- Aaron Ang
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In Singapore, traditional academic results are no longer the only way to get into your preferred secondary school. Today, your co-curricular activities (CCAs) play a bigger role, giving you more opportunities to showcase your talents and leadership skills.
There is also the Direct School Admission (DSA) pathway, which allows you to use your strengths in areas such as music, the arts, sports, or leadership to secure a place in your dream school. Its growing popularity was highlighted in the news when a record 16,000 pupils from the Dragon Year cohort applied for DSA in 2024.
If you are a primary school student or a parent, read on to learn more about how you can increase your chances of successfully applying through DSA.
Lately, I have received many requests for DSA coaching. I must confess that this has kept me so busy that I have been posting less frequently and releasing fewer videos. As a result, this post is only being published when this year’s DSA exercise is almost over. Nevertheless, while this post may be late for some, it is certainly not too late for others, especially since preparing for DSA can take quite some time.
Firstly, if you are already in Primary 5 or 6 and preparing to apply through DSA, you should ideally already know how to play an instrument or be actively involved in a related CCA. Otherwise, it may be quite difficult to prepare in time, unless you are exceptionally talented and able to progress very quickly.
Secondly, you must understand that DSA is essentially a competition for a limited number of places. It can be a golden opportunity to secure a place in your preferred school, but many students may be applying for the same position.
The demand for different instruments, such as the Erhu, Dizi, Suona, Ruan, Pipa, Yangqin and Guzheng, often depends on what the school orchestra needs that year. Instrument sections such as the Sheng, Suona and Dizi are usually more in need of players, especially in girls’ schools. Huqin sections, which include the Gaohu, Erhu and Zhonghu, may already have more players. However, many schools are still happy to accept skilled Huqin players, as stronger players can always contribute to the orchestra.
There may also be a place for a Guzheng player in a Chinese orchestra, but there is usually only one Guzheng position. Most Guzheng players will therefore apply to join a school’s Guzheng ensemble instead, where new members are needed each year.
For DSA, a live audition is usually required. However, before a school invites you for an audition, it may ask for supporting achievements such as competition awards or music examination certificates.
Secondary school Chinese orchestras and Guzheng ensembles are looking for students who are a good fit for their CCAs. They may prefer someone with strong instrumental skills who can eventually support or lead the section. Apart from assessing your playing ability, the school may also interview you to evaluate your communication skills, attitude and leadership potential. Therefore, it is important not only to play well, but also to express yourself confidently and show that you can work well with others.
How Early Should You Prepare for Music DSA?
To develop a high level of proficiency in a particular skill, we usually recommend starting as young as possible, ideally around the age of six or seven. This is why many parents enrol their children in individual lessons with us at Eight Tones Music School even before they join a CCA, which usually happens from Primary 3 onwards. In most cases, one-to-one lessons are needed to prepare for grading examinations and DSA, as school group lessons alone may not provide enough time to develop the required skills.
Starting earlier gives instructors more time to prepare students for grading examinations. It can take anywhere from six months to a year to complete each grade. Although some students may be able to skip grades, building up their skills and experience still takes time.
There have been cases where students started individual one-to-one lessons in Primary 5 or even Primary 6 and still managed to enter a school through DSA. However, this is not easy to achieve and can sometimes place a lot of stress on the student. Ideally, Primary 3 or 4, or even earlier, would be the best time to start preparing.
What Do You Need for a Music DSA Audition?
When it comes to achievements for a DSA application, my personal recommendation is to have at least a Grade 6 qualification, although the requirements may vary from school to school. A Grade 4 certificate may still help you secure an audition opportunity, especially if you are able to perform a technical piece at around Grade 6 level during the audition.
Having an award from a national competition would be even better, but such awards are often difficult to obtain because the competition can be very strong. Alternatively, being a member of the Singapore National Youth Chinese Orchestra may also help to strengthen your portfolio and improve your chances of securing an audition.
For the audition, you will usually need to prepare around two pieces, with each piece lasting approximately two minutes. You may use excerpts from your grading examination pieces, but the audition format can vary from school to school.
A parent once asked me whether her child could perform a pop song for a DSA audition. I advised against it, as pop songs may not showcase the student’s technical abilities as effectively. Instead, I recommended choosing grading examination pieces, as these usually demonstrate a wider range of techniques and provide the judges with a clearer understanding of the student’s playing ability.
What Grading Examinations to Take?
In terms of recognition, the NAFA-CCOM grading examinations may have an advantage because CCOM stands for the Central Conservatory of Music, which is one of the top, if not the top, music conservatories in China. The certificate is issued by CCOM, while the examination is graded by NAFA.
However, NAFA-CCOM may not always be the best option for logistical reasons. There have been cases where results were released very late and students almost missed the DSA application deadline. The difficulty level also increases quite sharply, even in the earlier grades.
Personally, I would recommend the Ci-TENG examination. It offers sufficient recognition in Singapore, releases its results earlier, and also holds a mid-year examination for Primary 6 students applying through DSA.
A substantial number of students in Singapore have taken this grading examination over the years, so it is already recognised by most schools.
