Cut Off Point 2023: Singapore Secondary School COPs

For parents searching for the cut off point 2023, the term refers to the PSLE score of the last student posted to a secondary school during the 2023 Secondary 1 Posting Exercise. The PSLE cut off point 2023 figures were linked to the 2022 PSLE cohort, not students who sat for the PSLE in 2023. Singapore secondary schools had different COPs based on the school, programme, Posting Group and student posting outcomes. The scores are shown using the PSLE Achievement Level (AL) system, with some schools also showing Higher Chinese Language grades such as D or M. These figures are useful as a historical reference when looking at secondary school admission, but a previous COP should not be treated as a fixed score needed for future admission.

TL;DR: What Does Cut Off Point 2023 Mean?

The cut off point 2023 refers to the PSLE score of the last student posted to a school for the 2023 Secondary 1 intake. The figures were based on the 2022 PSLE cohort and reflected PSLE Achievement Levels, with HCL grades shown for some schools. A historical COP is a reference point, not a guaranteed admission score.

What Was the Cut Off Point in 2023?

A COP, or Cut-Off Point, is commonly used to describe the PSLE score of the last student posted to a particular secondary school in a given posting exercise. Under Singapore’s current PSLE scoring system, students receive Achievement Levels from AL1 to AL8 for the four PSLE subjects used to calculate the PSLE Score, with AL1 being the highest level.
For the 2023 Secondary 1 intake, the relevant students were from the 2022 PSLE cohort. So when someone searches for the secondary school COP in 2023, they are generally looking at the posting outcomes for students who took the PSLE in 2022 and entered Secondary 1 in 2023.
The phrase “last student posted” matters. A school-specific COP reflects where the final student in that posting outcome stood in terms of PSLE score. It should not be read as an entry requirement set by the school.
Different schools can have different COPs because school choice, available places and the PSLE scores of applicants affect the eventual posting outcome. A COP can also move from one intake to another, so a previous year’s cut-off point is best treated as historical information rather than a promise about a future school posting.

Secondary School Cut Off Points 2023

The secondary school cut off point 2023 figures below provide historical PSLE cut-off references for selected Singapore secondary schools. They cover schools and programmes that appeared in commonly used 2023 COP tables, including Integrated Programme (IP) and SAP schools. The figures are not a ranking of school quality. They simply show the historical COP recorded for the relevant 2023 Secondary 1 intake.

The table shows why a single “Singapore secondary school COP” does not exist. Each school can have its own historical posting outcome, and the programme can matter too. For example, the 2023 figures for several IP schools ranged from AL6 to AL9, while some SAP schools had a Higher Chinese grade attached to the COP. 

A lower numerical AL represents a stronger PSLE result under the AL scoring system. Still, comparing two schools by COP alone does not tell parents everything about the schools or the admission process. Programme structure, affiliation, school choices and the available places all matter when looking at a particular posting exercise. 

Parents may also see 2023 figures presented as a range rather than one number. MOE’s school information uses indicative PSLE score ranges, where the range reflects the scores of students posted to a school, while the last score in that range serves as the historical COP reference. 

For that reason, the PSLE COP 2023 is most useful when it is read alongside the child’s PSLE AL score and the specific programme being considered. 

What Do 7D, 7M and 8M Mean?

Some 2023 secondary school COP tables include letters after the PSLE AL score. These letters relate to Higher Chinese Language (HCL) for schools where the HCL grade forms part of the posting criteria. In the PSLE grading system, Higher Chinese is graded as Distinction, Merit, Pass or Ungraded rather than using the regular AL1–AL8 scale.

So, 7D is not the same notation as a plain AL7 COP. The D identifies the Higher Chinese grade shown alongside the PSLE score. The same applies to M and P. This is why parents checking an older SAP school COP should read the HCL notation carefully rather than looking only at the number. 

Why Do 2023 COPs Differ Between Schools?

The 2023 COP can differ from school to school because the posting outcome is shaped by factors such as student demand, available school places, PSLE scores and the choices made by applicants. The programme being considered can also matter.
From the 2023 Secondary 1 Posting Exercise, students were allocated to Posting Group 1, Posting Group 2 or Posting Group 3 according to their PSLE Score. These groups replaced the former Express, Normal (Academic) and Normal (Technical) streams while giving students more flexibility under Full Subject-Based Banding.
Affiliation can also appear in historical COP tables, where a school has an affiliated primary school. IP schools, SAP schools and mainstream programmes may show different posting outcomes, so the programme column should always be checked beside the score.
And COP figures can change. A school may have a different last-posted score in another intake because the pattern of school choices, applicant scores and available places is different.

Does Meeting the 2023 COP Guarantee Admission?

No. Meeting a historical COP does not guarantee admission.
The COP represents the score of the last student posted to a school for that particular posting exercise. It is not a fixed minimum admission requirement set by the school. A future intake can produce a different COP because the applicants, school choices and available places may change.
For parents, this distinction matters when using the cut off point 2023 for school choice. A child whose PSLE score is similar to an old COP should not assume that the same school will have the same COP in a later year.
MOE has also advised students to use previous schools’ PSLE COPs as a reference while considering other factors such as school culture, distinctive programmes, subject offerings and Co-Curricular Activities when making school choices.
The safest approach is to treat the historical COP as a reference point and check the latest official school information for the relevant Secondary 1 posting exercise.

How Should Parents Use the 2023 COP?

Parents can use the 2023 secondary school COP as a starting point when reviewing historical admission outcomes:

1. Compare the PSLE Achievement Level. Look at your child’s PSLE Score alongside the historical COP rather than treating the number as a guaranteed threshold.
2. Check the programme. An IP, SAP or mainstream programme may have different admission information, so make sure you are comparing the same type of programme.
3. Check affiliation. If the child is from an affiliated primary school, look at the relevant school-specific information rather than assuming the general COP applies in exactly the same way.
4. Treat 2023 as historical data. The 2023 figure relates to the 2022 PSLE cohort and the 2023 Secondary 1 posting exercise.
5. Check current information. For present-day school selection, parents should use the latest MOE SchoolFinder and current Secondary 1 posting information rather than relying only on an older COP.

This approach gives the historical PSLE score comparison some context. It also prevents a common mistake — assuming that a COP from one year automatically becomes the admission score for the next.

Frequently Asked Questions About Cut Off Point 2023

What was the cut off point in 2023?

There was no single cut off point for all Singapore secondary schools. The 2023 COP varied by school and programme. Historical figures included AL6 for schools such as Raffles Girls’ School, Raffles Institution and Methodist Girls’ School, while other schools had COPs such as 7D, 7M, 8M or 9M.

Was the 2023 secondary school COP based on the 2022 PSLE?

Yes. The 2023 Secondary 1 intake was based on the PSLE results of the 2022 cohort. This is why historical sources describing the 2023 school COP often refer to the 2022 PSLE score range.

What does COP mean in Singapore secondary schools?

COP means Cut-Off Point. In historical secondary school admission data, it generally refers to the PSLE score of the last student posted to a school in that particular posting exercise. It is a historical posting reference, not a permanent school entry requirement.

Does meeting the 2023 COP guarantee admission?

No. A historical COP does not guarantee admission. The score reflects a past posting outcome, and the COP can change for another intake based on factors such as applicant scores, school choices and available places.

What do 7D and 7M mean in PSLE COP?

The number represents the PSLE Achievement Level score, while D and M refer to Higher Chinese Language grades: Distinction and Merit. For example, 7D means AL7 with Higher Chinese Distinction, while 7M means AL7 with Higher Chinese Merit.

Final Takeaway on Cut Off Point 2023

The cut off point 2023 is historical secondary school admission data linked to the 2023 Secondary 1 intake and the 2022 PSLE cohort. It shows the last-student-posted reference for different schools and programmes, rather than a guaranteed admission score. COPs can differ between schools, and D/M/P grades may appear where Higher Chinese Language criteria apply. For current school choices, use the 2023 figures as a reference and check the latest official Singapore school information before making your Secondary 1 choices.