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Last Updated: 30 Dec 2025

Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP)

Important update: This page reflects the changes to the PFP and its new eligibility criteria from AY2026. Eligible students will now be admitted into course clusters, except for selected specialised courses. More information on the eligibility criteria changes can be found below.

1. Overview

What is PFP?

It is a one-year programme that serves as an alternative to Secondary 5 by offering Secondary 4 Normal (Academic) students a practice-based preparatory pathway at polytechnics. Students will be admitted to PFP in 3 broad clusters and will progress to one of the diplomas within their cluster after completing the one-year programme:

  • Sciences
  • Humanities, Art, Media and Business
  • Design, Engineering and Technology

    NYP and TP offer the third cluster as two sub-clusters: (i) Design and (ii) Engineering & Technology.

View the list of clusters and courses offered by each polytechnic(127KB).

After passing the PFP year, students will be posted to a specific polytechnic Year 1 course within the cluster. Posting will be based on merit and course choice. Your polytechnic will brief you on the posting process.

Diploma-specific admission will continue for selected specialised courses:

  • Nursing (NP and NYP)
  • Early Childhood Development & Education course (NP and TP)
  • Tamil Studies with Early Education course (NP)

Who can apply

Secondary 4 Normal (Academic) students who have taken the N-Level examinations as a school candidate in the preceding year.

KEY EVENTS

Between Wed, 14 Jan and Fri, 16 Jan 2026 (tentative)

Release of O-Level results and receive Form P

You will receive a copy of Form P through your school upon release of the O-level results, if you are eligible to apply for the PFP.

6 calendar days starting from the day of the O-Level results release

Apply

You can apply through the PFP Admissions Exercise (PFPAE) portal.

Find out more:

1.30pm on Mon, 26 Jan 2026

Release of posting results

The PFP posting results will be released at 1.30pm on Monday, 26 January 2026 through the PFPAE portal.

If your result is successful and you have accepted the posting, you will be withdrawn from Secondary 5.

1.30pm on Mon, 26 Jan 2026 to 4.30pm on Thurs, 29 Jan 2026

Accept, reject or appeal

You will need to accept your offer, reject your offer or submit an appeal for another course through the PFPAE portal by 4.30pm on Thursday, 29 January 2026.

1.30pm on Wed, 4 Feb 2026

Release of appeal outcome

You can check the appeal outcome on the PFPAE portal. Find out more. 

1.30pm on Wed, 4 Feb 2026 to 4.30pm on Fri, 6 Feb 2026

Accept or reject appeal offer

You can accept or reject the offer through the PFPAE portal.

Mon, 13 Apr 2026

Start of PFP course

Eligibility criteria