Parents often hear G1, G2 and G3 before they have had time to understand what those labels mean. The terms can sound like fixed tracks, especially while a child is preparing for Secondary 1. It helps to separate two ideas: how a student is posted to a secondary school, and the subject levels they may offer under Full Subject-Based Banding.

Starting from the 2024 Secondary 1 cohort, the Normal (Technical), Normal (Academic) and Express streams are removed. Under Full Subject-Based Banding (Full SBB), students are posted to secondary schools through Posting Groups 1, 2 and 3 instead, and have greater flexibility to offer subjects at different subject levels. Students can adjust their subject levels at appropriate junctures. Full SBB was piloted from 2020 and rolled out progressively from 2022 to 2024.

What do G1, G2 and G3 mean?

G1, G2 and G3 are subject levels under Full SBB. They broadly correspond to the former Normal (Technical), Normal (Academic) and Express streams respectively. Posting Groups 1, 2 and 3 are used for posting students to secondary schools; G1, G2 and G3 describe subject levels. Keeping those terms distinct makes school information easier to read.

The flexibility matters because students can offer subjects at different levels. A label connected with one subject does not tell you everything about how a learner is doing elsewhere. Students can also adjust their subject levels at appropriate junctures. For families, this means the useful question is often about the current work: what feels clear, where a method becomes difficult, and what kind of practice could help.

Normal (Technical), Normal (Academic) and Express may still appear in older material, so families may encounter both the earlier stream names and the Full SBB terms while reading about the change. The important point is that the three streams are removed for students starting Secondary 1 from 2024, with Posting Groups used for school posting and G1/G2/G3 used for subject levels.

How the 2027 SEC changes exam names

From 2027, the Singapore-Cambridge GCE for N(T), N(A) and Ordinary Levels will be combined and renamed the Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC). Students will sit each subject at its subject level: G1, G2 or G3. The grading structures follow those of the former examinations respectively: G1 grades run from A to E, G2 grades from 1 to 6, and G3 grades from A1 to 9.

This change helps explain why families may see older exam terms alongside newer subject-level labels. The name of the certificate changes from 2027, while students sit subjects at their subject level. It is useful context when reading school information, but it is not a reason to start exam-style drilling years in advance. A child benefits more from understanding the lesson in front of them and being able to explain a method clearly.

What can families do during Sec 1?

Focus on the learning process rather than comparing labels. A learner benefits from understanding a question, choosing a mathematical representation, showing each step and checking whether the answer makes sense. Those habits are useful whether the current work involves Integers & Negative Numbers, Linear Equations, Ratio, Rate & Speed or another selected topic.

Here is a short example from Linear Equations. Suppose the question is 4x - 7 = 13. Ask the learner what is happening to x: it is multiplied by four, then seven is subtracted. Undo the subtraction first by adding seven to both sides:

4x - 7 + 7 = 13 + 7

Now 4x = 20. Divide both sides by four to get x = 5. Check it in the original equation: 4 × 5 - 7 = 20 - 7 = 13. The check confirms the answer.

If the learner makes a mistake, the written steps show where to look. Perhaps they subtracted seven instead of adding it, or divided only one side. Ask which action keeps the equation balanced. That prompt helps them repair the reasoning themselves, rather than memorising a rule that may be hard to apply to the next question.

A calm way to review progress

Try a short weekly check-in built around the learner’s own work:

1. Name what is going well. Ask which question or step felt more manageable this week.
2. Choose one point of uncertainty. A particular line in a solution gives you something concrete to discuss.
3. Practise the next step. Use a few questions on the same topic and ask for a reason, not only an answer.
4. Look again later. Return to the topic after some time has passed to see whether the learner can still explain the method.

This routine avoids turning every practice session into a high-stakes test. It also gives parents a more useful conversation than asking whether a child is “ready for G2” or will “get G3.” Full SBB allows students to offer subjects at different levels and to adjust those levels at appropriate junctures. At home, the helpful role is to provide a steady place to practise and listen when a child describes what they understand.

When a topic feels difficult, keep the next action small. Re-read the question, circle the quantities, sketch a simple representation or solve one line at a time. When the work feels comfortable, ask for a second way to explain it or invite the learner to check a new example. Confidence comes from being able to show how an answer was reached, not from finishing the largest number of questions.

Where focused practice fits

Singapore Math Drills provides practice from Primary 1 to Secondary 4, with selected Secondary topics available. Families can use topic practice to spend time on a current area such as Linear Equations or Number Patterns. A short set can complement schoolwork by giving the learner another opportunity to show each step and check an answer.

Keep the practice connected to what the learner is studying. If they are working on equations, choose questions that build on equations; there is no need to jump ahead just because another subject level may have a different set of expectations. The point of practice is to reinforce learning and make progress visible to the learner through their own explanations.

Keep the focus on the learner

G1, G2 and G3 are terms families will encounter as they learn about Full SBB, but they do not need to dominate the conversation from the first day. Start with the current question, the current topic and the next step the learner can explain. Notice where they are confident, ask about the line that feels uncertain and leave room to revisit it.

As the school year unfolds, the learner builds familiarity with new topics and subject-level work. A calm routine gives your child space to adapt to secondary school and build the habits that help with new math. A few thoughtful questions, a worked example and regular topic practice can make the transition feel more understandable for the whole family.

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Parents often hear G1, G2 and G3 before they have had time to understand what those labels mean. The terms can sound like fixed tracks, especially while a child is preparing for Secondary 1. It helps to separate two ideas: how a student is posted to a secondary school, and the subject levels they may offer under Full Subject-Based Banding.

Starting from the 2024 Secondary 1 cohort, the Normal (Technical), Normal (Academic) and Express streams are removed. Under Full Subject-Based Banding (Full SBB), students are posted to secondary schools through Posting Groups 1, 2 and 3 instead, and have greater flexibility to offer subjects at different subject levels. Students can adjust their subject levels at appropriate junctures. Full SBB was piloted from 2020 and rolled out progressively from 2022 to 2024.

What do G1, G2 and G3 mean?

G1, G2 and G3 are subject levels under Full SBB. They broadly correspond to the former Normal (Technical), Normal (Academic) and Express streams respectively. Posting Groups 1, 2 and 3 are used for posting students to secondary schools; G1, G2 and G3 describe subject levels. Keeping those terms distinct makes school information easier to read.

The flexibility matters because students can offer subjects at different levels. A label connected with one subject does not tell you everything about how a learner is doing elsewhere. Students can also adjust their subject levels at appropriate junctures. For families, this means the useful question is often about the current work: what feels clear, where a method becomes difficult, and what kind of practice could help.

Normal (Technical), Normal (Academic) and Express may still appear in older material, so families may encounter both the earlier stream names and the Full SBB terms while reading about the change. The important point is that the three streams are removed for students starting Secondary 1 from 2024, with Posting Groups used for school posting and G1/G2/G3 used for subject levels.

How the 2027 SEC changes exam names

From 2027, the Singapore-Cambridge GCE for N(T), N(A) and Ordinary Levels will be combined and renamed the Singapore-Cambridge Secondary Education Certificate (SEC). Students will sit each subject at its subject level: G1, G2 or G3. The grading structures follow those of the former examinations respectively: G1 grades run from A to E, G2 grades from 1 to 6, and G3 grades from A1 to 9.

This change helps explain why families may see older exam terms alongside newer subject-level labels. The name of the certificate changes from 2027, while students sit subjects at their subject level. It is useful context when reading school information, but it is not a reason to start exam-style drilling years in advance. A child benefits more from understanding the lesson in front of them and being able to explain a method clearly.

What can families do during Sec 1?

Focus on the learning process rather than comparing labels. A learner benefits from understanding a question, choosing a mathematical representation, showing each step and checking whether the answer makes sense. Those habits are useful whether the current work involves Integers & Negative Numbers, Linear Equations, Ratio, Rate & Speed or another selected topic.

Here is a short example from Linear Equations. Suppose the question is 4x - 7 = 13. Ask the learner what is happening to x: it is multiplied by four, then seven is subtracted. Undo the subtraction first by adding seven to both sides:

4x - 7 + 7 = 13 + 7

Now 4x = 20. Divide both sides by four to get x = 5. Check it in the original equation: 4 × 5 - 7 = 20 - 7 = 13. The check confirms the answer.

If the learner makes a mistake, the written steps show where to look. Perhaps they subtracted seven instead of adding it, or divided only one side. Ask which action keeps the equation balanced. That prompt helps them repair the reasoning themselves, rather than memorising a rule that may be hard to apply to the next question.

A calm way to review progress

Try a short weekly check-in built around the learner’s own work:

1. Name what is going well. Ask which question or step felt more manageable this week.
2. Choose one point of uncertainty. A particular line in a solution gives you something concrete to discuss.
3. Practise the next step. Use a few questions on the same topic and ask for a reason, not only an answer.
4. Look again later. Return to the topic after some time has passed to see whether the learner can still explain the method.

This routine avoids turning every practice session into a high-stakes test. It also gives parents a more useful conversation than asking whether a child is “ready for G2” or will “get G3.” Full SBB allows students to offer subjects at different levels and to adjust those levels at appropriate junctures. At home, the helpful role is to provide a steady place to practise and listen when a child describes what they understand.

When a topic feels difficult, keep the next action small. Re-read the question, circle the quantities, sketch a simple representation or solve one line at a time. When the work feels comfortable, ask for a second way to explain it or invite the learner to check a new example. Confidence comes from being able to show how an answer was reached, not from finishing the largest number of questions.

Where focused practice fits

Singapore Math Drills provides practice from Primary 1 to Secondary 4, with selected Secondary topics available. Families can use topic practice to spend time on a current area such as Linear Equations or Number Patterns. A short set can complement schoolwork by giving the learner another opportunity to show each step and check an answer.

Keep the practice connected to what the learner is studying. If they are working on equations, choose questions that build on equations; there is no need to jump ahead just because another subject level may have a different set of expectations. The point of practice is to reinforce learning and make progress visible to the learner through their own explanations.

Keep the focus on the learner

G1, G2 and G3 are terms families will encounter as they learn about Full SBB, but they do not need to dominate the conversation from the first day. Start with the current question, the current topic and the next step the learner can explain. Notice where they are confident, ask about the line that feels uncertain and leave room to revisit it.

As the school year unfolds, the learner builds familiarity with new topics and subject-level work. A calm routine gives your child space to adapt to secondary school and build the habits that help with new math. A few thoughtful questions, a worked example and regular topic practice can make the transition feel more understandable for the whole family.

Try it free

Start your free trial →