Applicants holding a 12-year school-leaving qualification or an incomplete sub-degree qualification are generally admitted to a college or school. For the School of Energy and Environment and the School of Law, students will be considered for direct admission to the Bachelor of Engineering in Energy Science and Engineering programme and the Bachelor of Laws programme respectively. For other colleges and school, students will not select a major until after one year of study. At the end of the first year, the top 20% of students [based on (i) completion of at least 30 credit units in Semesters A and B, (ii) no failed grades in any courses in Semesters A and B, and (iii) cumulative grade point average (CGPA) at the end of Semester B] will have free choice of the majors offered by their college/school*. The other 80% of students will be allocated to a major of their choice, subject to the availability of places and the selection criteria set by individual colleges/school*.
Applicants holding a 13-year school-leaving qualification, an International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, or a General Certificate of Education Advanced Level (GCEAL) qualification may apply for admission to a college or school, or to a major programme with Advanced Standing. Advanced Standing entry is not applicable to the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) programme and new majors. Associate degree or higher diploma graduates or degree transfer students may be admitted with Advanced Standing II or Advanced Standing I.
*For the College of Science and Engineering (CSE), the choice of majors will be specific to CSE (Science) or CSE (Engineering).
The qualifications listed below are the minimum required for satisfying the General Entrance Requirements for bachelor's degree study. In addition to the General Entrance Requirements, individual degrees / majors may require specific subject background. Please refer to the respective programme page for details.
Possession of the qualifications in no way guarantees acceptance. To be eligible for consideration for admission, applicants should have attained the minimum grade specified, or where a grade is not specified, an acceptable pass in the qualification.
The list is not intended to be exhaustive. Qualifications that are not listed in the table will be considered case-by-case. As a general guideline, university entry qualifications, obtained after 12 or 13 years of schooling (primary and secondary), are usually recognized.
| Country / Region | Acceptable Non-Local Qualifications | Possible Advanced Standing Entry (see Note 1) |
|---|---|---|
| General Certificate of Education (GCE) and International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) | ||
| GCE System | Grade E or above in three General Certificate of Education A-level (or A2) subjects. Two Advanced Subsidiary (AS) level subjects will be considered equivalent to one GCE A-Level. The same subject may not be counted at both the A Level and AS Level; AND Grade C or above in GCSE English or English Literature, or a TOEFL score of 550 (paper-based test) or 79 (Internet-based test), or an IELTS overall band score of 6.5 |
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| IB | International Baccalaureate Diploma with an overall minimum score of 28 for admission with Advanced Standing I; and an overall minimum score of 24 for admission to first-year study | ![]() |
| * GCE System = GCE A-level and GCSE | ||
| By Country | ||
| Australia | Successful completion of year 12 and a satisfactory admission index / entrance rank: TER / ATAR / ENTER (80) OP (10 maximum) |
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| Austria | Reifeprufungszeugnis (Matura) / Reifezeugnis | |
| Bangladesh | Higher Secondary Certificate | |
| Belgium | Certificat d'Enseignment Secondaire Supérieur / Diploma van Secundair Onderwijs / Abschlusszeugnis der Oberstufe des Sekundarunterrichts | |
| Brunei | Brunei-Cambridge GCE Advanced Level (3 passes) | ![]() See GCE system |
| Canada | British Columbia Senior Secondary Graduation Diploma with Grade B in five Grade 12 subjects |
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| Ontario Ontario Secondary School Diploma with a minimum average of 70% in six Grade 12 U or M courses |
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| Other provinces High school graduation diploma with at least 70% in five Grade 12 subjects |
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| Quebec Diploma of Collegial Studies (CEGEP) |
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| China (Mainland) | NUEE: Current-year National University Entrance Examination 全国普通高校统一招生考试(NUEE) score above the cut-off line for admission to mainland key universities (国家重点高校入学分数线) and English score above 120 (out of 150 maximum). | |
| China (Macau SAR) | GCE Advanced Level (3 passes). Two AS subjects are considered to be equivalent to one AL subject. | ![]() See GCE system |
| Senior Secondary School Graduation Diploma | ||
| Denmark | Studentereksamen / Hojere Forberedelseseksamen / Hojere Handelseksamen / Hojere Teknisk Eksamen | |
| Finland | Ylioppilastutkintotodistus / Studentexamensbetyg | |
| France | Baccalauréat Général / Diplome de Bachelier de l'Enseignement du Second Degre / Option Internationale du Baccalauréat | |
| Germany | Abitur / Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife | |
| Greece | Apolytirio of Eniaiou Lykeiou and pan-hellenic examinations | |
| Hungary | Érettségi / Matura | |
| India | Minimum average of 75% at Standard XII in All India Senior School Certificate (SSC) / Higher Secondary School Certificate Examination (HSC) / Indian School Certificate (ISC) | |
| Indonesia | Surat Tanda Tamat Belajar Sekolah Menengah Umum Tingkat Atas (STTB: SMA), and completion of SMA Ujian Nasional | |
| Iran | Diploma-Motevaseteh (National High School Diploma) + Pre-University Certificate | |
| Ireland | Irish Leaving Certificate with passes in five subjects at C level or better in Higher-level papers. | |
| Israel | Bagrut (Matriculation) or Mechina (university preparatory) | |
| Italy | Diploma di Esame di Stato | ![]() |
| Japan | Kotogakko Sotsugyo Shomeisho (Upper Secondary School Leaving Certificate) | |
| Korea (South) | Ilbankye Kodung Hakkyo (General High School Diploma) | |
| Lithuania | Brandos Atestatas (Maturity Certificate) | |
| Luxembourg | Diplome de Fin d'Etudes Secondaires | |
| Malaysia | 3 passes (no lower than C) in Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) | ![]() |
| A maximum of 15 points over 6 academic subjects in the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) | ||
| Myanmar | Normally 1 year of successful study at a recognized university. | |
| Netherlands | Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs (VWO) Diploma | ![]() |
| New Zealand | National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 3 | ![]() |
| Nigeria | West African Examinations Council (WAEC) or the Nigerian Examinations Council (NECO) Senior School Certificate | |
| Norway | Vitnemål fra den Videregående Skole | ![]() |
| Pakistan | Intermediate Certificate or Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) | |
| Philippines | Satisfactory completion of the first two years of a degree from a recognized university. | |
| Poland | Matura / Swiadectwo Dojrzalosci | |
| Portugal | Diploma de Ensino Secundário | |
| Romania | Diploma de Bacalaureat | |
| Russia | Normally one year of successful study at a recognized university. In exceptional cases, students who have achieved excellent grades in school and state examinations with the award of Attestat o Srednem (Polnom) Obshchem Obrazovanii (Certificate of Secondary Complete General Education) may be considered. | |
| Saudi Arabia | Tawjihiyah (General Secondary Education Certificate) | |
| Singapore | Singapore / Cambridge GCE Advanced Level (3 passes). Two H1 subjects are considered to be equivalent to one H2 subject | ![]() |
| Advanced Diplomas / Diplomas from Ngee Ann, Nanyang, Republic, Singapore and Temasek Polytechnics | ![]() |
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| South Africa | National Senior Certificate | |
| Sri Lanka | Sri Lanka Advanced Level (3 passes) | ![]() |
| Sweden | Fullstandigt Slutbetyg från Gymnasieskolan | |
| Switzerland | Maturitätszeugnis / Certificat de Maturité / Baccalauréat / Attestato di Maturità / Federally recognized Cantonal Maturity Certificate | |
| Taiwan | Senior High School Diploma and General Scholastic Ability Test (GSAT) 大学学科能力测验 (学测) with a minimum score of 68 and English result within the top 13 percentile (顶标). To be competitive for admission, GSAT score of ≥70 is normally expected. | |
| Thailand | Mathayom Suksa 6 (M6) | |
| Turkey | Devlet Lise Diplomasi (State High School Diploma) or Lise Bitirme Diplomasi (Private High School Diploma) | |
| UK | Grade E or above in three General Certificate of Education A-level (or A2) subjects. Two AS subjects are considered to be equivalent to one AL subject. The same subject may not be counted at both the A Level and AS Level. | ![]() |
| Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) Level 3 Extended Diploma / Scottish Certificate of Education at the Higher Level (4 subjects) | ![]() |
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| Cambridge Pre-U Diploma, or passes in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects, or a combination of Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects and GCE A-level subjects | ![]() |
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| USA | High School Diploma plus minimum of 1650 on SATI or 23 composite on ACT, and three subjects in Advanced Placement (AP) Test with 4 in each for admission with Advanced Standing I. | ![]() |
| High School Diploma plus minimum of 1650 on SATI or 23 composite on ACT, or two subjects in Advanced Placement (AP) Test with 3 in each for admission to first-year study. | ||
| Vietnam | Bàng Tót Nghiêp Phó Thông Trung Hoc (Upper Secondary School Graduation Certificate) | |
Applicants whose entrance qualifications are obtained in a language other than English will need an acceptable result in an approved English qualification. The following qualifications are accepted as proof of English language proficiency:
| TOEFL | 550 on the paper-based test / 79 on the Internet-based test |
| IELTS | Overall band score of 6.5 |
| GCE System | Grade C or above in GCSE English or English Literature |
| China (Mainland) | National University Entrance Examination 全国普通高校统一招生考试 (NUEE): min. 120 (out of 150 maximum) in English |
| Denmark | Studentereksamen: minimum grade 7 (old grading scale: 9) in Level A / B English |
| Finland | One of the following: Upper secondary school certificate (lukion paastotodistus / gymnasiets avgansbetyg): minimum grade 8 in English Matriculation exam (ylioppilastutkinto / studentexamen): minimum grade 4 in English |
| Germany | Abitur: minimum grade 10 in English |
| India | SSC / HSC / ISC Standard XII: minimum 70% in English |
| Malaysia | One of the following: Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM): min. grade C in English Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysian (STPM): min. grade C in English Unified Examination Certificate (UEC): B4 or better in English |
| Netherlands | Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs (VWO): minimum grade 8 in English |
| Norway | Vitnemal: minimum grade 4 in English |
| Sweden | Fullstandigt Slutbetyg fran Gymnasieskola: minimum grade VG in English |
| Taiwan | General Scholastic Ability Test 大学学科能力测验 (学测): English result within the top 13 percentile (顶标) |
Notes:
*For the College of Science and Engineering (CSE), the choice of majors will be specific to CSE (Science) or CSE (Engineering).