SINGAPORE: Results of the 2013 GCE O-Level examination are out and more students have done better compared to last year. Overall, 82.7 per cent of the students who sat for the examination scored five or more passes. That is up from 81.3 per cent in the 2012 examination. Meanwhile, 96 per cent of the students scored three or more passes for their exams. It's an emotional day for 16- and 17-year-olds across the country who took their O-Level exams last year. At Greenridge Secondary School, 92 per cent of the Express students scored five or more O-level passes - up from 85 per cent the year before. The school also saw an improvement in the performance of its Normal stream students. 87 per cent scored three or more passes, up from 73 per cent in 2012. Ng Mai Feng is one of those with reason to celebrate - he scored three A1s, and two A2s. A Normal stream student in Secondary One, Mai Feng made it to an Express class two years later. The former school rugby captain said the most important lesson he learned from the sport was self-discipline, which helped his studies as well. "In rugby, we cannot do whatever we like. We have to follow certain rules. And if anything happens we have to refer to the referee. The referee, in my life, is our teachers. Whatever I do not know, I'll just consult my teachers and ask them for help," he said. At the School of Science and Technology, Abu Ubaidah also has his teachers to thank. Abu, who had never passed a single exam in Additional Mathematics before, got a B3 for the subject at the O-levels. "I'd urge you never to give up, especially if you're a sec four student because you never know until you try. You have to do your best because, even if it's your last chance and you don't feel as prepared as you want to be, if you do your best you will not regret," said Abu. More than half the cohort at the School of Science and Technology - its pioneer batch of students - scored five distinctions or more. In Singapore, the overall number of students scoring five or more O-level passes has remained steady for the past six years (2008-2013) - at just over 80 per cent. Most of the students in Greenridge Secondary, like their peers across the country, will move on to polytechnic or junior college and they will have less than a week to apply for the school of their choice. Posting results are expected in early February. A total of 34,124 candidates took the examination, including about 2,615 private candidates. The Education Ministry said 99.9 per cent of all candidates have been awarded certificates. www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/82-7-score-five-or-more/952512.html

• published: 13 Jan 2014
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