Students who do not possess the necessary English Language qualifications will have to sit for the Qualifying English Test (QET) set by the Centre for English Language Communication (CELC). The purpose of the QET is to discern the level of English Language support appropriate for such students. Generally, it must be taken by all first year students (local and international) and all polytechnic graduates.

Students will be exempted from sitting for the QET if they possess any of the following qualifications:

• General Paper (GP) in the Singapore-Cambridge GCE ‘A’ Level : B4 or better ('AO' Level GP)

• General Paper (GP) in the Singapore-Cambridge GCE ‘A’ Level : C or better (H1 Level GP)

• Knowledge Inquiry (KI) in the Singapore-Cambridge GCE ‘A’ Level: D or better

• General Paper (GP) in the International-Cambridge ‘A’ Level : C or better

• General Paper (GP) in the High School Certificate (HSC) :C or better

• SAT : 750 and above (reading & writing) and 10 and above (essay)

• IELTS : 8 and above (overall) and 8 and above (writing & reading)

• TOEFL : 115 and above (internet-based); or 280 and above (computer-based); or 650 and above (paper-based)

• International Baccalaureate (IB) Theory of Knowledge: C or better

• English Language paper at the New Zealand National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 3 Examination (Previously known as the New Zealand University Entrance Bursaries and Scholarships Examination): Score of more than 50%

• EL5102 English for Academic Purposes (Critical Reading & Writing) in NUS High School of Math and Science: B- or better

Engineering students who have sat and failed QET will be required to read the English modules, ES1000 New Basic English and/or EG1471 English for Academic Purposes (Engineering).  

Details on the QET are available at:

• http://www.nus.edu.sg/celc/

• http://www.nus.edu.sg/registrar/event/registration-qet.html