All You Need to Know about Secondary Music, Simplified

Unlike core subjects like Mathematics or Science, Secondary Music education in Singapore is highly specialised—spanning a diverse range of styles and pathways. With the transition to Full Subject-Based Banding (G3 Music), alongside options like MEP, EMP, and DSA-Sec, navigating MOE’s offerings can quickly feel overwhelming. To save you time, we have compiled 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.

Use the links below to jump directly to the section you need:

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.

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/enroll into G3 Music

Music Elective Programme (MEP)

What’s tested for MEP?

The same 3 papers as G3 Music, and a Higher Music component

[elaborate on higher component]

MEP Selection Exercise

  • Happens at the beginning of Sec 1 only. No acc

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

Enhanced Music Programme (EMP)

G3 vs EMP vs MEP

What’s the Difference?

G3 vs MEP Selection Exercise

Side-by-side Comparison

Listening Test

8-10 short musical extracts, 25 MCQs

G3 Music

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

Perform 2 contrasting solo pieces on an instrument, Max 5 minutes

Same

Same

Composition (Optional)

Interview

G3 Music

MEP

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

No need

Optional

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

Don’t have

Have

Direct School Admission into Secondary Schools (DSA-Sec)

Taken from MOE’s website

There seems to be DSA into MEP and also DSA into Music???

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.