All You Need to Know about Secondary Music, Simplified

Unlike core academic subjects, Secondary Music education in Singapore is highly specialised but vast in scope — spanning a diverse range of styles and pathways. With the transition to Full Subject-Based Banding from 2027 (G3 Music), alongside options like MEP, EMP, and DSA-Sec, navigating MOE’s offerings can be confusing. Here’s a clear overview covering each programme's distinct features, participating schools, key application timelines, and our expert advice.

Note: This guide focuses on upper-tier music, and excludes lower secondary General Music Programme and G1 Music, formerly Normal (Technical) Music.

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G3 Music (O Level Music)
MEP
DSA-Sec
EMP
G3 / EMP / MEP comparison

G3 Music (O Level Music)

A 2-year subject taken from Secondary 3, where students learn about music across different traditions through Listening, Performing and Composing.

What’s tested for G3 Music?

Paper 1- Listening (Written Paper) 40%

  1. Western Music (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th C)

  2. Jazz Music (Traditional, Swing, Bebop, Cool)

  3. Pop Music (1960s Rock, Synth, R&B/Soul)

  4. Asian Music (Chinese, Malay Dance, Indian, Gamelan)

You will require knowledge of music theory, history, and socio-cultural context of the various genres and traditions listed above.

Paper 2 - Creating (Composition course work) 30%

  • Submit 1 composition based on

    • Music stimulus (a set of pitches or rhythmic motif)

    • Text stimulus (a poem or set of lyrics) or

    • Context stimulus

  • Must be a complete piece, between 1-5 instruments

  • Max performance duration of 3 min (no need to perform)

  • 400-500 word reflection notes

Paper 3 - Performing (Recital & Reflection Notes) 30%

  • Between 5-10 minutes

  • 2 contrasting pieces on a solo instrument/voice, or 1st piece on solo instrument/voice, 2nd piece on either a second instrument, ensemble, or accompaniment

  • 400-500 word reflection notes

Examination Timeline

List of schools offering G3 Music (from MOE’s website)

  • Interested P6 students should choose these schools if they want their school to offer G3 Music:

    • Anglican High School

    • Ang Mo Kio Secondary School

    • Holy Innocents’ High School

    • Maris Stella High School

    • Pasir Ris Crest Secondary School

    • Paya Lebar Methodist Girls’ School

    • Singapore Chinese Girls’ School

    • St Andrew’s School (Secondary)

    If you are enrolled in any of the above schools, you cannot take music at a G3 Music Centre (must take in your own school)

  • Students enrolled in schools that do not offer MEP, EMP or G3 Music can apply to sit for the centralised selection exercise in Secondary 2.

    G3 Music Centres:

    • Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School

    • Ang Mo Kio Secondary School

    • Catholic High School (Secondary)

    • CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls’ School (Secondary)

    • Chung Cheng High School (Main)

    • Crescent Girls’ School

    • Methodist Girls’ School (Secondary)

    • St. Margaret’s School (Secondary)

    • Tanjong Katong Girls’ School

    • Yuhua Secondary School

    Music lessons are held on a weekday afternoon

G3 Music Selection Exercise

Selection exercise is at Secondary 2. The application window opens from mid-May to early July each year. Interested students should check with their school’s music teacher.

The G3 Music Selection Exercise requires some experience and competence in:

  • Instrumental performance or singing. Student must be able to display basic fluency and sound fundamental techniques.

  • Listening and evaluating music.

External graded certification (e.g. ABRSM/Trinity grades) is not compulsory, but higher grades typically translate to more experience

  • Listen to 8 – 10 short musical extracts, taken from a range of musical traditions, and respond to 25 MCQ questions.

    • Melody (e.g. accidentals, articulation, contour, intervals, melodic devices, phrase structure and mood)

    • Tonality (major and minor keys up to 3 sharps and flats, pentatonic mode)

    • Harmony (chords I, IV, V, vi in Roman numerals in chord symbols)

    • Rhythm (e.g. dotted rhythms, syncopations, triplets, rhythmic devices)

    • Time Signature (simple and compound duple, triple and quadruple)

    • Tempo

    • Instrumentation or tone colour (instrument families, how they are played, description of tone colours of musical instruments from western and non-western traditions)

    • Texture (e.g. call and response, monophony, unison, homophony, polyphony, heterophony), and functions of musical layers

    • Dynamics and Expression (e.g. loud/soft, performing decisions)

    • Form or Structure (e.g. Binary, Ternary, Rondo, Theme and Variations, 12-Bar Blues, Popular song structures)

    • Notation (staff notation)

  • Perform 2 contrasting solo pieces on an instrument (e.g. piano, trumpet, rebab, erhu, sitar) or voice, total max duration 5 minutes.

Application Timeline

During Secondary 2

May - July

Early August

Mid August

End September

End October

Early November

During Secondary 4

July/August

Mid-end September

Early November

(Students should obtain the G3 Music Information Sheet from their school’s music coordinator)

Application window for G3 Music Selection Exercise (and submission of Audition recording)

Applicants will be informed about the details of listening test by their school’s music coordinator

Listening Test

Applicants will receive the outcome of the Selection Exercise

Successful applicants will receive a letter to select their G3 Music Centre

Successful applicants will receive a notification on their posting outcome by their school’s music coordinator

Submission of Paper 2 Composition course work

Paper 3 Practical examination

Paper 1 Listening examination

How to apply into G3 Music

Music Elective Programme (MEP)

A 4-year in-depth and extended programme taken from Secondary 1, meant for musically-inclined students

What’s tested for MEP?

Higher Music Elective Paper

Option 1: Research Essay

  • Essay of 1500-2000 words

  • Topic is of your own choice

  • Depth and scope must extend beyond requirements of Paper 1

  • Topics chosen must promote and extend your listening and analytical skills

  • Must be accompanied by details of relevant music / scores / recorded extracts

  • Sources must be identified in bibliography

  • Max 5 hours consultation time with coursework supervisor

Option 3: Higher Performing: Recital (40 marks), viva voce (10 marks)

  • 2 contrasting pieces, any style or tradition or improvisation, one must be an ensemble piece

  • Total time between 8-12 minutes

  • Solo piece can be: a solo performance, an ensemble performance, an accompaniment on any instrument, or a solo/ensemble improvisation

  • Ensemble piece can be: an ensemble performance, or an accompaniment on any instrument

  • Pieces must be different from those submitted in Paper 3

  • You will be examined by 2 examiners at a live performance

  • viva voce: Examiner will ask 3 questions from 3 categories

    • knowledge of chosen repertoire

    • analysis of specific aspects of the music and performance techniques

    • rehearsal and preparation

Additional Experiences

MEP Selection Exercise

  • Interested P6 students should select MEP schools as their top choice.

  • Selection happens at the beginning of Sec 1 only. No acc

  • MEP Selection Exercise requires competence in:

    • Instrumental performance or singing. Student must be able to display basic fluency and sound fundamental techniques.

    • Listening and evaluating music.

    External graded certification (e.g. ABRSM/Trinity grades) is not compulsory, but higher grades typically translate to more experience

  • Listen to 8 – 10 short musical extracts, taken from a range of musical traditions, and respond to 25 MCQ questions.

    • Melody (e.g. accidentals, articulation, contour, intervals, melodic devices, phrase structure and mood)

    • Tonality (major and minor keys up to 1 sharp and flat, pentatonic mode)

    • Harmony (chords I and V)

    • Rhythm (e.g. dotted rhythms, syncopations, triplets, rhythmic devices)

    • Time Signature (simple and compound duple, triple and quadruple)

    • Tempo

    • Instrumentation or tone colour (instrument families, how they are played, description of tone colours of musical instruments from western and non-western traditions)

    • Texture (e.g. call and response, monophony, unison, homophony, polyphony), and functions of musical layers

    • Dynamics and Expression (e.g. loud/soft, performing decisions)

    • Form or Structure (e.g. Binary, Ternary, Rondo, Theme and Variations, 12-Bar Blues, verse and chorus)

  • Perform 2 contrasting solo pieces on an instrument (e.g. piano, trumpet, rebab, erhu, sitar) or voice, total max duration 5 minutes.

  • Applicants who have composed music could upload their scores and/or recordings as part of their online application.

  • Share musical aspirations and interests with a panel of music teachers.

Application Timeline

Beginning of Sec 1

Early January

Early February

Late February

By mid-March

Late March (Term 2 Week 1)

(Interested students are advised to prepare before starting sec 1)

Phase 1A: Online Application (and submission of Audition recording)

Phase 1B: e-Listening Test (held in applicant’s own secondary school)

Phase 2: e-interview (held in applicant’s own secondary school)

Notification of results via secondary school music coordinator

Commencement of MEP

List of schools offering MEP (from MOE’s website)

Option 2: Higher Creating

  • 3 Compositions, total max 6 minutes, at least 1 composed solely using technology

  • 3 Programme notes, up to 500 words each

  • Duration of each work is up to you

  • Works must be different from those submitted in Paper 2

  • Each work must be a complete piece; style, technique or tradition listed in the Area of Study, or beyond; and any instrument/voice of your choice

  • All pieces must use staff notation or any other form of conventional notation, unless a piece has been composed using a DAW

  • Programme notes should introduce the piece for the intended audience and offer a brief analysis of the music, rather than a description or evaluation of the compositional process

  • MOE- and school-based music and leadership development opportunities, like

    • Combined EMP/MEP school camp for Sec 3 students

    • Combined EMP/MEP concert

How to apply into MEP

Enhanced Music Programme (EMP)

A 2-year subject taken from Secondary 3, where students learn about music across different traditions through Listening, Performing and Composing. (Exactly the same as G3 Music, but with additional music experiences, see below)

What’s tested for EMP?

Additional Experiences (Same as MEP)

  • MOE- and school-based music and leadership development opportunities, like

    • Combined EMP/MEP school camp for Sec 3 students

    • Combined EMP/MEP concert

How to Apply into EMP

You must enroll into a school offering EMP. EMP-offering schools are not music centers that hold lessons for students from other secondary schools unlike G3 and MEP.

EMP prep course

  • For students in an EMP school interested in signing up for EMP

  • Occurs in Sec 1 or 2 (check with specific school)

  • This is an additional course that happens outside curriculum hours; not the same as GMP

  • This course prepares students specifically for EMP curriculum when they progress to Sec 3

  • Students will still need to take the EMP selection test, set by the school, similar to the G3 Music selection test.

List of schools offering EMP (from MOE’s website)

Comparing G3 vs EMP vs MEP

Selection Exercise

Listening Test

8-10 short musical extracts, 25 MCQs

G3, EMP

Same

Up to 3 sharps and flats

Same

Same

Same + Heterophony

Same + T&V, 12-bar blues

MEP

Same

Up to 1 sharp and flat

Same

Same

Same

Same

Melody (eg. accidentals, articulation, contour, melodic devices, phrase structure, mood)

Same

Same

Tonality (Major and Minor key, pentatonic mode)
Harmony (Chords)

Chords I, IV, V & vi

Chords I & V

Rhythm (eg. dotted rhythms, syncopations, triplets, rhythmic devices)
Time Signature (simple and compound duple, triple and quadruple)

Same

Same

Tempo
Instrumentation/tone colour (description of western + non-western traditions)

Same

Same

Texture (eg. call + response, unison, mono/homo/poly-phony), function of musical layers
Dynamics and Expression (eg. loud/soft, performing decisions)

Same

Same

Form or Structure (eg., binary, ternary, rondo, verse and chorus)

Audition

2 contrasting solo pieces on an instrument, Max 5 minutes

Same

Same

Same

Composition (Optional)

Interview

Selection exercise application opens (consult your school music teacher)

At Sec 2;

May-July

At Sec 2;

at sch’s discretion

At Sec 1;

Early Jan

What students take at final Sec 4 Examination

EMP

Optional

Have

G3 Music

MEP

Those who have composed may upload scores and/or recordings as part of application.

Course Comparison

Course Duration

2 Years (sec3)

2 Years (sec3)

4 Years (sec1)

Combined EMP & MEP school camp and concert at Sec 3

No need

Higher Music vs Music

  • L1R5

  • L1R4

Also add on eligibility to JC/poly/auditions?

MEP

Yes

Yes (full list)

Yes

G3 exam WITH Higher Music Component

*Higher Music Component (See section MEP) is only at the recommendation by music teacher

Optional

Share musical aspirations and interests with a panel of music teachers.

Overview

Don’t have

G3 Music

No

Yes (full list)

Yes

G3 exam; Higher Music Component*

EMP

Yes

Yes (full list)

No. EMP students must be enrolled into EMP schools

G3 exam; Higher Music Component*

Can enrol in a school that offers the subject

Can enrol in a school that does not offer the subject, but attend lessons at one of the Music Centres on a weekday afternoon

Have

Direct School Admission into Secondary Schools (DSA-Sec)

Taken from MOE’s website, the Schools Finder page looks daunting if you try to filter your search by typing “music” under the DSA Talent Areas box. Various options for music and MEP appear that include IP, non-IP, girls and boys (mixed school), boys, and girls. To simplify this, do note that of the various types of music courses listed in this page, only MEP offers DSA. Students cannot DSA into secondary school through G3.

As for EMP, Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School offers DSA with the talent area for Music. Students who enroll into AISS via DSA (Music) are automatically enrolled into a special Music Preparatory Course (Sec 1-2). They are expected to join a music-related CCA, and the course prepares them for EMP in sec 3, which they are eventually expected to enroll into. Note that this preparatory course is not the same as lower secondary General Music Programme (GMP).

Other non-EMP/MEP schools may offer DSA with the talent area for music, but they are music CCA-based DSA. Check with each school directly for specifics.

DSA-Sec Timeline

January - May

May

Up to late August

End August

October

Mid-end November

Explore school choices: Understand the different talent areas, check eligibility

Submit your child’s application via DSA-Sec portal

Attend interview, audition, selection test(s). Timeline varies between schools

Receive application outcome: Confirmed offer, waitlist, or unsuccessful

Choose up to 3 school choices in order of preference using the DSA-Sec Portal

Receive school allocation along with PSLE results.