Additional Pathways for Sec 4 Normal (Academic) Graduates

Students who meet the criteria for progression to Secondary 5N (i.e. EL-Maths-Best 3 Subjects < 19) based on their GCE N Level examination will be given two additional options, on top of having the choice of enrolling in Higher Nitec courses in the ITE.

1. POLYTECHNIC FOUNDATION PROGRAMME (PFP)

The PFP is a one-year programme that offers a practice-oriented curriculum taught by Polytechnic lecturers to better prepare Polytechnic-bound N(A) students for entry into relevant Polytechnic Diploma courses. Instead of going through Secondary 5, PFP students are given provisional places in diploma programmes, subjected to them passing all modules in the one-year PFP. Students will then be admitted to the first year of their pre-selected polytechnic courses.

Secondary 4 N(A) students who obtain an ELMAB3 aggregate score not exceeding 12 points (excluding CCA bonus points) at the GCE N Level examination will be eligible to apply for the PFP, provided the students also meet the criteria of respective PFP courses. To apply for most PFP courses, students need to obtain at least EL ≤ 3 points and MA ≤ 3 points.

The PFP is also available to N(A) students who have sat for GCE O level subjects but did not sit for the same subjects at the GCE N level. Such students are allowed to use their school-based O level Preliminary Examination results to compute their eligibility.

Students are not allowed to repeat their PFP. Students who drop out from or fail the PFP can enroll in ITE’s Higher Nitec programmes. Students who wish to pursue their O level examinations may approach their secondary schools to be considered for re-admission or register as O level private candidates.

2. DIRECT-ENTRY-SCHEME-TO-POLYTECHNIC (DES-TO-POLY) PROGRAMME

The DES-to-Poly Programme builds on the ITE Direct-Entry-Scheme (DES) which was introduced in 2008. The DES is a pathway for N(A) students who do well in their N Levels to benefit from hands-on and experiential learning at the ITE by enrolling in a Higher Nitec programme, including a 10-week preparatory course, immediately after Secondary 4. They are subsequently assured of either a first or second-year place in a related Polytechnic course, provided they achieve the qualifying GPA scores in their Higher Nitec programme.

Students who obtained an ELMAB3 aggregate score of 19 points or better (excluding CCA bonus points) at the GCE N Level examination will be eligible to apply to the DES-to-Poly Programme, provided they also obtained the following:

1. EL ≤ 4 and MA ≤ 4 to be eligible to apply for Applied Sciences, Engineering and Info-Communications Technology Higher Nitec DES programmes
2. EL ≤ 3 and MA ≤ 4 to be eligible to apply for Business and Services Higher Nitec DES programmes