Full SBB vs the Old Express and Normal Streams

Parents raised on the words Express, Normal Academic and Normal Technical now read school letters full of Posting Groups and G-levels. The change is real, but it is a translation problem before it is an education problem: once you can convert old labels to new ones, most confusion disappears.

This page translates the two systems side by side, with English as the working example, using current MOE sources.

What was removed and what replaced it

From the 2024 Secondary 1 cohort, MOE removed the Express, Normal Academic and Normal Technical streams and posted students through Posting Groups instead.

Under Full Subject-Based Banding, a student is posted to a school through Posting Group 1, 2 or 3 and then takes each subject at G1, G2 or G3 level. Older cohorts continue under previous arrangements until the change phases through, which is why you may still hear stream language from neighbours with older children.

Old stream labels versus today's levels

Posting Groups 3, 2 and 1 mirror the old Express, Normal Academic and Normal Technical score ranges, while each subject is now taken at G1, G2 or G3 level.

The crucial difference: the old stream labelled the student and dragged every subject with it. The new system separates where you enter a school from the level at which you take each subject, so a student can sit English at one level and Mathematics at another.

What this means for English lessons

English remains compulsory for every student, but the pace and depth now follow the subject level each student takes rather than a stream-wide template.

In practice, G3 English moves faster through texts and writing demands, G2 builds the same skills with more scaffolding, and G1 focuses on practical language use. A student's posting group does not lock their English level; the subject level follows the student's own PSLE result for that subject and school arrangements, and schools review levels as students progress.

FAQ

Can my child move up a subject level later?

Yes. Schools review subject levels as students progress, so a stronger Sec 2 English result can open a more demanding level.

Which English level will my child take in Sec 1?

It follows the student's PSLE result for English and school arrangements, so read the posting letter and check with the school rather than assuming the posting group decides.

Is G3 English the same as the old Express English?

It is closest in pace and demand, but the system is new enough that schools differ in materials; compare course outlines, not old stream memories.