Parent guidesUnderstand the exam

The AEIS for primary school, explained

The short version

The AEIS is MOE's entry test for international students joining Primary 2 to 5. There is no English paper at primary level. Your child needs a Cambridge English score first, then sits one Maths test on the level below. Tests are in early September and results come out in mid-December.

Levels
P2 to P5
The test
Maths only
S-AEIS opens
January 2027

· Sources

Which test your child sitsBy the level they join (age on 1 January), from MOE2027 entry

  1. English score

    Cambridge A2 Key for Schools120 or more

    Taken in the 12 months before you apply

  2. Maths test

    AEIS Primary 3 test, on P2 Maths

    Part 1

    29 questions

    Multiple choice, 25 min

    Part 2

    17 questions

    Short answers, 40 min

  3. Possible outcome

    • P3
    • P2
    • P1
    • No place
What the test coversP2 Maths: 12 topics

Is there an English test for primary AEIS?

No. Instead, your child needs a Cambridge English score before you apply.

The Cambridge English score each level needsMinimum, on the Cambridge English Scale
  • A2 Key for Schools (P2 to P4)
  • B1 Preliminary for Schools (P5)
JoiningAge on 1 JanuaryCambridge testScore needed
P27A2 Key for Schools100 or more
P38A2 Key for Schools120 or more
P49A2 Key for Schools130 or more
P510B1 Preliminary for Schools140 or more

Sources1–2

The age is MOE's, on 1 January of the year your child joins. The score must be from a test taken in the 12 months before you apply. Only secondary applicants sit an English paper.

What is in the AEIS Maths syllabus?

The MOE Maths syllabus of the level before the one your child joins.

MOEAEIS test details
if your child wishes to seek admission to Primary 3, they should be familiar with Primary 2 content.

Sources3

Every question is in English, and written answers need working. If your child is new to English word problems, practise reading them too.

What is the AEIS Maths paper like?

Two parts: multiple choice first, then written answers with working.

  • AEIS · Primary 2/3 test

    Mathematics

    For children joining P2 or P3

    Time65min
    PartQuestionsTime
    Part 1Multiple choice, shaded in pencil2925 min
    Part 2Short answers1740 min

    Show working in Part 2.

    No calculatorSEAB rule

  • AEIS · Primary 4/5 test

    Mathematics

    For children joining P4 or P5

    Time85min
    PartQuestionsTime
    Part 1Multiple choice, shaded in pencil3035 min
    Part 28 short, 6 open-ended1450 min

    Show working in Part 2.

    No calculatorSEAB rule

The format is SEAB's. The sheets are our drawing, not a real AEIS paper.

Sources4

How can my child pass the AEIS?

Practise the Maths of the level below, in English, with working shown and no calculator.

MOE and SEAB publish no AEIS papers, past or sample. So a child joining P4 practises P3 Maths. Each level card above has two free ways in: three questions in StudyLah, with no account, and a practice paper set out like a school paper, with answers.

When is the AEIS?

Tests in early September, results in mid-December, school in January.

  • AEIS 2026

    School in January 2027

    1. July 2026: Apply onlineCloses when the test places are full

    2. 3 September: Maths testIn Singapore. Arrive 45 minutes early

    3. 17 December: Outcome on AEIS-ISUntil 5pm, 21 December

    4. 18 to 30 December: Report to the school

    5. Start schoolJanuary 2027

  • S-AEIS 2027

    School in April or May 2027

    1. January 2027: Apply onlineOpens in early January

    2. February 2027: Maths testEnd February or early March, to be confirmed

    3. April 2027: Outcome

    4. Start schoolApril or May 2027

Sources4–9

"2026 AEIS" means school in January 2027. The 2027 AEIS, for school in 2028, typically starts in July 2027. The fee is $340 plus GST, and it is not refunded.

What is the difference between AEIS and S-AEIS?

The S-AEIS runs early in the year, for children joining P2 to P4 that same year.

AEISThe main exerciseS-AEISEarly in the year
ApplyJulyEarly January
TestEarly SeptemberEnd February or early March
OutcomeMid-DecemberApril
LevelsP2 to P5P2 to P4
School startsThe next JanuaryApril or May

Sources5,8,10

Is AEIS difficult? What is the passing rate?

MOE does not publish a pass rate or a passing mark, and it does not release test scores. You get the outcome only: a place at the level applied for, a place at a lower level, or no place. Pass rates quoted on other websites cite no MOE or SEAB source.

MOERelease of AEIS outcome
The school posting is final. Requests for a school transfer or the release of test results will not be considered.

The test covers the level below, but every question is in English and there is no calculator.

Where StudyLah fits

StudyLah practises the level the AEIS tests, in English.

It covers the MOE syllabus from P1 to P6, so a child joining P4 practises P3 Maths, with every answer marked and the working shown step by step. It is not an AEIS course.

  1. Try three questions at the level of the test. No account needed. Pick the level below the one your child joins. The working is shown afterwards. Try it free
  2. Then register your child, free. Practise a little every day. Every wrong answer is kept in a mistake book, by topic. Start free

Questions about the AEIS

What does AEIS stand for?

Admissions Exercise for International Students. It is MOE's entry test for international students joining P2 to P5 or Secondary 1 to 3 the following year. The S-AEIS is the Supplementary AEIS, early in the year.

Which AEIS test does my child sit for P2 to P5?

P2 (age 7 on 1 January): Cambridge A2 Key for Schools, 100 or more, then the AEIS Primary 2 test, on P1 Maths. P3 (age 8 on 1 January): Cambridge A2 Key for Schools, 120 or more, then the AEIS Primary 3 test, on P2 Maths. P4 (age 9 on 1 January): Cambridge A2 Key for Schools, 130 or more, then the AEIS Primary 4 test, on P3 Maths. P5 (age 10 on 1 January): Cambridge B1 Preliminary for Schools, 140 or more, then the AEIS Primary 5 test, on P4 Maths.

What are the requirements for AEIS?

Your child must be the right age for the level (MOE's age on 1 January: 7 for P2 up to 10 for P5, and no more than 2 years older), have the Cambridge English score the level needs from a test taken in the 12 months before applying, and apply online in MOE's Candidates Portal in July. The fee is $340 plus GST.

How do I check my child's AEIS result?

Log in to the AEIS Internet System (AEIS-IS) with your child's passport or FIN number, as on the entry proof, and their date of birth. For P2 to P5, the 2026 outcome is there from 8.30am on 17 December to 5pm on 21 December 2026. You see the outcome only, never a score.

Is a calculator allowed in AEIS?

No. SEAB does not allow calculators, and written answers must show their working.

Are there AEIS practice papers?

MOE and SEAB publish no AEIS papers, past or sample. Practise the Maths of the level below the one your child joins: each level card on this page has three free questions in StudyLah and a free practice paper.

Can my child apply for P1 through the AEIS?

No. MOE's own words: "If your child is aged 6 to 6+ as of 1 January in the year of admission, they can seek admission to Primary 1 (P1) of our mainstream schools through the P1 registration process for international students."

Can my child join P6 through the AEIS?

No. MOE generally admits no new students at P6, so there is no AEIS for it.

Can I choose the school?

No. MOE places a successful child by the vacancies in its schools and your home address, where possible, and the posting is final.

Does my child have to take the PSLE later?

Yes. MOE requires every international student in its primary schools to complete the PSLE to go on to its secondary schools.

Does my child need a Student's Pass?

Not with a valid Long-Term Visit Pass, Dependant's Pass or Immigration Exemption Order. Otherwise the school gives you a letter to apply for one with ICA.

Does my child have to take a Mother Tongue language?

Every pupil takes one, but you can apply to the school's principal for an exemption after your child is admitted. MOE decides case by case.

Why do some pages say the primary AEIS has an English test?

MOE's older "Studying in Singapore" page still says applicants should know the English and Mathematics syllabuses. MOE's AEIS pages, updated in July 2026, and SEAB say the primary test is Maths only; the English is the Cambridge score.

Sources

Every figure on this page comes from one of these, read on the day shown.

  1. 1Ministry of Education, Studying in Singapore, read 3 November 2026MOE’s own words
  2. 2Ministry of Education, AEIS eligibility criteria (the eligibility checker), read 3 November 2026MOE’s own words
  3. 3Ministry of Education, AEIS test details, read 3 November 2026MOE’s own words
  4. 4Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board, AEIS test details, read 3 November 2026SEAB’s own words
  5. 5Ministry of Education, Admissions Exercise for International Students (AEIS), read 3 November 2026MOE’s own words
  6. 6Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board, AEIS-Primary: key activities and milestones, read 3 November 2026SEAB’s own words
  7. 7Ministry of Education, Release of AEIS outcome, read 3 November 2026MOE’s own words
  8. 8Ministry of Education, Supplementary Admissions Exercise for International Students (S-AEIS), read 3 November 2026MOE’s own words
  9. 9Ministry of Education, Apply for AEIS, read 3 November 2026MOE’s own words
  10. 10Ministry of Education, Admissions process for international students, read 3 November 2026MOE’s own words

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