In Singapore, your rank points can significantly impact where you go to university, especially if you’re looking to gain admissions into a specific course or school. However, it can be confusing to calculate your rank points and determine how your scores and grades are converted.
Still, calculating your rank points can help you identify your University Admission Score or UAS which can come in handy when picking the right university.
With that said, here’s everything you need to know about calculating your rank points and determining which university to attend for further studies.
University Admission Score and Rank Points: An Overview
Suppose you’re looking to get into a good university in Singapore. In that case, you’ll need to have a high University Admission Score, the standard by which most Singaporean universities base their decisions regarding admissions.
Your UAS is determined by the number of rank points you get, with 90 being the maximum score you can gain. If you want to know your rank points, you’ll need to convert your A-Level grades into their respective points.
The higher your marks are in the A-Levels, the more rank points you get. In turn, the higher your UAS is, the higher your chances are of getting into a good school.
Of course, the A-Levels is one of the most grueling exams you can take in the country, and it can significantly impact your plans for further studies. In fact, you need to score high if you want to get into Singapore’s most prestigious colleges and universities.
However, getting a high A-Level score can be tricky, and some find themselves disappointed with the results. Still, even with a high score on your A-Levels, it can be pretty confusing how to calculate your rank points and gain a more accurate picture of your UAS.
Breakdown of the A-Levels Score
The A-Levels are vital to calculating your rank points and UAS, which is why it’s crucial to understand how it’s broken down.
Your total score for the A-Levels is computed based on what you get in the H1, H2, and H3 exams. In addition, each score will have an equivalent letter grade, depending on your total score. For example, you get an A if your score is around 70% or more, and you get a B if it’s in the 60 to 69% range.
The other grades you can receive are:
- C – 55 to 59%
- D – 50 to 54%
- E – 45 to 50%
- S – 40 to 45%
- U – for scores 39% or below
These are then converted into rank points, ranging from 0 to 90, and part of your University Admission Score.
Of course, your top four content subjects, which can be one H1 with three H2 subjects, along with your H1 Project Work and General Paper (GP) or Knowledge and Inquiry (KI) grade, will also be part of the computation for your UAS.
These subjects are all taken during Junior College. The subject combinations you choose will determine how your A-Levels are computed.
So, suppose, for instance, you have a subject combination of three H2 subjects with one H1 subject.
In that case, you’ll need to take the H1 General Paper and H1 Project Work for your A-Levels. On the other hand, if you opt for the H2 Knowledge and Inquiry, you will have to take four H2 subjects instead.
You can also opt for additional subjects that fall under the H3 category. However, H3 subjects are considered more advanced, and they serve as supplementary subjects to improve their chances at admissions.
Calculating Your Rank Points
With that said, each grade in the A-Levels corresponds to a certain number of points, and these points vary, depending on the subject. For example, an A grade will be equal to 20 points for H2 subjects while only 10 points for H1 subjects.
With that said, here’s a breakdown of the conversion into rank points for H2 and H1 subjects, respectively.
- A = 20 or 10
- B = 17.5 or 8.75
- C = 15 or 7.5
- D = 12.5 or 6.25
- E = 10 or 5
- S = 5 or 2.5
- U = 0 for both subjects
The H1 General Paper and Project Work follow the same scoring system as the H1 subjects.
So, let’s say you have the typical subject combination of three H2s with one H1, along with an H1 Project Work and H1 General Paper. If you get A grades for all of them, your rank points will be as follows:
- Three H2 subjects = 20 + 20 + 20
- One H1 subject = 10
- H1 General Paper = 10
- H1 Project Work = 10
In this case, your total would be 90 rank points. On the other hand, if you receive a B in one of your H2 subjects, with As in everything else, your breakdown will be as follows:
- Three H2 subjects = 20 + 17.5 + 20
- One H1 subject = 10
- H1 General Paper = 10
- H1 Project Work = 10
For this scenario, your total Rank Points would be 87.5 instead of 90. Of course, this will be different if you’re also taking the H1 Mother Tongue Language (MTL) for your A-Levels.
Like the GP and PW, you can compute your MTL rank points by following the breakdown of H1 subjects. This means getting an A on the MTL section will result in 10 RPs, while S grades will result in 2.5 RPs.
With that said, factoring in your H1 MTL score, your rank points will be computed on a /90 basis instead of /100 without it. This means you will need to scale it down to get your UAS by dividing the total by 100 then multiplying it by 90.
So, if you get As on all exam parts, your rank points will be computed as follows:
- Three H2 subjects = 20 + 20 + 20
- One H1 subject = 10
- H1 General Paper = 10
- H1 Project Work = 10
- H1 Mother Tongue Language = 10
Your total would be 100 points, so you need to divide it by 100 then multiply it by 90. This will result in 90 points for your total.
Final Thoughts
Computing your RPs to gauge which universities you can attend can be confusing at first. Still, it’s an essential aspect of knowing your University Admission Score and learn which universities you’re most qualified to attend.
In addition to this, computing for your RP will also give you a much clearer idea of which courses you’re eligible for, enabling you to choose the most suitable course for you based on your current performance.
If you’re still unsure which university you want to enroll in, then you can check out some of our recommendations here:
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