2023 A Level Results: How Did Singapore Students Perform?

With concerns being raised about the implementation of tougher grade boundaries and likely falls in the award of top grades in a return to pre-Covid levels, have Singapore’s students been able to achieve the grades they need for university or other further education entry this year?

A Level grades in the UK have fallen for the first time since lockdown and school closures but remain higher than the pre-Covid results of 2019. Across the UK, more than a quarter of A Level students (27.2%) achieved an A grade or higher, which is down by 9.2% from last year (36.4%) but still higher than in 2019.

Data released in the UK by the Joint Council for Qualifications indicates that there has been a drop in the number of students getting a place at their first choice university, which UCAS Chief Executive Clare Marchant said  “is what we expected as we return to the normal grading”.

The number of placements offered are down 3% on last year but significantly up 15% on 2019, the last time grading arrangements were the same. 12% of students have been placed at their insurance choice; this compares to 14% in 2019 and 11% in 2022.  A further 9% have not been placed at their first or insurance choice and are now in Clearing, which compares to 12% in 2019, and 7% in 2022.

In total, 51,210 international students have been accepted to a UK university, compared to 52,440 last year (-2.3%).  

But how have students in Singapore performed? We will post the A Level results as we receive them.

Tanglin Trust School

The largest international school offering GCE/International A Levels is the hugely popular all-through Tanglin Trust School. Tanglin is the only school in Singapore to offer students the choice of studying either the IBDP or A Levels and one of only a very few international schools here to offer A Levels. 

In addition to celebrating a high average score in its 2023 IB Results (38.7 average score), Tanglin has scored highly in its A Level exams.

At Tanglin, 58% of all grades were an A* or A (it was 69% last year), compared to the UK average of 27.2%. The pass rate was 100%.

Other achievements from Tanglin include:

• 79% of all grades were A*-B
• 27% of all grades were A*
• 42% of all EPQ grades were A*

Andy Goodliffe, Head of Sixth Form at Tanglin Trust School:

"I am especially proud of the results achieved by the resilient Class of 2023. These students have fought adversity along the way. It feels almost surreal to remember that they spent the first 50% of their Sixth Form journeys wearing masks and circumnavigating various COVID measures.

"This, combined with the fact that this cohort did not sit their GCSE exams, makes their individual successes so much more impressive. These excellent outcomes allow them to matriculate to a wonderful array of top global universities, where they will continue to make us proud as impressive Tanglin alumni." 

A Levels in Singapore

The vast majority of Singapore’s 80-plus international and private schools follow the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at college level. Those that do offer GCE/International A Levels include the private secondary school Insworld Institute. EtonHouse Orchard has recently launched an A Level programme.

Invictus International School launched an A Level programme at its Centrium campus in 2021, and its first cohort of students have received their results this year.

Students in Singapore study International A-Levels, which are administered by Cambridge International Examinations and Pearson Edexcel. Comparable to the British A Levels taken in the UK, International A Levels are highly regarded by universities and employers and can offer a direct route to university education.

Used by University and College admissions services around the world, A Levels remain one of the most widely recognised pre-university and college entry examinations. Figures from UCAS (the University and College Admissions Service in the UK, which coordinates university placements across the country) show that 408,960 Sixth Formers from the UK and overseas have had places confirmed. 

Read more: Where Can I Study A Levels in Singapore?

Other schools offering A Levels follow a January to December academic year and receive their results in November. These include Middleton International School (Tampines), DPS International School, Ascensia International School, Dimensions High School, Furen International School (FIS), and SSTC International Academy (SSTC-IA).