If your child just received their PSLE results and you're staring at terms like "Posting Group", "G1/G2/G3" and "SEC" wondering what happened to Express and Normal streams — take a breath. You're not behind. Singapore's secondary school system has quietly gone through one of its biggest shifts in decades, and 2026 is a good time to understand exactly how it works before you fill in that Secondary 1 option form.
This guide breaks down Full Subject-Based Banding (Full SBB) in plain language, so you can help your child choose subject levels with confidence instead of anxiety.
What is Full Subject-Based Banding (Full SBB)?
For years, students were sorted into Express, Normal (Academic) and Normal (Technical) streams the moment they left primary school. Full SBB replaces that rigid "streaming" model with something far more flexible.
Under Full SBB, there are no more streams. Instead, your child takes each subject at one of three subject levels — G1, G2 and G3, where "G" simply stands for General. These three levels are broadly mapped from the former Normal (Technical), Normal (Academic) and Express standards respectively:
G1 — least demanding pace (mapped from the former N(T) standard)
G2 — middle pace (mapped from the former N(A) standard)
G3 — most demanding pace (mapped from the former Express standard)
The big idea is subject-by-subject flexibility. A child who is strong in Mathematics but still building confidence in English no longer has to take everything at one fixed level. They can take Maths at G3 and English at G2, for example — matching each subject to their actual strengths.
Full SBB has been rolled out to all secondary schools, so every Secondary 1 cohort from 2024 onwards learns under this system. If your child is starting secondary school in 2026, this is simply how their journey works.
What are Posting Groups, and how does my child get placed?
Here's the part that trips up most parents: Posting Groups are not the same as streams.
Your child is still posted into a secondary school based on their PSLE Score, and that posting happens through Posting Group 1, 2 or 3. Think of the Posting Group as a starting point, not a permanent label:
Posting Group 1 → subjects will mostly start at G1
Posting Group 2 → subjects will mostly start at G2
Posting Group 3 → subjects will mostly start at G3
In other words, the Posting Group simply guides the initial subject levels your child takes in Secondary 1. It does not lock them in for four or five years, and it isn't printed on their certificate at the end. The exact PSLE Score bands that map to each Posting Group are set by MOE and are best confirmed directly on the official Secondary 1 Posting information at moe.gov.sg or through your child's primary school, rather than relying on old "cut-off" charts from the pre-2024 era.
A note on Foundation-level subjects
If your child sat Foundation-level English, Mathematics or Science at PSLE but is otherwise eligible to take most subjects at G3, schools can offer flexibility so those specific subjects are taken at a more manageable level (such as G2), in consultation with the school. Mother Tongue support is also available for students who face genuine difficulty. The point is that the system is designed to fit the child, not force the child to fit a stream.
Mixed form classes: what your child's classroom actually looks like
One of the most meaningful changes under Full SBB happens socially, not just academically.
Once students enter secondary school, they are grouped into mixed form classes made up of students from different Posting Groups. Within these form classes, students also take a common set of subjects at a shared level, amounting to roughly one-third of curriculum time.
Why does this matter? Under the old system, a "Normal (Technical)" student and an "Express" student might almost never share a classroom. Now, your child will learn alongside peers of different strengths, backgrounds and interests — which helps chip away at the old stigma attached to "which stream are you in?"
For parents, the practical takeaway is this: encourage your child to see subject levels as a tool, not a verdict on their worth.
Subjects can change over time — and that's the point
Full SBB is built around the idea that children develop at different rates. Your child is not stuck at their Secondary 1 subject levels.
At various junctures across the secondary years, students can adjust individual subject levels — moving up when they're ready, or easing to a more sustainable level if a subject becomes overwhelming. As students learn more about their own strengths and weaknesses, their room to fine-tune these choices grows.
This is genuinely good news for late bloomers. A student who starts a subject at G2 but flourishes can progress to G3, opening up more post-secondary pathways later. Momentum, effort and the right support now carry real weight.
The new national exam: goodbye O- and N-Levels, hello SEC
Because the streams are gone, the national examinations have changed too.
At the end of Secondary 4, students take the Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC) examinations instead of the separate GCE O-Level and N-Level exams. The single SEC certificate reflects the mix of subjects and subject levels each student studied — so a child taking some subjects at G3 and others at G2 simply has that recorded accurately.
The first cohort to sit the SEC does so from 2027 (the students who began Secondary 1 under Full SBB in 2024). If your child is entering secondary school in 2026, the SEC will be their national exam. Post-secondary institutions — JCs, polytechnics and ITE — will continue to admit students based on their subjects and subject-level combinations.
How to help your child choose subject levels well
You don't need to master every MOE acronym to support your child. Focus on these practical moves instead:
Read the school's Secondary 1 information carefully. Each school communicates its subject-level offerings and any options for Foundation-subject students. Ask questions during orientation.
Match levels to real evidence, not fear. Look at your child's PSLE performance subject by subject. Confidence and interest matter as much as raw marks.
Aim slightly higher where there's genuine potential. It is often easier to start a borderline subject at the higher level with good support than to catch up later — but only if your child can cope without burning out.
Treat the first year as a diagnostic. Watch how your child settles in. Use the built-in flexibility to adjust levels at the official junctures rather than panicking after one bad test.
Keep the conversation shame-free at home. A G2 subject is not a failure. The goal is steady growth toward the pathway your child wants.
The bottom line for parents in 2026
Full SBB can feel confusing at first, but its intention is reassuringly simple: let every child learn each subject at the level that stretches them without breaking them, and give them room to grow. No permanent labels, more mixing with different peers, and a single national certificate at the end.
Understand the vocabulary, watch your child's individual subjects, and use the flexibility the system now offers.
If your child is settling into a new subject level and could use focused, one-to-one help to build confidence — whether that's holding a subject at G3 or working toward moving up — Ministry of Tuition matches families with experienced home tutors who tailor lessons to exactly where your child is. Feel free to reach out to us for a friendly, no-pressure chat about how we can support your child's secondary school journey.