1. Under the Eligibility Phase, RS can register to sit for the SPERS JC/MI or Sec papers. The RS will sit for English and Mathematics papers. Besides assessing literacy and numeracy skills, the papers will also include non-content-based general ability items that assess reasoning and thinking skills which will more holistically assess candidates who have attended overseas schools with curricula different from Singapore’s.

2. Based on their performance, the candidates will each be provided with a list of schools that they are eligible for. This will ensure that RS are of similar abilities² as the students in the schools that they are eligible for.

3. As the number of RS seeking admission to JCs/MI is usually small, there is no necessity for MOE to conduct a centralised posting exercise. Hence, there will be no School Option Phase for this group. They will only need to undergo the Eligibility Phase. Thereafter, successful candidates will each receive a list of JC/MI they are eligible for and they can approach any of the listed JCs/MI for direct admission.

4. For RS seeking admission to secondary school, they will proceed on to the School Option Phase.

5. Candidates seeking admission to secondary schools (Secondary 1 to 3) will be required to indicate a maximum of six choices in their school option forms, based on the list of eligible schools given to them.

6. Secondary schools will admit a small number of RS, over and above their planned capacity, at the School Posting Phase. This recognises that overseas Singaporean children may have similar abilities as the local cohort in these schools, even though they have been away and were thus unable to seek admission into these schools together with other Singaporean children who had taken the PSLE. This change will not reduce the chances for students in Singapore to get into the schools of their choice as there will be no reduction in the number of school places available to them.

7. The School Posting Phase will take into account the performance of the RS at the Eligibility Phase, their school choices, and the places available in these schools. In instances where a child is not be successfully posted to any of the schools that he has opted for, MOE will assign him a place in a secondary school with a vacancy that is as near to his home as possible.

8. After receiving their postings, the RS are to complete admission procedures at the schools that they had been posted to. If they choose not to accept the posting, they can still approach another school directly to apply for admission. The child will be admitted if the school approached is on his list of eligible schools and if there is a vacancy in the course that he is eligible for. Otherwise, the school has the discretion to assess the child, including setting school-based assessment tests, and decide whether to admit the child.

9. Table 1 and Table 2 show the 2007 SPERS schedules for RS seeking school admission in 2008 to Secondary School and JC/MI respectively.

10. The SPERS papers will be conducted on 16 Oct 07. To participate, RS are required to register between 1 Aug and 2 Oct 07 to take the papers in Singapore, and between 1 Aug and 28 Aug 07 to take the papers in Shanghai. The SPERS application form can be obtained from MOE’s website at http://www.moe.gov.sg/esp/eduinfo/

11. Table 3 lists the SPERS fees for RS seeking admission to secondary schools, JCs and MI.