The DPA focuses on admitting students who have specific aptitude and interest in a particular course in the polytechnics whereas the JPSAE considers students with outstanding talents and achievements in more general areas, such as in leadership, community service and sports. Each polytechnic is allowed to admit up to 2.5% and 5% of its annual intake through the DPA and JPSAE respectively.

Unlike the JPSAE, the DPA is conducted before the release of the 'O' level results. It allows the students to confirm places in polytechnic courses before taking the 'O' level examinations, and to benefit from the Ngee Ann Preparatory Programme before the start of the formal polytechnic term.

The DPA will be available to Express and Normal (Academic) students in the Sec 4 and 5 years respectively. Like the DSA-JC, the DPA will be available to all schools. Each polytechnic will have its own selection criteria, which will be based on merit. The selection criteria could include school based results, passion and talents demonstrated by the students in various activities and competitions, recommendations from teachers and principals, performance at immersion programmes and interviews by the polytechnic lecturers. Students' participation and grades in Advanced Elective Modules (AEMs) and Applied Subjects (AS) may also be considered, as they reflect students' interest and aptitude in applied learning.

Students who wish to be considered for their sporting talents or any other talent which is not relevant to the polytechnic course which they are applying for, should apply under the Joint Polytechnic Special Admission Exercise (JPSAE). The JPSAE considers other talents beyond those related to the area of applied learning, such as sporting talents. The JPSAE is conducted after the release of the 'O' level results.

The O-level qualification continues to be an important milestone qualification for the vast majority of our students and provides a sound broad-based education to prepare our students for their post-secondary years. This also ensures that students admitted to polytechnics via the DPA have the necessary foundation to cope with the rigours of a diploma education.

To ensure that students admitted via the DPA exercise will be able to cope with the rigours of a polytechnic education, DPA offers are conditional upon students meeting the following requirements for their 'O' Level examination results:

a. Achieve a net ELR2B2 score of no more than 26 points, and
b. Meet the Minimum Entry Requirements for their respective polytechnic courses.

From past experience on polytechnic admissions, the highest cut-off point for most polytechnic courses was 26 points based on the net ELR2B2 criteria. We believe that students who are given DPA offers should not have difficulty meeting the above requirements, as they are the ones who have demonstrated talent in the particular polytechnic courses.

Given the word limit, you are strongly encouraged to be concise and to-the-point:

● Focus and write about the accomplishments relevant to the course you've chosen - e.g. tell us about the articles you have written for your school newspaper when applying for the Diploma in Mass Communication.

● Show us your aptitude for applied learning through the activities you have participated in - e.g. Advanced Elective Modules (AEMs), Applied Subjects (AS), competitions etc.

● Be sure to mention any CCA that is related to the course of your choice - e.g. tell us if you've been a member of the St John's Ambulance Brigade if you are applying for the Diploma in Health Sciences (Nursing).

You need not mention in your write-up how interested you are in the particular course. The fact that you are applying for the course is an indicator of your interest which does not need any reiteration. It is also not necessary to include your aspirations and ambitions as you can share these with the interview panel during your interview.

The main thing to take note is that you will be shortlisted for the interview based on your write-up. So do think carefully about what you want to write. If it helps, get someone else to read through it before you submit it.

Interviews allow the polytechnics to better determine students' interest and aptitude in a particular area of applied learning through speaking to them personally and viewing their portfolios.

No, the student will not be allowed to switch courses after accepting a DPA offer. The DPA is targeted at students who are interested in a particular course in the polytechnics, and the admission is based on the student's suitability for that course. If the student is undecided on the specific polytechnic course that he is keen on, he should apply for a course through the Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE) after receiving his 'O' level results rather than through the DPA.

DPA students will start and complete their polytechnic course of study at the same time as their peers who enter through the JAE, i.e. they will be able to obtain diplomas 3 years after the start of their polytechnic course in April. Within these 3 years, however, DPA students may pursue advanced modules or Diploma-Plus programmes. This is possible because DPA students would have completed some first-year modules during the 8-week Polytechnic Preparatory Programme prior to the start of the polytechnic academic year.

The NPP which runs for about 8 weeks from Jan to Mar, comprises activities such as industry visits, leadership camps, as well as polytechnic modules. The NPP will enhance and broaden students' learning experiences, and prepare them better for polytechnic education. As students in the NPP have taken some core and elective modules before the start of the formal academic year, this will allow them to pursue more advanced modules or cross-disciplinary modules during their studies in NP.

The fees for NPP in 2011 are S$150, S$250 and S$400 per student for Singapore Citizens, Permanent Residents, and foreign students respectively : http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/admissions/dpa/prepatory-programme/

The NPP is an integral foundation programme that all DPA students are expected to attend. The Polytechnic will consider appeals on a case-by-case basis, if there are valid reasons why a student is unable to attend the NPP.