JC & Poly Course Finder & Planner (2027)
Free Guides & Tools for Sec 4 Students
Zenith’s O-Level To JC & Poly Toolkit
Everything for the move to JC, MI, poly or ITE, in the order you'll need it
| When | Step | Page | What It Helps You Do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dec – Jan | Check the results & JAE dates | O-Level Dates & Results Day | Results day, Form A and application dates |
| Jan | Understand O-Level grades | O-Level Grading System | How each grade turns into points |
| Jan | Work out your aggregates | L1R5 & ELR2B2 CalculatorTool | L1R5, L1R4 and ELR2B2, with bonus pointsL1R5 · ELR2B2 · L1R4 |
| Jan | Learn how the JAE works | JAE Guide (2027) | Form A, eligibility, bonus points and how your 12 choices are posted |
| Jan | Compare JC & MI cut-offs | JC Cut-Off Points & Rankings | 2026 ranges for every JC and MI |
| Jan | Compare poly cut-offs | Poly Cut-Off Points | 2026 cut-offs for every diploma, by ELR2B2 type |
| Results week | Shortlist your 12 JAE choices | JC & Poly Course Finder & PlannerTool | Compare JC, MI, poly and ITE courses and rank your 12 choices for the JAE form |
| 2 Feb | Check the posting results | JAE Posting Results (2027) | How to check, what to do next and appeals |
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How to Choose Your 12 JAE Choices
On the JAE form you list up to 12 courses, in order of preference. JC, Millennia Institute (MI), polytechnic and 2-year Higher Nitec courses all go on the same list, in any order. Each JC course is a separate choice: a JC's Arts and Science courses are two choices with two codes.
1. Order decides where you go
Posting is by merit. Students are placed from the best net aggregate down, and each student gets the highest choice on their list that they're eligible for and that still has places. So the order of your list is the order of your wishes.
- Put the course you want most at the top, then work down in your true order of preference
- Don't put a course you'd like less above one you'd like more. If you'd get both, you'll be posted to the higher one
- This is the order trap families most often fall into: a polytechnic course listed above a JC you'd also get means a polytechnic posting. That's fine only if the polytechnic course is what you want most
2. Mix your choices
Compare each course's 2026 cut-off with your own net aggregate for that course (after bonus points). Lower aggregates are better, so a cut-off above your aggregate leaves you room to spare.
- Stretch: a cut-off 1 to 2 points below your aggregate. Worth a try if you really want it, but don't rely on it
- Close match: a cut-off 0 to 2 points above your aggregate. You'd have got in last year, with little room to spare
- Safe: a cut-off 3 or more points above your aggregate. Very likely, even if cut-offs move
A strong list has your stretches and close matches near the top and at least one or two safe choices you'd be happy with lower down. The planner shows which choice you'd most likely be posted to if cut-offs hold, and warns you when a harder course sits below an easier one.
3. Only list courses you're eligible for
Your Form A, emailed on results day, shows the courses you're eligible for. A choice you're not eligible for is skipped, so it wastes a place on your list.
- JC: an L1R5 gross aggregate of 20 or lower, with English C6, Mathematics D7 and Mother Tongue D7 (or Higher Mother Tongue E8) or better. If you miss one of those grades, you can still be admitted conditionally with an L1R5 of 15 or lower
- MI: an L1R4 gross aggregate of 20 or lower, with the same subject grades
- Polytechnic: an ELR2B2 net aggregate of 26 or lower for the course's ELR2B2 type, plus the course's own subject requirements
- ITE (2-year Higher Nitec): at least 5 O-Level subjects and the course's subject requirements
4. Count your bonus points
- CCA: Excellent gives 2 points and Good gives 1, for every route
- English and Higher Mother Tongue both A1 to C6: 2 points for JC and MI courses
- Affiliated JC: 2 points, but only when the affiliated JC is your 1st choice, or its two courses are your 1st and 2nd
- JC and MI bonus points are capped at 4; polytechnic and ITE at 2
5. Use all 12 choices
More choices mean more chances. If none of your choices has a place for you, MOE posts you to a course you qualify for that still has places, at the same type of institution as your 1st choice, which may not be a course you'd have picked. If there's none, you can appeal for a polytechnic or ITE course. Filling all 12 with courses you'd be happy to take keeps the decision in your hands. Cut-offs change every year and the rules are set by MOE: check your Form A and MOE's JAE pages before you submit.
Which Courses Can I Get Into?
Add your O-Level grades in the planner and it works out your L1R5, L1R4 and ELR2B2 aggregates the way MOE does, takes off your bonus points course by course, and checks each course's entry rules. It then compares your net aggregate with each course's 2026 cut-off: the net aggregate of the last student it took in the 2026 JAE.
No results yet? Choose Estimate Scores and enter the aggregates you expect from your prelims. Results are out between 13 and 15 January 2027 (tentative), and you then have 6 calendar days to apply on the JAE Internet System with Singpass.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many choices can I make in the JAE?
Up to 12 course choices, in order of preference. JC, MI, polytechnic and 2-year Higher Nitec courses can be mixed in any order. There is no limit on how many of each type you list.
Can I put both JC and polytechnic courses on my form?
Yes. Posting gives you the highest choice you qualify for that still has places, so put the course you want most first, whichever route it's on.
What is the difference between gross and net aggregates?
The gross aggregate is the total of your grades in the subjects counted. The net aggregate is the gross aggregate minus your bonus points. JC and MI eligibility uses the gross aggregate; posting, and polytechnic eligibility, use the net aggregate.
When does the affiliation bonus count?
Only when your affiliated JC is your 1st choice, or its two courses are your 1st and 2nd choices. Listed lower down, the course is scored without the 2 points.
Where do the cut-offs come from?
MOE's 2026 JAE ranges, published in SchoolFinder and in MOE's list of courses offered in the 2027 JAE. MOE updates them with the 2027 ranges on posting results day, 2 February 2027.
Is my data saved?
Your grades and choices stay in your own browser so you can come back to them. Nothing is sent to Zenith, and postal codes aren't stored.
