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Taking your GCE ‘A’ Levels as a Private Candidate

visakanv
June 21, 2012

Someone dropped by my Tumblr to ask me to write a post about my experience re-taking my A Levels as a private candidate.

Here we go.

REGISTRATION.

If you want to re-take your A’s, the first thing you got to do is to register with the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board. (SEAB). Go to National Examinations -> GCE ‘A’ Levels -> Private Candidates -> Online Registration. You can just click that last link to save yourself the trouble. Registration for this year’s A’s are closed. I believe I registered for mine in late March.

CHOOSING SUBJECTS.

When choosing subjects, you’ll want to check out the Syllabuses. I picked Mathematics, Economics, English Literature, and English Language and Linguistics. All of them H2’s. (And H1 General Paper.)

In JC, I had taken H2 Mathematics, H2 Economics and H2 History, and H1 Literature. (And H1 General Paper.)

I got B’s for H2 Economics, H2 History and H1 Literature. I got an S for H2 Mathematics. (And an A for H1 General Paper.)

I didn’t really study at all. I just sort of skimmed through everything. It’s easy to pass Economics, History and Literature without much effort if you can think and write clearly. Actually, with the benefit of hindsight, I’d say that it’s the same for Mathematics- but you can’t improvise in Mathematics- you’ll have to have a thorough understanding of the language.

I’d say it’s the same for every subject, actually- every subject has its own language, in a way, and you’ll need to learn to speak it fluently if you want to score well. Maths is the most technical  or “different” of the languages… I’ll talk more about this in a later post.

I decided to do English Language and Linguistics instead of History because I didn’t really relish the idea of having to re-learn a whole bunch of history. I enjoyed learning it the first time around, but if I ever have a desire to learn history, I know where to look up the information.

I’ve always been passionate about language and linguistics to some degree, and so I thought it would be fun to try doing something I love. It’s a bit risky, though, because it’s a really young or new subject. The syllabus is vague, and I haven’t seen the specimen papers yet. Still, I imagine that in the worst case scenario I’m going to get a B. (The plan is still to get A’s.)

I specifically avoided taking any science subjects, despite my renewed passion for them. I would quite like to learn Physics, for instance, but it’s complicated- I’ll have to sign up for the practical paper and all that stuff. Messy. I’ll stick to writing, thanks!

STUDY PLAN.

I’m re-doing my A’s together with my friend and former band-mate, Adnin. It’s good to have someone else doing it with you, to keep yourself accountable.

I had sold off my graphing calculator after my A’s, so I’m borrowing one from my girlfriend.

I printed out all the syllabuses to remind myself of what I’m tested on.

I made a deal with a friend who still had his notes for Mathematics and Economics- I traded him some books for his notes, and more importantly, his old Prelim papers. I’ve been spending most of my time going through 2007 JC Prelim Papers for Economics.

I’ll be meeting up with a couple of younger friends who are doing their A’s this year, and I’ll be getting more recent prelim papers from them. I still need to get myself some ELL material.

I haven’t really started properly on Literature and ELL, because I’m fairly confident that I can get up to speed on those in a month if I have to. My strategy at the moment is to build my confidence by getting my Economics up to scratch, to practice my Mathematics at a foundation level (I’ve been watching Math lectures on YouTube and they are absolutely fantastic.) It’s already June, and soon it will be July. Throughout July and August I will be studying hardcore- it will dominate my time.

I have been deleting and removing distractions from my life. I have been decluttering my study space (this will get more dramatic as time goes by). I try to keep track of how much I study every day, and what I accomplished. (This will get more dramatic as time goes by.)

Feel free to ask questions- I don’t have the time to make this post perfect, so think of it as the start of a series of posts that will eventually be clear and useful as a collective. 🙂

===

USEFUL STUFF: Check the syllabuses of all the subjects you’re doing on http://www.seab.gov.sg/.  Print these out. Analyse them. Know them inside out. Tick everything you’re comfortable with and can answer easily. Focus your energy on everything you’re bad at.

MATH:

ECONOMICS:

LITERATURE:

I studied for Literature by…

  1. googling the books
  2. reading the summaries
  3. watching the movies (torrented them)
  4. looked up discussions and book reviews and forums
  5. THEN read the books and started answering questions.

Same for Linguistics. Borrowed a couple of library books, searched YouTube for videos. Immerse yourself.

66 thoughts on “Taking your GCE ‘A’ Levels as a Private Candidate”

  1. bianca

    you make me wanna take up A level lit and art… on my own. haha. while i’m stuck in engineering in poly. but i have absolutely no discipline in doing anything! i’ve only recently started making art again and coming up with project ideas but too lazy to start executing them in the midst of requiring time for my FYP (not that i have actually been using my time for it)

    i really wish you all the best!!! btw, do you really think lit is so easy to do all on your own? and english, and economics… all these writing subjects that can really be so subjective.

    1. visa Post author

      Economics is really straightforward, actually! I don’t think literature will be a problem either. And actually, the more subjective something is, the more confident I am of doing well in it. (English Language & Linguistics seems to be super sketchy; the syllabus and marking scheme is very poorly defined. So I’m guessing there’s a lot of freedom for the marker to mark as he pleases- so if I make the marker happy, I should do well.)

      If you want to, you should! I plan to help people with it. Make sure you don’t do it alone, though- get other people who’ll hold you accountable. I’m thinking of starting like a “club” or something once I’m done with mine- help other people do it. 🙂

  2. bianca

    what do you mean by starting a club and helping other people? through their exams? guide them through the syllabus or just provide motivation?

    oh and why did you decide to repeat your A levels when you got B’s for most of ’em!

    1. visa Post author

      More than motivation, but less than direct hand-holding. More like a coaching sort of thing I guess!

      I got an S for my H2 maths, which makes it impossibru to get into NUS/NTU/SMU. Also, I want to get straight A’s so nobody can call me sour grapes when I say the education system is full of shit at the moment.

  3. colleen

    yoooou! if you remember me. i’m doing a’s this year too. in sajc. feel free to ask for notes if you need them. we have lit econs and maths in common 🙂

  4. F C Sum

    Hi! It’s an interesting concept to mount a site like yours. I suppose you can replicate the idea in many areas of life. Well done! BTW I wonder whether you know of any official texts used in our JCs for H2 EL & Linguistics. Much obliged to you.

  5. Jo

    Hi, I am contemplating to take Private A’s or Private Diploma. I’m a lazy person, and I’m aware that A’s requires a lot of discipline and also, I am afraid private might not be recognised. Some advice for me, maybe?

    1. visa Post author

      It’s hard to give advice over the internet like this, without knowing anything else about you or your situation! You’ll have to give me more details. You can email me if you like. visakanv at gmail dot com

    1. visa Post author

      They were cool with it, I guess it didn’t seem like a big deal because I ORD’d in April and the A’s would be in November, so it was only a few months apart

  7. Joanne

    Hi. I study very hard for Econs but I never get anything more than a D. It’s really frustrating. I don’t think I did well in this year’s A’s so I am planning now on how to study for next year. Do you practice past year papers or tys? Do you have any tips for me to improve my Econs. I”m really depressed over this. Thanks a lot

    1. visa Post author

      Hi Joanne! I’m no Econs genius and I haven’t gotten my results yet… I practiced mostly with JC Prelim Papers and some past year papers.

      First you gotta believe you can do it. It’s not that difficult, it’s just often expressed in a way that’s difficult to make sense of. You have to believe that you will understand it- you will!

      You need to familiarize yourself thoroughly with the syllabus, make sure you learn how the content applies to questions, and practice, practice, practice.

      You should be able to explain economic concepts to non-economics students, explain the questions to them, and the answers- once you can do that, you should definitely be getting at least a B, I think- after that it’s all exam technique.

      Email me at visakanv at gmail dot com if you want!

    1. visa Post author

      I think that’s possible, but it really depends on your JC. You’ll have to talk to your principal/general office. Good luck!

  9. sw

    Hey! I’m also thinking of retaking as a private candidate. Just wondering, did you consider taking the A levels with other exam boards such as CIE or Edexcel? I’ve read some comments (albeit unsubstantiated) that they’re easier than the Singapore-Cambridge A levels, and accepted by UK unis. Though the exam fees are also more expensive. Thoughts?

    (Btw I think having consolidated resources/advice for retakers is a great idea; it’s tough doing it without sch help. All the best for your results!)

    1. visa Post author

      Hi! I didn’t bother; I was really just in it for the experience of it and so I chose the “purely private” route. What you should do depends on your existing circumstances!

    1. visa Post author

      Definitely not in the first year- there’s too much adapting to do, too much going on. You can retake it in the 2nd year, or even after you ORD. Take some time to see your situation- what unit are you going to be posted to, what sort of commitments are you going to have? If you plan to re-take eventually, it’s good to keep yourself familiar with the subjects you’re going to do. No rush. Make sure that WHEN you retake, if you do, you have adequate time and energy to prepare for it properly.

  12. Gops

    Hey man i presume u were in jc before u enlisted. I was in NP and dropped out due to my dad’s passing. Do you think is it possible for me to get a private A level cert and proceed to uni or the will the presure crush me? Thx man

    1. visa Post author

      Sorry to hear that man. You _can_ take private A’s, but that’s not necessarily the best option. What are you doing right now?

  13. Ray

    Hi, I came across your blog when I was searching for online resources on this year’s A Levels syllabus and I really like it. As you may already know, the syllabus for each A level subject may differ from the previous years, so my question is: How do you keep yourself updated with the latest syllabus papers and ensure that the things you are studying is relevant to what’s going to come out in the exam? (for example, in one of the years, the topic “laser” was excluded from the H1 physics syllabus but my friend who retook A Levels that year was unaware of it and spent an substantial amount of time studying it, thus wasting his brain capacity to memorize something that ain’t gonna come out in the exam paper)

  14. culture

    Hi, is having 2 H2 and 2 H1 (inclusive GP), considered a full GCE A Level certificate? Can you repeat or get into any university ?

  15. culture

    Hi, your reply wasn’t specifically clear. I infer that you mean you need 3 H2s to at least stand a chance to get into the local universities. But will JCs allow you to repeat if you only have 2 H2s and 2 H1s ?
    By the way, is 2 H2 and 2 H1 recognised as a full GCE A Levels certificate for employment purpose, like sign on uniform organisations. With this result, putting aside local unis, will other unis be willing to accept students for admissions?

    1. visa Post author

      Whether a JC allows you to repeat or not is really up to the JC- it varies from school to school, and the decision is up to the Principal. I think 2 H2s and 2 H1s should be allowed to repeat, excepting maybe severe disciplinary issues.

      I’m not too sure about signing on- I think they will still consider you an A Level student. You’ll have to check with them.

      Overseas Uni have their own set of criteria- they may have their own tests. US Unis, for instance, would prefer if you did your SATs. There are all sorts of case-by-case variations- you’ll really have to just try and see.

      Good luck!

  17. Curious

    Hi. I’m just a random guy who happened to come across your blog.

    I’m currently taking A Level as a private candidate. I’m hoping that you can share your perspectives on my questions based on your experience last year.

    I’m interested to know the following:
    1) Why do you think you got such results?
    2) Do you think it’s possible to achieve ABB/A or better for my results if I study really hard? ( let’s assume I take the same subjects as you)

    Like you, I didn’t exactly do well for my A Level while I was in JC. I’m hoping to learn from your experience to avoid another setback this time.

    Sorry to take up your time.

    Cheers!

  19. culture

    hi, could you update us on your status? quite sometime no response from you. have you ORDed ? what are you doing currently ?

    1. visa Post author

      Yup, I ORD’d in April 2012. I re-took my A Levels that year. I got distracted when I got invited to meet the PM at the Istana, and started blogging more intensively. I subsequently got employed by a tech startup, ReferralCandy, which is where I’m working full-time now. 🙂

  20. culture

    How did you fared in your A levels retake? better or worse ? what’s the results like ?
    So now you are working in this company based on A Levels qualifications?
    “Referral Candy”, sounds like a candy shop, what is the product you are marketing ? What is your position in this company?

    1. visa Post author

      I did about the same, I went from BBS to BBCS (I took 3 h2’s the first time, and 4 h2’s the second time).

      I got hired because of my blog and online presence, and it has nothing to do with my academic qualifications.

      We make customer referral software for online retailers. The software allows retailers to reward customers for referring their products to their friends, so it increases their sales.

      I handle our customer engagement and acquisition processes- so my job is ultimately to get us more sales by building our brand and presence and engaging retailers on the ground.

      🙂

  21. Jun

    Hey there 🙂 I hope this post isn’t dead since it was posted quite some time ago. Could you give me some advice?

    I’m currently a year 2 poly student. I’m thinking of dropping out of school to take A levels instead. Due to my grades, my only option would be to take A levels as a private candidate. Unlike you though, I do not have any experience (I’m studying animation right now so I haven’t been studying academic based stuff).

    Do you think I still should give A levels a shot? Also, is it tough to be a private candidate? My goal is to get into a decent university, if I take my A’s I’m just hoping for B’s and C’s. My current GPA is a 2.1 so chances of me getting into university with those grades are slim. Given my situation, I just want to know if it would be wiser to stay in a poly or to to take my A’s…really, it’s a damned-if-I-do, damned-if-I-don’t situation :/

    Hope you could help! ^^ Cheers!

    1. visa Post author

      Hi Jun! My gut instinct says that dropping out of poly just to take private A’s isn’t a great jdea unless you really do all your research and make sure you know what you’re doing. I’ll elaborate later, busy/tired now. I suggest at least completing your Poly education first- you’re already in year 2, you might as well finish up and just get your diploma- and then figure out what to do afterwards. There’s no reason to rush to go into Uni ASAP.

  22. James

    Hi Visa! I was doing research for ELL, which i am going to be sitting for this year end, and i came across your blog.

    I know this may come across as presumptuous seeing as how i am but a stranger, but i couldn’t help but wonder how you managed to learn ELL by yourself (the study of syntax, morphology and complicated AS2 topics like the Sapir Whorf Hypothesis aren’t things that can be acquired with ease without a tutor in my opinion) and getting a C grade for this subject doesn’t seem to be an easy feat by any means, not to mention doing it as a private candidate; Props for your effort!

    I’d be most grateful if you could help to address some of my doubts.

    1. Visakan Veerasamy Post author

      Hey James! I actually encountered the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis several years ago when I was doing KI in TPJC in 2007. It’s not that complicated. I watched a bunch of videos on linguistics on YouTube, read a few books, participated in a bunch of discussions on Reddit and Quora, that’s about it. I’ve always been very passionate about language and complex systems, I’ve been reading and writing intensively (relative to the average student) for years. So I think I picked it up quite naturally.

      A strange conclusion I came to was… it’s a lot easier to study these things when you’re not a teenager simultaneously struggling with your identity, social circles, etc.

  23. Raj

    Hey visa,

    I read through your blog on the A levels examinations and found it very interesting. I do have a High school Diploma but as a Singapore citizen i just want to take another 2 other credits in A levels that will help me further for engineering to University. The questions i have is:

    1. Are you supposed to study all by yourself for the examinations
    2. How many credits to earn the whole A levels

    How are the examinations for Math and Physics. Are there any online past year papers.

    Thanks in advance for helping me clear my doubt.
    Good day

  24. Mehdi

    Hi, i’m french and currently thinking to take A Levels as private candidate, but i don’t understand the system H1, H2, H3, could you clarify things for me please?
    And is it possible to get for example AAA when you’re self-taught but quite smart?
    Look forward to your reply!

    1. Visakan Veerasamy Post author

      H2 is the “regular” subject, H3 is harder and more intense (extra credit), H1 is “simplified” (usually same difficulty but less content). Getting straight A’s is always possible but you’ll need to do a lot of preparation. It’s especially tough for the sciences, because they have a practical component.

  26. Wannie

    Can I ask something? Because I have repeated J1 once and there is a high possibility that I wouldn’t do well got A levels this time round. The impact of retaining during J1 wasn’t that bad because there were friends around me but as A levels is approaching, I started feeling the sense of urgency. Just want to ask you if it’s possible to retake A levels if I have already repeated J1? Also, what if I passed all subjects my A levels but the results are totally atrocious( like all E?), will I be allowed to retake as a private candidate?

      1. Wannie

        Oh so you took 4 years? I guess I’ll be same as you too. My only concern is that I’m afraid it’ll affect my admission into uni because it is supposedly to be two years of college life but I’ll take 4 years if I repeat again. Will it affect based on your experience? Thanks anyway!!

          1. Wannie

            Hello!! Is the private candidate papers the same as the normal papers that everyone takes in schools? Or is it easier/harder?

  27. Isabelaa

    Hi may I ask if you pass your A level like got 50 rank points, can choose to retake only some subjects like GP, Physics and Chem only? Thank you!

    1. Visakan Veerasamy Post author

      Erm, I can’t remember. Sorry! = If I remember correctly, if you’re retaking GP, you need to retake everything (I think.) I might be wrong. Best to check with SEAB.

    1. Visakan Veerasamy Post author

      After I ORD’d, yep. I wouldn’t recommend retaking during NS, everybody I know who tried it ended up feeling like they couldn’t give it their best.

  29. Mel

    hello! (: if i got ACD for my H2s and As for chinese, project work and B for my H1 subj and GP, do you reccomend that i retake my subjects? (:

  30. Jasmine

    hi Visa, what happens if you do worse in the retake? which grades will univesities look at?

  31. Sarah

    Hi Visa, thank you for taking the time out for this informative post!
    I’m looking at taking my A’s next year and accounting is one of the subjects I’m looking at. I’ve briefly taken up the subject before but I dropped it at my second year so I’m not sure if I’ll be able to cope. What are your thoughts?

    ps/ I’ve never taken A levels before, I did Australian Matriculation which is of the same grade but slightly different in terms of difficulty.

    Thank you.

  32. dawntme

    Hi! I’ll most likely be retaking my Alevels as a private candidate this year. I’d just like to know either than doing your own self-revision, did you enroll yourself in private/group tuition classes in preparation for the A’s?

    On a side note, i admire your dreams and your writing (:!

  33. diannnaa

    Hi, just want to say I really respect your positivity towards retaking A levels. I’m currently retaking my As this November. Like you i’m taking the purely private route, and it has been really hard getting down studying when theres no pressure around me at all. If you could share on how you scheduled your timing and pushed yourself especially in the last month, it would be of great help to me.