Direct School Admission (DSA) in Singapore is a unique scheme that allows primary and secondary students to gain admission to secondary schools or junior colleges (JCs) based on their talents, achievements, and interests beyond the regular academic criteria. This initiative, established by the Ministry of Education (MOE), aims to recognize and nurture diverse talents in areas such as sports, arts, music, leadership, and specific academic subjects.

Starting in 2018, secondary schools are permitted to accept up to 20% of their Secondary One students for the four-year O-Level track via the Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme (Source).

Specialised Independent Schools, such as NUS High School, School of the Arts, and School of Science and Technology, have complete autonomy in their admissions process, enrolling all of their students through the DSA. Schools offering the Integrated Programme (IP) also have full control over admissions for the IP, though the percentage of students admitted through the DSA varies by school.

Key Features of DSA

Talent-Based Admission

• Primary to Secondary: Primary 6 students can apply to secondary schools through the DSA-Sec, which focuses on their talents in non-academic areas.
• Secondary to Junior College: Secondary 4 or equivalent students can apply to JCs through the DSA-JC, showcasing their strengths in specific areas.

Holistic Selection

•  Schools look beyond Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) or GCE 'O' Level results.
•  They consider a range of talents and achievements, including sports, arts, leadership, and specific academic strengths.

School-Specific Criteria

•    Each participating school sets its own criteria and selection process.
•    Schools may conduct interviews, auditions, or trials as part of the assessment.

Early Commitment

•  Successful DSA candidates are given a place in the school before the release of their PSLE or 'O' Level results.
•  They must commit to the school, and their choice is binding once they accept the DSA offer.

Diverse School Options

• Both mainstream and specialized independent schools participate in DSA.
• This includes schools with niche programs such as sports academies or arts schools.

No Impact on National Exams

• DSA offers are made independently of the national exams.
• Students still need to meet the minimum academic requirements set by the schools to confirm their placement.

 

Benefits of DSA

1. Recognising Diverse Talents: The DSA scheme provides opportunities for students with exceptional talents to develop their strengths in a supportive environment.
2. Personalised Education Pathways: It allows students to choose schools that align with their talents and interests, promoting a more customized educational journey.
3. Encouraging Holistic Development: The focus on non-academic areas encourages students to pursue and excel in co-curricular activities.

 

There are 2 different DSA Domains that have been included in this list:

1. STEM
2. Entrepreneurship & Innovation

 

There are 26 DSA Talent Areas included in this list:

1. Aerospace
2. Applied Sciences - Forensic Science
3. Chemical and Applied Sciences (Fragrance)
4. Coding
5. Computational Thinking
6. Design Technology Innovation
7. Design Thinking and Engineering
8. Digital Media
9. Electronics
10. Environmental Science
11. Food Science and Technology
12. Infocomm
13. Innovation
14. Mathematics
15. Mechatronics, Aeronautics and Robotics
16. Programming and 3D Modelling
17. Robotics
18. Science
19. Science & Technology
20. Science for Sustainable Development
21. Scientific Investigation
22. STEAM
23. STEM
24. STEM - Aeronautics
25. STEM - Aerospace and Aviation
26. STEM - Creative Engineering and Modelling

 

List of DSA Schools 

School Name	Level	Area	DSA Domain	DSA Talent Areas	Co-Ed (Y/N)	Integrated Programme
Admiralty Secondary School	Secondary	Woodlands	STEM	Robotics	Y	N
Admiralty Secondary School	Secondary	Woodlands	STEM	STEM	Y	N
Admad Ibrahim Secondary School	Secondary	Yishun	STEM
Anderson Secondary School	Secondary	Ang Mo Kio	STEM	Robotics	Y	N
Ang Mo Kio Secondary School	Secondary	Ang Mo Kio	STEM
Anglican High School	Secondary	Bedok	STEM	Robotics	Y	N
Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Road)	Secondary	Novena	STEM	Robotics	N (Boys)	N
Anglo-Chinese School (Barker Roaf)	Secondary	Novena	STEM	Digital Media	N (Boys)	N
Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)	Secondary	Queenstown	STEM	Mathematics	N (Boys)	Y
Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)	Secondary	Queenstown	STEM	Robotics	N (Boys)	Y
Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)	Secondary	Queenstown	STEM	Science	N (Boys)	Y
Assumption English School	Secondary	Bukit Panjang	STEM
Assumption Pathway School	Secondary	Bukit Panjang	STEM
Bartley Secondary School	Secondary	Toa Payoh	STEM	Chemical and Applied Sciences (Fragrance)	Y	N
Beatty Secondary School	Secondary	Toa Payoh	STEM	STEM	Y	N
Bedok Green Secondary School	Secondary	Bedok	STEM	STEM	Y	N
Bedok South Secondary School	Secondary	Bedok	Entrepreneurship & Innovation	Innovation	Y	N
Bedok View Secondary School	Secondary	Bedok	STEM
Bendemeer Secondary School	Secondary	Kallang	STEM
Boon Lay Secondary School	Secondary	Jurong West	STEM	Science	Y	N
Bowen Secondary School	Secondary	Hougang	STEM
Broadrick Secondary School	Secondary	Geylang	STEM	STEM	Y	N
Bukit Batok Secondary School	Secondary	Bukit Batok	STEM	Robotics	Y	N
Bukit Merah Secondary School	Secondary	Bukit Merah	STEM	STEM	Y	N
Bukit Panjang Govt. High School	Secondary	Choa Chu Kang	STEM
Bukit View Secondary School	Secondary	Bukit Batok	STEM	Coding	Y	N
Bukit View Secondary School	Secondary	Bukit Batok	STEM	Environmental Science	Y	N
Bukit View Secondary School	Secondary	Bukit Batok	STEM	STEM - Aerospace and Aviation	Y	N
Canberra Seconddary School	Secondary	Sembawang	STEM
Catholic High School (Secondary)	Secondary	Bishan	STEM	Mathematics	N (Boys)	Y
Catholic High School (Secondary)	Secondary	Bishan	STEM	Science	N (Boys)	Y
Cedar Girls' Secondary School	Secondary	Toa Payoh	STEM
Changkat Changi Secondary School	Secondary	Tampines	STEM	STEM - Aerospace and Aviation	Y	N
CHIJ Katong Convent	Secondary	Marine Parade	STEM
CHIJ Secondary (Toa Payoh)	Secondary	Toa Payoh	STEM
CHIJ St Joseph's Convent	Secondary	Seng Kang	STEM
CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls' School (Secondary)	Secondary	Ang Mo Kio	STEM	Science	N (Girls)	IP
CHIJ St Theresa's Convent	Secondary	Bukit Merah	STEM
Christ Church Secondary School	Secondary	Woodlands	STEM
Chua Chu Kang Secondary School	Secondary	Choa Chu Kang	STEM
Chung Cheng High School (Main)	Secondary	Marine Parade	STEM
Chung Cheng High School (Yishun)	Secondary	Yishun	STEM
Clementi Town Secondary School	Secondary	Clementi	STEM	Coding	Y	N
Commonwealth Secondary School	Secondary	Jurong East	STEM	Coding	Y	N
Commonwealth Secondary School	Secondary	Jurong East	STEM	Environmental Science	Y	N
Compassvale Secondary School	Secondary	Seng Kang	STEM	STEM - Aeronautics	Y	N
Crescent Girls' School	Secondary	Bukit Mera	STEM
Damai Secondary School	Secondary	Bedok	STEM
Dunearn Secondary School	Secondary	Bukit Batok	STEM	Food Science and Technology	Y	N
Dunman High School (Secondary)	Secondary	Kallang	STEM	STEAM	Y	Y
Dunman Secondary School	Secondary	Tampines	STEM
East Spring Secondary School	Secondary	Tampines	STEM
Edgefield Secondary School	Secondary	Punggol	Entrepreneurship & Innovation	Innovation	Y	N
Evergreen Secondary School	Secondary	Woodlands	STEM
Fairfield Methodist School (Secondary)	Secondary	Queenstown	STEM
Fuchun Secondary School	Secondary		STEM
Fuhua Secondary School	Secondary	Jurong West	STEM	Applied Sciences - Forensic Science	Y	N
Gan Eng Seng School	Secondary	Bukit Merah	STEM	STEM	Y	N
Geylang Methodist School (Secondary)	Secondary	Geylang	STEM	Science for Sustainable Development	Y	N
Greendale Secondary School	Secondary	Punggol	STEM	Design, Technology and Engineering (DTE)	Y	N
Greenridge Secondary School	Secondary	Bukit Panjang	STEM
Guangyang Secondary School	Secondary	Bishan	STEM
Hai Sing Catholic School	Secondary	Pasir Ris	STEM	Robotics	Y	N
Hillgrove Secondary School	Secondary	Bukit Batok	STEM	STEM	Y	N
Holy Innocents' High School	Secondary	Hougang	STEM
Hougang Secondary School	Secondary	Hougang	STEM
Hua Yi Secondary School	Secondary	Jurong West	STEM
Hwa Chong Institution (Secondary)	Secondary	Bukit Timah	STEM	Infocomm	N (Boys)	Y
Hwa Chong Institution (Secondary)	Secondary	Bukit Timah	STEM	Mathematics	N (Boys)	Y
Hwa Chong Institution (Secondary)	Secondary	Bukit Timah	STEM	Science	N (Boys)	Y
Junyuan Secondary School	Secondary	Tampines	STEM
Jurong Secondary School	Secondary	Jurong West	STEM	Science	Y	N
Jurong West Secondary School	Secondary	Jurong West	STEM
Jurongville Secondary School	Secondary	Jurong East	STEM	Electronics	Y	N
Juyng Secondary School	Secondary	Jurong East	STEM
Kent Ridge Secondary School	Secondary	Clementi	STEM	Computational Thinking	Y	N
Kranji Secondary School	Secondary	Choa Chu Kang	STEM	Science	Y	N
Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Secondary School	Secondary	Bishan	STEM
Loyang View Secondary School	Secondary	Pasir Ris	STEM	STEM	Y	N
Manjusri Secondary School	Secondary	Geylang	STEM	Science & Technology	Y	N
Maris Stella High School (Secondary)	Secondary	Toa Payoh	STEM	Robotics	N (Boys)	N
Marsiling Secondary School	Secondary	Woodlands	STEM	Environmental Science	Y	N
Mayflower Secondary School	Secondary	Ang Mo Kio	STEM
Meridian Secondary School	Secondary	Pasir Ris	STEM
Methodist Girls' School (Secondary)	Secondary	Bukit Timah	STEM	STEM	N (Girls)	Y
Montfort Secondary School	Secondary	Hougang	STEM
Nan Chiau High School	Secondary	Clementi	STEM
Nanyang Girls' High School	Secondary	Bukit Timah	Entrepreneurship & Innovation	Innovation	N (Girls)	Y
Nanyang Girls' High School	Secondary	Bukit Timah	STEM	Science	N (Girls)	IP
National Junior College (Secondary)	Secondary	Bukit Timah	STEM	STEAM	Y	Y
Naval Base Secondary School	Secondary	Yishun	STEM
New Town Secondary School	Secondary	Queenstown	STEM
Ngee Ann Secondary School	Secondary	Tampines	STEM	Coding	Y	N
North Vista Secondary School	Secondary	Yishun	STEM
Northbrooks Secondary School	Secondary	Yishun	STEM	Aerospace	Y	N
Northland Secondary School	Secondary	Yishun	STEM
NUS High School of Mathematics and Science	Secondary	Clementi	STEM	Mathematics	Y	Y
NUS High School of Mathematics and Science	Secondary	Clementi	STEM	Science	Y	Y
Orchid Park Secondary School	Secondary	Yishun	STEM
Pasir Ris Crest Secondary School	Secondary	Pasir Ris	STEM
Pasir Ris Secondary School	Secondary	Tampines	STEM	Digital Media	Y	N
Paya Lebar Methodist Girls' School (Secondary)	Secondary	Hougang	STEM
Pei Hwa Secondary School	Secondary	Seng Kang	STEM	Robotics	Y	N
Peicai Secondary School	Secondary	Serangoon	STEM
Perice Secondary School	Secondary	Bishan	STEM
Presbyterian High School	Secondary	Ang Mo Kio	STEM
Punggol Secondary School	Secondary	Punggol	STEM	Environmental Science	Y	N
Queenstown Secondary School	Secondary	Queenstown	STEM
Queensway Secondary School	Secondary	Queenstown	STEM	Scientific Investigation	Y	N
Raffles Girls' School (Secondary)	Secondary	Central	STEM	Science	N (Girls)	IP
Raffles Institution (Secondary)	Secondary	Bishan	STEM	Mathematics	N (Boys)	Y
Raffles Institution (Secondary)	Secondary	Bishan	STEM	Science	N (Boys)	Y
Regent Secondary School	Secondary	Choa Chu Kang	STEM	Robotics	Y	N
River Valley High School (Secondary)	Secondary	Jurong West	STEM	Coding	Y	Y
River Valley High School (Secondary)	Secondary	Jurong West	STEM	Design Technology Innovation	Y	Y
River Valley High School (Secondary)	Secondary	Jurong West	STEM	Environmental Science	Y	Y
River Valley High School (Secondary)	Secondary	Jurong West	STEM	Robotics	Y	Y
River Valley High School (Secondary)	Secondary	Jurong West	STEM	Science Investigation	Y	Y
Riverside Secondary School	Secondary	Woodlands	STEM
School of Science and Technology, Singapore	Secondary	Clementi	STEM	STEAM	Y	N
School of the Arts, Singapore	Secondary	Central	STEM
Sembawang Secondary School	Secondary	Sembawang	STEM	Coding	Y	N
Sembawang Secondary School	Secondary	Sembawang	STEM	Environmental Science	Y	N
Sembawang Secondary School	Secondary	Sembawang	STEM	Robotics	Y	N
Seng Kang Secondary School	Secondary	Seng Kang	STEM
Serangoon Garden Secondary School	Secondary	Serangoon	STEM
Serangoon Secondary School	Secondary	Hougang	STEM	Programming & 3D Modelling	Y	N
Singapore Chinese Girls' School	Secondary	Novena	STEM	Robotics	N (Girls)	Y
Singapore Chinese Girls' School	Secondary	Novena	STEM	Science	N (Girls)	IP
Springfield Secondary School	Secondary	Tampines	STEM
St. Andrew's Secondary School	Secondary	Toa Payoh	STEM	STEM	N (Boys)	N
St Anthony's Canossian Secondary School	Secondary	Bedok	STEM
St Gabriel's Secondary School	Secondary	Serangoon	STEM
St Hilda's Secondary School	Secondary	Tampines	STEM
St. Joseph's Institution (Secondary)	Secondary	Novena	Entrepreneurship & Innovation	Innovation	N (Boys)	Y
St. Joseph's Institution (Secondary)	Secondary	Novena	STEM
St Margaret's School (Secondary)	Secondary	Bukit Timah	STEM
St Patrick's School	Secondary	Tampines	STEM
Swiss Cottage Secondary School	Secondary	Bukit Batok	STEM	Science	Y	N
Tampines Secondary School	Secondary	Tampines	STEM	STEM - Creative Engineering and Modelling	Y	N
Tanjong Katong Secondary School	Secondary	Marine Parade	STEM	Mathematics	Y	N
Tanjong Katong Secondary School	Secondary	Marine Parade	STEM	Science	Y	N
Teck Whye Secondary School	Secondary	Choa Chu Kang	STEM	Science for Sustainable Development	Y	N
Temasek Junior College (Secondary)	Secondary	Bedok	STEM	Mathematics	Y	Y
Temasek Junior College (Secondary)	Secondary	Bedok	STEM	Science	Y	Y
Temasek Secondary School	Secondary	Bedok	STEM
Unity Secondary School	Secondary	Bedok	STEM
Victoria School	Secondary	Bedok	STEM	Mathematics	N (Boys)	Y
Victoria School	Secondary	Bedok	STEM	Science	N (Boys)	Y
West Spring Secondary School	Secondary	Bukit Panjang	STEM
Westwood Secondary School	Secondary	Jurong West	STEM
Whitley Secondary School	Secondary	Bishan	STEM
Woodgrove Secondary School	Secondary	Woodlands	STEM	Science for Sustainable Development	Y	N
Woodlands Ring Secondary School	Secondary	Woodlands	STEM	Robotics	Y	N
Woodlands Ring Secondary School	Secondary	Woodlands	STEM	STEAM	Y	N
Woodlands Secondary School	Secondary	Woodlands	STEM	STEM	Y	N
Xinmin Secondary School	Secondary	Hougang	STEM
Yio Chu Kang Secondary School	Secondary	Ang Mo Kio	STEM	Coding	Y	N
Yio Chu Kang Secondary School	Secondary	Ang Mo Kio	STEM	Mechatronics, Aeronautics and Robotics	Y	N
Yishun Secondary School	Secondary	Yishun	STEM
Yishun Town Secondary School	Secondary	Yishun	STEM
Yuan Ching Secondary School	Secondary	Jurong West	STEM	Robotics	Y	N
Yuhua Secondary School	Secondary	Jurong West	STEM	Robotics	Y	N
Yusof Ishak Secondary School	Secondary	Punggol	STEM	Mathematics	Y	N
Yusof Ishak Secondary School	Secondary	Punggol	STEM	Robotics	Y	N
Yusof Ishak Secondary School	Secondary	Punggol	STEM	Science	Y	N
Yusok Ishak Secondary School	Secondary	Punggol	Entrepreneurship & Innovation	Innovation	Y	N
Yusok Ishak Secondary School	Secondary	Punggol	STEM	STEM	Y	N
Yuying Secondary School	Secondary	Hougang	STEM
Zhenghua Secondary School	Secondary	Bukit Panjang	STEM

 

Application Process

1. Research and Preparation

•  Students and parents should research the schools' DSA offerings and requirements.
• Preparation may include building a portfolio of achievements, training for auditions, or practicing for interviews.

2. Application Submission

• Applications are usually submitted online via the DSA-Sec or DSA-JC portals.
• Each school may have specific forms and documentation requirements.

3. Selection Process

• Schools conduct their own selection processes, which may include interviews, auditions, trials, or submission of portfolios.
• The selection process is designed to assess the applicants' fit with the school's programs.

4. Offer and Acceptance

• Schools make DSA offers based on their assessments.
• Students and parents decide whether to accept the offer, which becomes binding upon acceptance.

 

Challenges and Considerations

Competitive Process

DSA can be highly competitive, with many applicants vying for limited spots in sought-after schools.

Early Specialization

There are concerns about early specialization and pressure on young students to excel in specific areas.

Binding Commitment

The binding nature of DSA offers means that students must be sure of their decision before accepting a place.

 

 Examples of DSA Pathways

1. Sports: Admission to schools with strong sports programs based on athletic prowess.
2. Arts and Music: Entry into schools that specialize in performing arts or music based on artistic talent.
3. Academic Excellence: Selection by schools that offer advanced programs in specific subjects like mathematics or science. It is recommended for students to build a STEAM related portfolio if there is a passion for engineering or technology. STEAM Engine is able to provide guidance for students age 4 and above to create a specialised portfolio for DSA admissions. Find out more with Hani at steamengine@ducklearning.com or Whatsapp her at +65 9822 5921.

The DSA scheme in Singapore supports the development of a more diverse and holistic education system by valuing students' unique talents and interests. It offers an alternative pathway to admission, encouraging schools to cultivate a broad range of abilities and fostering a richer learning environment for all students.

Also check out - Portfolio for STEM Talent Domain: Building an Outstanding Portfolio

Each school has their own set of selection criteria and processes.

You can find more info of the schools through the official Ministry of Education SchoolFinder Database: https://www.moe.gov.sg/schoolfinder/