4
Summative assessment plan for Sec 4
Period | Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Term 4 |
Assessment | WA1 | WA2 | Preliminary Examination | N.A. |
Results of the preliminary examinations will be taken on its own
Assessments are important milestone checks on students’ learning. Students are expected to attend and complete all assessments, unless they are excused with valid reasons.
In terms of Assessment Design, besides pen-and-paper WAs, each subject (except coursework-based subjects, for e.g., AEP, D&T and FCE) will have up to one Graded Assignment (GA) per year that will be considered as a WA, i.e., for only WA1, WA2 or WA3, for Sec/Year 1 – 3 and Year 4. Each GA will have a maximum duration of 3 weeks (if 10% weighting) or 4 weeks (if 15% weighting) – students will be advised on the number of hours to be spent on each GA. Each GA will be completed within the term.
The table below provides an update to our Summative Assessment Practices:
Consequences of absence or late submission for weighted assessments
Absent from a Weighted Assessment (pen-and- paper test) |
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Missing the submission deadline of Weighted Assessment (Graded Assignment) |
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Absent from End-of-Year Examination |
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The promotion criteria for SEC/O-Level and IP students are shown in the table below. The O-Level Grade Table and IP Grade Value Table are also included below for reference.
Promotion Criteria for SEC/O-Level Track
Promotion criteria for SEC/O-Level track by level
Level | Promotion Criteria |
Sec 1 | All students will progress to the next level of learning. |
Sec 2 | Pass in English Language and two subjects |
Sec 3 |
O-Level Grade Table
O-Level grade and grade point by marks range
Marks | Grade | Grade Point |
% ≥ 75 | A1 | 1 |
70 ≤ % < 75 | A2 | 2 |
65 ≤ % < 70 | B3 | 3 |
60 ≤ % < 65 | B4 | 4 |
55 ≤ % < 60 | C5 | 5 |
50 ≤ % < 55 | C6 | 6 |
45 ≤ % < 50 | D7 | 7 |
40 ≤ % < 45 | E8 | 8 |
% <40 | F9 | 9 |
Promotion Criteria for IP Track
Promotion criteria for IP track by level
Level | Promotion Criteria |
Year 1 | With effect from 2024, all Year 1 students will generally progress to the next level of learning.
Students may progress from Year 1 to Sec 2. |
Year 2 | Obtain a
Students who do not meet the promotion criteria at IP may be retained or progress to the SEC track instead. |
Year 4 | Obtain a
|
Note: IP students will need to achieve a Grade Point Average of 3.2 to offer 4 H2 subjects at VJC.
IP Grade Value Table
IP grade value by marks range
Marks | Grade | Grade Point |
% ≥ 80 | A+ | 4.0 |
70 ≤ % < 85 | A | |
65 ≤ % < 70 | B+ | 3.5 |
60 ≤ % < 65 | B | 3.0 |
55 ≤ % < 60 | C+ | 2.5 |
50 ≤ % < 55 | C | 2.0 |
45 ≤ % < 50 | D+ | 1.5 |
40 ≤ % < 45 | D | 1.0 |
% <40 | U | 0.0 |
Calculation of GPA
Calculation of GPA for Year 1 to Year 3
Calculation of GPA for Year 4
IP track subject selection rules for GPA calculation by year group
Year 1 to Year 3 | Year 4 |
The 5 subjects are chosen from the following: | The 6 subjects are chosen from the following: |
Mother Tongue Languages
Milestone checks are conducted to determine a student’s suitability to continue with Higher Mother Tongue Languages (HMTL):
Higher Mother Tongue Language continuation criteria by level
Level | Criteria to continue with HMTL |
Sec/Year 2 | Achieve a minimum grade of D7 in the Sec/Year 2 HMTL overall results. |
Year 3 | Achieve a minimum grade of D7 in the Year 3 EYE. |
Sec 4 | Achieve a minimum grade of B3 in the O-Level MTL exam. |
Sec/Year 2
For Sec/Year 2 HMTL students who did not meet the requirement of a minimum grade of D7 with their Sec/Year 2 HMTL Overall results, they would have to offer MTL instead of HMTL in Sec/Year 3.
Year 3
For progression to Year 5, IP students are required to achieve the equivalent of a minimum grade of (i) D7 in MTL; (ii) E8 in Higher MTL (HMTL); or (iii) Pass in MTL ‘B’ at the GCE O Levels. This is the same progression requirement for non-IP students to enroll into Junior Colleges or Millennia Institute under the Joint Admissions Exercise. Failure to meet the criteria will mean the student did not fulfill the MTL requirement to progress to Year 5.
For IP students who did not meet the MTL requirement to progress to Year 5, they will be provisionally promoted to VJC and are required to offer H1 MTL as well as re-sit the O Level MTL Examination in the following year. They must obtain a D7 or better in this O Level MTL Examination to be deemed as having fulfilled the MTL requirement for entry to Junior Colleges.
The Year 3 EYE HTML Examination set by IP Schools will be recognized by MOE as equivalent to the GCE O Level MTL Examination. IP students who have achieved a minimum grade of D7 will be deemed as meeting progression requirement to Junior Colleges and can proceed to continue offering HMTL in Year 4.
If he failed to obtain at least a D7 or better, he would have to offer MTL instead of HMTL and sit for the GCE O Level MTL Examination in June of the following year.
For Year 3 students offering MTL, NTIL or MT in lieu, they will sit for the GCE O Level MTL exams in June or November in Year 4. A minimum of D7 is required for them to proceed to Year 5 in VJC and continue offering H1 MTL in VJC.
Sec 4
For Sec 4 HMTL students who did not meet the requirement of a minimum grade of B3 with their GCE O Level MTL exam result, they would have to offer MTL instead of HMTL after the release of the GCE O Level MTL exam result.