Criteria for Student Progression

2025 Secondary 1 and Secondary 2 Students

Under Full Subject-Based Banding, the criteria for student progression aligns to the broader efforts by MOE to:

give students greater ownership of their learning according to their readiness, strengths, interests and learning needs, and
encourage students to develop a growth mindset and an intrinsic motivation to learn for life.

All students generally progress to the next year of learning, guided by a common academic requirement that applies at the end of Secondary 2 and Secondary 3.

Secondary 1 students will progress to Secondary 2 as the lower secondary curriculum is a two-year block. This eases the transition of a student from primary to secondary school and provides time for students to adjust to the curriculum.
At the end of Secondary 2 and Secondary 3, students need to meet the academic requirement to offer subjects at the same subject levels:

Pass^ (a) EL and 2 subjects, or

(b) at least half the total number of examinable subjects* offered

Secondary 1 and 2 students progressing to the next year of learning have opportunities to calibrate curricular load based on the school’s holistic considerations of what is educationally meaningful for each student.
- Students who have met the academic requirement and have done well could consider offering subjects at more demanding level (MDL). To offer a subject at MDL, students need to have obtained ≥75% in subject overall marks.
- Students who have not met the academic requirement are to offer fewer subjects and/or offer subjects at less demanding level (LDL).

^ ‘Pass’ refers to subject overall mark of at least 50%, regardless of subject level.

* ‘Examinable subjects’ do not include CCE, PE and lower secondary Music.

2025 Secondary 3 Students

To be promoted to Secondary 4, students will have to meet the minimum attainment level for their respective streams:

	Promotion Criteria (Minimum Attainment Level)	Met Minimum Attainment Level	Met Minimum Attainment Level AND Lateral Transfer Guideline^	Not Met Minimum Attainment Level^@
Sec 3E^#	Grade 6 or better in EL and 2 other subjects	Promoted to Sec 4E	N/A	Retained at Sec 3E
Sec 3N(A)	Grade 5 or better in: EL and 2 other subjects OR 4 subjects	Promoted to Sec 4N(A)	N/A	Retained at Sec 3N(A)
Sec 3N(T)	Grade D or better in 2 subjects, one of which should be EL or Mathematics	Promoted to Sec 4N(T)	Take Sec 3 in 2026 with most subjects at G2	Retained at Sec 3N(T)

^ Minimum of 70% in the overall percentage of all subjects combined.

^# For Sec 3E students who do not meet the Minimum Attainment Level, they can be advanced to Sec 4E if they meet Advancement Criteria of Grade 6 or better in 5 subjects.

^@ Applicable only to students below the maximum age.