Undergraduate Admission

Undergraduate admission is coordinated through the Office of Admissions. The admission exercise for local students usually takes place between February and March each year. For international applicants, the exercise commences in October of the previous year. To be eligible to apply for admission, applicants need to present one of the following: the Singapore-Cambridge G.C.E. ‘A’ level certificate; a diploma from a Singapore polytechnic; or equivalent qualifications such as the NUS High School Diploma or International Baccalaureate Diploma. As the medium of instruction is English, applicants may be required to demonstrate proficiency in English as part of the admission criteria. Students admitted into the University may also have to sit for the Qualifying English Test (QET) set by the NUS Centre for English Language Communication.

Up to 10% of vacancies will be set aside for consideration of exceptional candidates for admission to NUS, where factors other than grades will be considered. These include outstanding performances at international competitions or events in the fields of sports, science, arts or culture; note worthy records of community service or relevant work experience; and key leadership roles held by the candidates. Candidates may also provide information on awards/honours that they have received.

Details of the admission framework and procedures are available on the website of the Office of AdmissionsPrograms

International Applicants

You would be considered an international applicant if you are neither a Singapore Citizen nor Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR) and not presenting the qualifications listed below:

Singapore-Cambridge GCE A level

Diploma from a Polytechnic in Singapore

International Baccalaureate

NUS High School Diploma

Admission requirements and closing dates

If you are such an applicant seeking admission to NUS, you should have completed or are completing high school, that is, at least twelve years of general education in the year of application. You may view the list of acceptable high school qualifications here.

Application closing dates apply according to your high school qualification. Unless otherwise specified, your complete application must reach the Office of Admissions by the application closing date.

English Language Requirement

The medium of instruction at NUS is English. To enable you to benefit from an NUS education, we expect you to have achieved a minimum level of English proficiency. For certain qualifications, you are also required to furnish additional English Language test scores.