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Roadmap · Grades 8–12

Admissions roadmap by grade

For students at international schools in Singapore applying to universities abroad or in Korea: what to decide and prepare in each grade, which grades universities look at, and when applications are due, on one page.

UCAS, university and test-provider pages checked October 2026 · 2027-entry dates · Alex Koo

Updated regularlyLast updated 17 October 2026

This guide is updated whenever new official data comes out. Bookmark it and check back.

G10The year IB subjects are chosenthree HL subjects and Maths AA or AI
G9The first grade most US universities look atKorean special admission: from primary school
15 OctUCAS deadline for Oxford, Cambridge and UK medicineGrade 12, 18:00 UK time
G11 summerWhen applications really startUCAT July–September, first drafts
In short

Five things to remember

  1. Half the outcome is decided by Grade 10 subject choices

    The three HL subjects and the choice of Maths AA or AI, HL or SL, decide which courses a student can apply for. In the UK and Singapore, missing a subject condition can rule out a course even with a high total.

  2. Choose subjects backwards from target courses

    Check the requirements of two or three target courses first, then choose HL subjects. If the course is still open, Maths AA HL (or a high SL grade), one science and one essay subject keep the most doors open.

  3. Decide the mix of countries early

    The UK looks for fit with the course, the US at the whole student, Singapore, Australia and Canada at grades and prerequisites, and Korean special admission at eligibility first. What they look at and when they close differ.

  4. Applications start in the summer of Grade 11

    UK medicine, Oxford and Cambridge close on 15 October of Grade 12, and the UCAT is taken the summer before. The personal statement and essays are drafted that summer too.

  5. Korean boys: plan military service with country and course length

    When to serve (before, during or after university) changes which countries and course lengths fit, and how long a place can be deferred differs by country and university.

At a glance

The main job in each grade

The biggest decision of each year, and where that year's grades are used. G means Grade; in British-curriculum schools Grade 8 is Year 9 and Grade 12 is Year 13.

  1. Grade 8 and below

    Foundations and records

    Korean special admission asks for grades from primary school; CUHK from Grade 7.

  2. Grade 9

    Explore subjects and interests

    Most US universities ask for Grade 9–12 transcripts.

  3. Grade 10

    Choose IB subjects

    IGCSE results go on the UCAS form; HKUST transcripts start here.

  4. Grade 11 (DP1)

    Check, plan tests, start writing

    School grades here shape IB predicted grades; UC uses Grades 10–11 for its GPA.

  5. Grade 12 (DP2)

    Apply, interview, sit the IB

    Final IB results in July confirm conditional offers.

Grade by grade

What to do this year

A to-do list for each stage. Start with your child's grade.

Grade 8 and below

Foundations and records

  1. Maths foundations

    Solid algebra and functions in IGCSE or MYP are what make Higher Level maths a real option in Grade 10.

    From IGCSE to IB Mathematics

  2. Keep up Korean

    If Korean universities are an option, keep reading and speaking Korean. Interviews and documents for Korean admissions are in Korean.

  3. Check special-admission eligibility early

    If the family may move, work out the Korean 3-year special admission now: at least three years of middle and high school abroad, including at least one high-school year, with a parent working abroad for at least three years. Each university sets its own residence rules.

  4. Depth over number

    Keep one or two activities going for years, and once a month write down what you did and what you learned. These notes become application material later.

Grades 9–10

Choosing subjects is the big decision

  1. Work backwards from requirements

    Start from two or three target courses and check what each university asks for at Higher Level. Decide Maths AA or AI, and HL or SL, at the same time.

    IB Maths requirements by course

  2. Grade 9 already counts

    US universities usually ask for Grade 9–12 transcripts, Korean special admission for every year from primary school and CUHK from Grade 7. Ask the school from which grade its official transcript starts.

  3. Keep a record every term

    Dates, role, results and what you learned from each activity. The same record feeds overseas applications and Korean documents.

  4. Bridge to AA HL

    If AA HL is likely, use the summer after Grade 10 to cover the Additional Maths core: calculus, trigonometry and the binomial theorem.

    From IGCSE to IB Mathematics

Grade 11 (DP1)

The next 12 months

  1. Final subject check

    Compare the HL combination with the target courses one last time, and link the Extended Essay and IA topics to the intended course.

    IB Maths requirements by course

  2. Grades become predicted grades

    The UK, Hong Kong, Australia, NUS and SMU use the IB grades your school predicts. Schools usually base them on DP1 results and mock exams.

  3. Plan admissions tests

    Medicine: UCAT (registration in May, tests July to September). UK maths, engineering and economics: TMUA, ESAT or TARA in October of Grade 12. Law: LNAT from September.

    UK admissions tests guide

  4. Draft over the summer

    Draft the UCAS personal statement (three questions) and Common App essay, and decide which teachers to ask for references.

    UCAS personal statement guide

  5. If Korea is an option

    Check how the school issues transcripts and the school profile, and how to get them apostilled.

Grade 12 (DP2)

Applications and the IB exams

  1. Deadlines in order

    October for Oxford, Cambridge and UK medicine; November for US early rounds and Hong Kong priority rounds; January for the main UCAS deadline and US regular rounds; December to March for Singapore. See the timeline below.

  2. Interviews and tests

    Oxford and Cambridge usually interview in December. Medicine interviews and course-specific interviews in Singapore mostly fall between January and April.

  3. IB exams and results

    The exams run from late April to mid-May, and results are released on 6 July. Conditional offers in the UK, Singapore and Australia are confirmed with these results.

    IB Maths grade calculator

  4. Korean applications after graduation

    Most special-admission applications open in early July, right after IB results (some universities use September). Regular early admission (수시) applications are in September, for entry the following March.

Application calendar

From the summer of Grade 11 to the end of Grade 12

The calendar for students in Grade 12 now (2027 entry; Korea 2028학년도). Students in Grade 11 now do the same things a year later.

  1. Grade 11, May–June2026
    • UKUCAS applications open (12 May)
    • TestsUCAT registration opens in the UK (20 May)
  2. Summer before Grade 122026
    • TestsUCAT tests: UK 13 July – 24 September; ANZ 1 July – 5 August
    • USCommon App opens (1 August)
    • TestsLNAT registration from 1 August, tests from 1 September
    • PrepareDraft the personal statement and essays; ask for references
  3. Grade 12, September2026
    • UKCompleted UCAS applications can be sent from 1 September
  4. October2026
    • UK15 October, 18:00 UK time: UCAS deadline for Oxford, Cambridge, medicine, dentistry and veterinary courses
    • TestsTMUA, ESAT and TARA: 12–16 October (there is a January sitting, but most Oxford and Cambridge applicants must sit in October)
    • TestsLNAT for Oxford and Cambridge: sit by 15 October
    • UKCambridge transcript, if required: 22 October
    • SingaporeNTU applications open (15 October)
  5. November2026
    • USUS early rounds (ED, EA): usually 1 November
    • Hong KongCUHK advance-offer round: 12 November. HKU and HKUST: 25 November (HKU evaluates applications received by noon first)
    • AustraliaUniversity of Melbourne, February 2027 start: 30 November
    • SingaporeSMU applications open (17 November last year)
  6. December2026
    • SingaporeNUS applications open (16 December)
    • UKOxford and Cambridge interviews (usually December)
    • TestsLNAT for King's, LSE and UCL: sit by 31 December
  7. January2027
    • USUS regular rounds: often around 1 January (varies by university)
    • Hong KongCUHK regular round: 7 January
    • UKUCAS deadline for most courses: 13 January, 18:00 UK time
    • CanadaUBC and University of Toronto: 15 January
    • TestsLNAT for most other universities: sit by 25 January
  8. February2027
    • CanadaWaterloo: apply by 1 February, Admission Information Form by 15 February (engineering earlier)
    • SingaporeNUS closes (17 February)
  9. March2027
    • SingaporeNTU closes (19 March); SMU closed on 19 March last year
  10. April–May2027
    • IBIB exams: late April to mid-May
    • USUS enrolment decision: 1 May
  11. July2027
    • IBIB results: 6 July. Conditional offers in the UK, Singapore and Australia are confirmed
    • SingaporeNUS: outcomes for predicted-grade applicants by the third week of July. NTU decides on actual IB results
    • KoreaKorean special admission (2028학년도): each university picks 5–9 July or 20–23 September 2027
  12. August–September2027
    • PrepareMost overseas universities start
    • KoreaKorean early admission (수시, 2028학년도): 20–23 September 2027, entry in March 2028

Most 2028-entry dates are not published yet. SMU dates are last year's, and US deadlines vary by university. Check each organisation's notices before applying.

Which grades count

Which grades do universities look at?

The US, Hong Kong and Korea ask for school transcripts over several years; the UK, Singapore and Australia look at exam results such as IGCSE and the IB instead.

  • School transcript
  • Exam results, IB predicted or final grades
  • Not asked
  • United States (most universities)Pri (Not asked)G7 (Not asked)G8 (Not asked)G9 (School transcript)G10 (School transcript)G11 (School transcript)G12 (School transcript)UC calculates its GPA from Grades 10–11.
  • United Kingdom (UCAS)Pri (Not asked)G7 (Not asked)G8 (Not asked)G9 (Not asked)G10 (Exam results, IB predicted or final grades)G11 (Exam results, IB predicted or final grades)G12 (Exam results, IB predicted or final grades)No school transcript: list IGCSE and other results and send IB predicted grades. Cambridge asks some applicants (for example with fewer than six IGCSEs) for a 24-month transcript.
  • Singapore: NUS, SMUPri (Not asked)G7 (Not asked)G8 (Not asked)G9 (Not asked)G10 (Not asked)G11 (Exam results, IB predicted or final grades)G12 (Exam results, IB predicted or final grades)IB predicted (school-attested) and final grades.
  • Singapore: NTUPri (Not asked)G7 (Not asked)G8 (Not asked)G9 (Not asked)G10 (Exam results, IB predicted or final grades)G11 (Not asked)G12 (Exam results, IB predicted or final grades)Actual IB results plus secondary exams such as IGCSE; no provisional offer before IB results.
  • Hong Kong: HKUSTPri (Not asked)G7 (Not asked)G8 (Not asked)G9 (Not asked)G10 (School transcript)G11 (School transcript)G12 (School transcript)Transcripts for the last three years (from Grade 10) plus IB predicted grades.
  • Hong Kong: CUHKPri (Not asked)G7 (School transcript)G8 (School transcript)G9 (School transcript)G10 (School transcript)G11 (School transcript)G12 (School transcript)Transcripts from Grade 7 (Secondary 1) plus predicted grades.
  • Australia (e.g. Melbourne, Monash)Pri (Not asked)G7 (Not asked)G8 (Not asked)G9 (Not asked)G10 (Not asked)G11 (Exam results, IB predicted or final grades)G12 (Exam results, IB predicted or final grades)IB grades: conditional offer on predicted grades, confirmed on the final score.
  • Canada: UBCPri (Not asked)G7 (Not asked)G8 (Not asked)G9 (Not asked)G10 (Not asked)G11 (School transcript)G12 (School transcript)Grades 11 and 12. Toronto, Waterloo and McGill also ask for all high-school transcripts.
  • Korea: special admission (재외국민)Pri (School transcript)G7 (School transcript)G8 (School transcript)G9 (School transcript)G10 (School transcript)G11 (School transcript)G12 (School transcript)3-year and 12-year routes both ask for every year from primary school (e.g. Korea University 2027).
  • Korea: early admission (수시)Pri (Not asked)G7 (Not asked)G8 (Not asked)G9 (Not asked)G10 (School transcript)G11 (School transcript)G12 (School transcript)All high-school years, apostilled.
By country

What each country looks at, and when

With the same IB grades, each country looks at different things first and runs to a different calendar.

CountryWhat counts mostTests, interviewsActivitiesMain deadlines
SingaporeIB grades plus course prerequisitesInterviews or tests for some courses (medicine, dentistry, law)Medium (NUS short answers, NTU ABA)October to March, by university
United KingdomPredicted grades, HL subject conditions, personal statementTMUA, ESAT, TARA, UCAT, LNAT; Oxford and Cambridge interviewsLow (course-related only)15 October, 13 January
United StatesGrades 9–12, course rigour, essays, activities, referencesSAT/ACT (required again at some, e.g. MIT, Harvard)Very high1 November early, early January regular
Hong KongIB predicted grades, subject conditions, personal statementInterviews for some coursesMedium12 November (CUHK), 25 November (HKU, HKUST)
AustraliaPublished IB score per course plus prerequisitesRarely, except medicineLowBy university (Melbourne: 30 November for February; Monash: any time)
CanadaGrades 11–12 plus some supplementary formsMostly noneMedium; high at UBC15 January (UBC, Toronto)
Korea: special admissionEligibility (3-year or 12-year) plus documents and interviewsUniversity interviews, a few written testsLow (school activities)Early July or September, by university

Deadlines are for 2027 entry. They fall at similar times each year, but check each university's notices.

IB subjects each course needs: IB Maths requirements by course

Korean citizens

Military service and the plan

Korean boys decide when to serve at the same time as choosing countries and course length.

From the year you turn 25

Men liable for service who are 25 or older need the Military Manpower Administration's permission to stay abroad. If you left Korea before 24, apply by 15 January of the year you turn 25.

Three times to serve

Before university, on leave during university (most common) or after graduating. How long you can study abroad on permission depends on the length of the course, so plan long courses such as medicine early.

Check how long a place can be deferred

UK universities usually defer for one year, which does not cover 18 months of army service. Choose universities that allow two years, or apply during service with final IB results.

Ages under the Military Service Act are counted by calendar year (this year minus the year of birth). Rules depend on nationality, permanent residence and when you left Korea, so check with the Military Manpower Administration or a Korean embassy.

Read next

Guides for each stage

Sources

Official sources

Show the sources

All dates and requirements were checked on official pages on 15–16 October 2026.

A plan for your child's grade

In the IB Pathway Diagnostic (90 minutes, S$500), we set out what to do next and when, based on the student's grade, subjects, target countries and courses.

Request a diagnostic

This is an independent summary of official information from universities, UCAS, test providers and government agencies by Math with Alex. It is not affiliated with any of them. Dates and requirements change every year, so check each organisation's official guidance before applying.

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