About ASEAN Scholarship & Singapore's Education System

ASEAN Scholarship, the gateway to employment in Singapore and potentially a Singapore green card, is the dream of many.

I apply for ASEAN scholarship, after SPM, which is quite late compared to my friend, which has already receive the ASEAN scholarship & merrily studying in Singapore.

So this is the agenda:
0900 - 0930  Reporting Time
0930 - 1115  General Ability Test / Briefing Session
1115 - 1215  Lunch Break
1215 - 1445  Mathematics Test
1445 - 1515  Break
1515 - 1815  English Test (Comprehension & Essay)

There will be no reimbursed for traveling expenses. & here's something fascinating about the selection test:

It's held in a hotel (which does not have restaurants, cafe or food court nearby) and we are supposed to arrange our lunch & refreshments on that day. Here's the catch, the management of the venue (which is the hotel) may not allow the consumption of outside food within their premises.

It's hilarious. Are the organizers expecting all of us to eat in the hotel (hotel food are usually expensive, as we all know)? Or are they expecting our parents to take a leave & take care of us on that day (excluding those who work nearby)? I have no idea why they planned it this way. I ended up eating bread that I've brought along, & fortunately, the management doesn't seem to care that we're eating outside food.

The ASEAN scholarship terms is as below:

• Annual allowance of S$2,200 (Secondary Level) / S$2,400 (Pre-U) with hostel accommodation
• Setting-in allowance(once only) of S$400 (Secondary Level) / S$500 (Pre-U)
• Return economy class air passage (East Malaysian & Bruneians) or S$50 return transport allowance (West Malaysian)
• Coverage of School Fees (Excluding miscellaneous fees - S$27)
• Subsidised medical benefits and accident insurance coverage

Tenure of Award

• Secondary 1 Award: 6 Years
• Secondary 3 Award: 4 Years
• Pre-U Award: 2 Years

The Singapore Education System

• Primary 1 - 6 (age 7-12) --> Primary School Leaving Examination (something like Malaysia's UPSR)
• Secondary 1 - 4 (age 13-16) --> GCE O-Level (equivalent to Malaysia's SPM. We are one year slower)
• Pre-U (age 17-18) --> GCE A-Level (equivalent to Malaysia's STPM)
• Then University Level

Those who are taking SPM, I know what you're thinking: Why do we spend one more year in school for the same level of education? Well, the answer varies for different people. You get to be involved in various ECA (Extra Curricular Activities), have an awesome bonding with your peers, less stressful study life, etc.