Update note: MOE's rules on Higher Chinese and admission or scoring advantages are reviewed and can change from year to year. This post explains what the bonus is generally about and where to check the current-year specifics — it deliberately does not quote a fixed number, because a number that's correct this year may not be next year.

What the "bonus" generally refers to

Parents usually mean one of two things when they ask about Higher Chinese "bonus points": an advantage in secondary school posting for students who've taken HC at PSLE level, or entry considerations for Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools. Both are set and periodically reviewed by MOE — we're not going to guess at this year's exact figures here, because getting it wrong is worse than not printing a number at all.

Where to check the current, correct rules

• MOE's official website and the yearly Secondary School Posting guide it publishes to parents
• The circular or briefing your child's primary school sends out in the PSLE year — schools usually walk parents through this directly
• SEAB's official examination information pages for anything exam-specific

If a number you've seen quoted online doesn't match what your child's school or MOE's current page says, trust the school and MOE — not an older blog post (including, if it's ever gone stale, this one).

Why we'd rather you check the source than take our word for it

We teach both HC and regular Chinese at primary and secondary level, and we're happy to talk through how the bonus generally works in a conversation — but printing a specific number here that gets updated by MOE next year would do parents more harm than good. This is also, honestly, not the strongest reason to choose HC in the first place.

What matters more than the bonus itself

A child who takes HC mainly for a possible scoring advantage, without being genuinely comfortable in regular Chinese first, tends to find HC stressful rather than useful. The stronger question to ask first is whether your child is ready — we go through the actual signals to look for in our guide on deciding whether to take Higher Chinese, and how HC differs day-to-day from regular Chinese in our Higher Chinese vs Chinese comparison.

If your child is already taking HC and preparing for exams

Whatever the admission rules end up being, exam performance itself doesn't change — vocabulary depth, comprehension, composition structure and oral fluency still need real practice. We teach HC across Primary and Secondary levels; group trials are free and a 2-hour 1-to-1 trial is S$30 — book a trial to see how we teach it.

FAQ

Q: Is the Higher Chinese bonus the same every year?
A: No, the specifics are reviewed periodically by MOE, so always check the current year's official guidance rather than a past year's figure.

Q: Does taking HC guarantee entry to a SAP school?
A: No — SAP school entry depends on multiple factors set by MOE and the schools themselves, and having taken HC is one consideration among several, not a guarantee.

Q: Where does my school explain this to us directly?
A: Most primary schools send a briefing or circular to PSLE-year parents covering secondary posting mechanics, including how HC factors in — that's usually the most current and specific source for your child.

Q: Should I choose Higher Chinese purely for the admission advantage?
A: We'd suggest checking readiness first — a child who isn't yet comfortable in regular Chinese usually finds HC more stressful than beneficial, regardless of any admission upside.

Q: Is there a bonus for taking HC at secondary level too?
A: Provisions can differ between PSLE-level and secondary-level HC — check MOE's current guidance for the level that applies to your child.