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2021 School Placement Exercise for Returning Singaporeans

Published Date: 06 July 2021 11:00 AM

News Press Releases

1. The 2021 School Placement Exercise for Returning Singaporeans (SPERS) will be open for applications from 7 July 2021, for Returning Singaporean (RS) students who are returning from overseas and wish to join our secondary schools, junior colleges (JC) or Millennia Institute (MI) at the start of the 2022 academic year. The application can be done via the following links:

SPERS-Sec: https://www.moe.gov.sg/returning-singaporeans/secondary/spers

SPERS-JC/MI: https://www.moe.gov.sg/returning-singaporeans/post-secondary/spers

2. SPERS is a centralised placement exercise held towards the end of each year for RS students who have lived and studied overseas and now want to seek a place in a local school. With SPERS, Singaporean parents working abroad can apply for re-entry into the mainstream school system for their children when the family relocates back to Singapore. RS students will only need to sit for one set of centralised SPERS tests, and then indicate their school choices before MOE posts them to a suitable school.

3. RS students seeking admission to Secondary 1 to 3 in 2022 can apply to take the SPERS-Sec tests scheduled on 21 September 2021. RS students seeking admission to Pre-University 1 can apply to take the SPERS-JC/MI tests on 11 November 2021. Since Secondary 4 and Pre-University 2 are national examination years, RS students generally will not re-enter the school system at these levels. SPERS applicants will receive their school placement results in December 2021, enabling them to join our secondary schools and JC/MI at the start of the school term in 2022.

Supplementary Placement Exercise (SPE)

4. For RS students who are unable to return in time to sit for the SPERS-Sec tests in September 2021, MOE will conduct another round of tests in December 2021 under the Supplementary Placement Exercise (SPE). The application for SPE will open in October 2021, the SPE tests are tentatively scheduled on 7 December 2021, and SPE applicants will tentatively receive their school placement results on 4 February 2022 for admissions from February 2022.

5. While RS students can choose to take part in either the SPERS-Sec or SPE exercises, they are advised to apply for SPERS-Sec if they are able to return in September, since this would allow them to start the 2022 academic year in January together with their peers.

6. In view of the COVID-19 situation, the conduct of the SPERS-Sec, SPE and SPERS-JC/MI exercises will be aligned to the national safe management measures leading up to and during the actual test dates. This means that all candidates are required to complete their Quarantine Order or Stay-Home-Notice prior to the test date to ensure the safety of our candidates and examiners, and safe management measures will be in place during the conduct of the tests. MOE will keep applicants updated should there be any changes or cancellation of these exercises. More details of the 2021 SPERS-Sec, SPE and SPERS-JC/MI exercises, including the application form, can be found in Annex A and on MOE RS website at https://www.moe.gov.sg/returning-singaporeans.

Assured School Placement for RS Students

7. RS students have the alternative option of enrolling in a secondary school near their Singapore residence, without the need to sit for any centralised test, under MOE's Assured School Placement service. The Assured School Placement service is a convenient admissions route whereby MOE will guarantee RS admission into a school with vacancies near their residence, even before they return to Singapore. While the RS student need not sit for any centralised test, the school may conduct school-based assessments and/or an interview for placement purposes. For more information about the Assured School Placement service, please visit https://www.moe.gov.sg/returning-singaporeans/assured-school-placement.

Primary School Admissions

8. For RS students of primary-school age who are seeking admission into primary schools, they may approach MOE at any time of the year for assistance. MOE will offer the RS student a place in a primary school with vacancies near the child's residence, at a level appropriate for the child's age cohort.

9. The RS student will not have to sit for any placement test for admission, although the primary school may conduct school-based tests after admission. This is to ascertain the child's current attainment level and provide the appropriate assistance to help the child settle into the school.