Parents' guide: SEC and Full Subject-Based Banding

Parents · 4 min read

The KiddoSG app is launching soon. This guide shows how it will work.

Photo: for illustration.

Secondary school has changed. Here's a short guide, and how it affects your search in the app.

Full Subject-Based Banding (Full SBB)

It started with students who entered Secondary 1 in 2024.
There are no more Express, Normal (Academic) and Normal (Technical) streams. Students are in mixed form classes.
Each subject is taken at a level: G1, G2 or G3 (G3 is the most demanding). A student might take Maths at G3 and Science at G2.
Students can move a subject up or down a level as they progress.

The Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) replaces the O-Level and N-Level exams.
The first SEC exams are in 2027, taken by the 2024 Secondary 1 cohort.
Students sit papers at the subject levels they take (G1, G2 or G3), and receive one certificate.

In the app, set your child's subject level for each subject. Tutors list the levels they teach, so matches are more accurate.
Choose a tutor who knows the current syllabus for that subject level. Ask about it during the trial.
Some subjects (e.g. Additional Maths) are only offered at certain levels. Check with your child's school.

Banding gives students more flexibility, not less. Tuition should build understanding and confidence, not just chase grades.

For official details, see MOE's pages on Full SBB and the SEC. Policies can change; always check moe.gov.sg.