A common dilemma that Singapore A level students face is whether to take (a) 4 H2 subjects for the A Level or (b) 3 H2 subjects and 1 H1 subject for the A Level instead. There are pros and cons to both options so you will need to be aware of all the information available so that you can then make a well informed decision.
As a former MOE JC lecturer with more than 15 years of teaching experience, I will also be sharing some case studies of my past students as well below. However before that, we need to understand how the university admission score works.
University Admission Score
This is how the university admission score and rank points for each subject are being calculated.
For example if your grades are H2 Physics A, H2 Chemistry A, H2 Maths B, H1 Economics B, H1 General Paper B, your score would be:
20 + 20 + 17.5 + 8.75 = 66.25 out of a total possible rank point of 70.
The contrasting subject H1 Economics will not be included in the rank point calculation as it does not improve your university admission score.
More details on rebasing for university admission score calculation can be found here.
Pro of taking 4 H2 subjects: Hedging Against Uncertainty
Taking 4 H2 subjects will give you a backup option to hedge against uncertainties in A Level examinations that others do not have. For example, you may have been consistently scoring A in H2 Mathematics for your school internal assessments and examinations. Unfortunately, during the actual A levels, you made some fatal careless mistakes in the papers and ended up with a C grade instead.
The likelihood of such a scenario happening has also increased significantly with the new H2 Math syllabus where attaining an average score of 70 marks over the two H2 Math papers is likely not sufficient to secure the A grade. Making careless mistakes in the examinations has become more unforgiving. More details can be found here.
Then suppose your weaker subject was H2 Chemistry all along where you are only managing to get a C grade during your school internal assessments and examinations. Your parents and teachers may also be asking you to give serious consideration to drop the subject to H1 Chemistry instead.
However, you eventually decided to continue taking H2 Chemistry. During your intensive revision period in JC2 from June to November, you gained enlightenment and managed to catch up rapidly. Eventually, you attained an A grade for H2 Chemistry.
University Admission Score calculation for both options
Suppose you also scored an A grade for both H2 Physics and H2 Economics, and A grade for H1 general paper, taking the 4 H2 subject option would give you a better and perfect university admission score of 70.
20 rank points for H2 Physics, 20 rank points for H2 Economics, 20 rank points for H2 Chemistry and 10 for H1 General Paper
Hence, total university admission score = 20 + 20 + 20 + 10 = 70
H2 Math will not be taken into account during the calculation.
However, if you have taken the 3 H2 subject option, and your Chemistry was dropped to the H1 level instead, your university admission score would be a lower score of 65.625. This is given that you have also scored A for H1 Chemistry.
20 rank points for H2 Physics, 20 rank points for H2 Economics, 15 rank points for H2 Mathematics, 10 rank points for H1 General Paper, 10 for H1 Chemistry
Hence, total university admission score = (20 + 20 + 15 + 10 + 10)/80 x 70 = 65.625
Case Study of UAS improving due to taking 4 H2 subject option
Below is a student of mine who faced a similar scenario as described above. He was taking the 4H2 PCME subject combination and had been failing his H2 Chemistry. In addition, he was also not performing very well for his H2 Physics and H2 Economics. Hence, his parent asked him to give serious consideration about dropping Chemistry from H2 to H1.
However, he wanted to keep this backup option available and his decision proved to be correct. This is because he did not perform as favourably for H2 Economics at the A level. Thus, continuing with the 4 H2 subject combination had helped him to attain a better university admission score.
In order to improve rapidly just like my past student, I would strongly think that you will need sheer determination and hard work from your part. Having a good and experienced tuition teacher to guide you will also certainly help to accelerate your learning and revision progress instead of figuring things out all on your own.
If you are interested to sign up for tuition with me, you can whatsapp me Mr Mitch Peh at 9651 7737 to enquire on my limited slots available.
Pro of taking 3 H2 & 1 H1 subject: Lighter Workload
The pro of taking 3 H2 subjects instead is that you will have a lighter workload.
This is because the H1 subject has half the content and workload compared to H2. For Science H1 subjects: Physics, Chemistry and Biology, there is no practical component as well. For H1 Economics, there is no essay writing. You only have to do case studies.
This can be hugely beneficial for your mental health as the stress level will be lower.
Final Decision
Ultimately, it is your call whether you should take or continue with the 4H2 subject combination. Hopefully, the above information is useful in helping you make a more well informed decision.
If you are interested to sign up for tuition with Mr Mitch Peh, you can check out my main page for more details such as qualifications and testimonials of past students.