Your JC subject combination decides more than your next two years. It decides which university courses you can apply for. This guide covers MOE's rules for 2027 JC1 students, how to pick a combination that keeps your options open, and which university courses need H2 Math, according to NUS's and NTU's published prerequisites.
O-Level results are tentatively due between 13 and 15 January 2027, and JC applications follow quickly. Most students choose subjects in a rush, based on what friends are taking or what felt easiest in Sec 4. A better approach is to work backwards: start from the courses you might want in three years, check what they require, and build your combination around that.
MOE's rules for your combination
MOE's notes on Pre-U subjects (correct as of July 2026) set the standard combination:
"The norm subject combination a student will offer is three H2 subjects and one H1 subject (with at least one H1 or H2 subject from a contrasting discipline), H1 Mother Tongue Language (MTL), H1 General Paper (GP) and Project Work (PW)."
A few rules sit behind that sentence.
- Academic units. Students take 10 to 12 academic units (AU). Each H2 subject is 2 AU, each H1 subject 1 AU, each H3 1 AU, and Project Work 1 AU. Extra subjects are possible up to 12 AU; check with your school.
- Contrasting discipline. MOE groups subjects into "Humanities and the Arts" and "Mathematics and Sciences". At least one of your content subjects must come from the group you aren't mainly in. Economics sits in Humanities and the Arts, which is why so many science students take it.
- Mother Tongue. You don't need to take H1 MTL if you scored D7 or better in Higher MTL at O-Level. You can also meet the requirement by taking H2 MTL and Literature.
- Project Work. It is graded Pass or Fail, and you need a Pass to be eligible for local university admission.
Which subjects count towards university admission
Under the 70-point system, your University Admission Score counts three H2 subjects and General Paper. Your fourth content subject and Mother Tongue are added only if they raise your score. Our rank points calculator shows exactly how.
Your H1 content subject still matters even when it doesn't count towards your score. It is often your contrasting subject, and some courses list H1 subjects as prerequisites. NTU Economics, for example, asks for a good grade in H1 Math.
Which university courses need H2 Math
This is the question that catches most students out. Dropping H2 Math in JC1 can close doors three years later. The table below comes from NUS's prerequisites sheet (dated December 2025) and NTU's minimum subject requirements (dated November 2026).
| Course | Maths requirement |
|---|---|
| NUS Engineering | H2 pass in Mathematics or Further Mathematics |
| NUS Computer Engineering | H2 pass in Mathematics or Further Mathematics |
| NUS Business Analytics | H2 pass in Mathematics or Further Mathematics |
| NUS Data Science and Economics | Very good pass in H2 Mathematics |
| NUS Computer Science | H2 pass in Computing, Mathematics, Further Mathematics or Physics; or a good pass in H1 Mathematics |
| NUS Business Administration | H1 pass in Mathematics, or a pass in O-Level Additional Mathematics |
| NTU Engineering (most programmes) | H2 pass in Mathematics, plus H2 Physics, Chemistry, Biology or Computing |
| NTU Computer Science | H2 pass in Mathematics, or H2 pass in Physics or Computing |
| NTU Data Science and Artificial Intelligence | H2 pass in Mathematics |
| NTU Mathematical Sciences | H2 pass in Mathematics |
| NTU Physics / Applied Physics | H2 pass in Physics and H2 pass in Mathematics |
| NTU Economics | Good grade in H1 Mathematics (and in General Paper) |
| NTU Business / Accountancy | H1 pass in Mathematics, or an O-Level pass in Additional Mathematics |
| NTU Psychology | Good grade in H1 Mathematics (and in General Paper) |
Two patterns stand out. First, engineering, data science and maths-heavy courses need H2 Math at both universities. Second, several popular courses, such as business, accountancy and NTU economics, only need H1 Math or a pass in O-Level Additional Mathematics. NTU's Economics and Data Science double degree, though, needs a good grade in H2 Math.
Other common prerequisites
| Course | Requirement |
|---|---|
| NUS and NTU Medicine | H2 pass in Chemistry, and H2 pass in Biology or Physics |
| NUS Dentistry | H2 pass in Chemistry, and H2 pass in Biology or Physics |
| NUS Pharmacy | Very good pass in H2 Chemistry, and very good pass in H2 Biology, Physics, Mathematics or Further Mathematics |
| NUS Law | No subject prerequisite; at least a B in H1 General Paper (or the SAT alternative) |
| NTU English, History, Philosophy, Linguistics | Good grade in General Paper, Knowledge & Inquiry, or an H1 or H2 humanities subject |
If medicine is even a possibility, H2 Chemistry is non-negotiable, and you need H2 Biology or Physics alongside it. Our guide to NUS and NTU Medicine admissions covers the rest of that application. Law has no subject prerequisites, but General Paper carries real weight; see our NUS and SMU Law guide.
How to choose your combination
- List three or four courses you might apply for. You don't need to be certain. A rough list is enough to check prerequisites.
- Check the prerequisites for each. Use the tables above as a starting point, then the official NUS, NTU and SMU pages.
- Keep H2 Math if any course on your list needs it. It is the subject most often required, and the hardest to add later.
- Pick your contrasting subject for interest, not only for ease. You will study it for two years.
- Be honest about workload. A fourth H2 is allowed within the 12-AU limit, but only adds to your score if it beats your other options. Talk to your school before committing.
Taking four H2 subjects
MOE allows extra subjects up to 12 AU, and four H2s plus General Paper, Project Work and H1 Mother Tongue comes to 11 AU. Schools set their own conditions. For university admission, only your best three H2s count in full; the fourth is treated like an H1 subject and included only if it raises your score.
H3 subjects
H3 subjects are taken alongside the matching H2. MOE offers H3 in subjects including Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Economics, History and Literature in English. Note that the H3 Science Research and H3 Humanities and Social Sciences Research programmes are being discontinued: MOE says the 2026 JC1 cohort is the final batch to take them.
Get a head start on JC
You can also browse MACRO's JC programmes.
FAQs
What is the standard JC subject combination?
Three H2 subjects and one H1 subject, with at least one from a contrasting discipline, plus H1 General Paper, Project Work and H1 Mother Tongue.
What counts as a contrasting subject?
MOE groups subjects into Humanities and the Arts, and Mathematics and Sciences. At least one of your content subjects must come from the group you are not mainly taking. Economics is in Humanities and the Arts, so it can be a science student's contrasting subject.
Which university courses need H2 Math?
At NUS: Engineering, Computer Engineering, Business Analytics, and Data Science and Economics. At NTU: most Engineering programmes, Data Science and AI, Mathematical Sciences, and Physics. Some computing courses accept H2 Physics or Computing instead.
Do I need H2 Math for business or economics?
Not always. NUS Business Administration and NTU Business and Accountancy accept H1 Math or a pass in O-Level Additional Mathematics. NTU Economics asks for a good grade in H1 Math, while NUS Data Science and Economics needs a very good pass in H2 Math.
What subjects do I need for medicine?
H2 Chemistry, plus H2 Biology or Physics, at both NUS and NTU.
Can I take four H2 subjects?
MOE allows up to 12 academic units, and four H2s fit within that. Schools set their own conditions. Only your best three H2s count in full towards university admission.
