Number of Private GCE "O" Level Examinations Candidates by Age, Gender and Subject

24 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Education what is the number and profile according to age and gender of those who took the GCE "O" Level examinations, including the subject breakdown, as private candidates annually for the 2012 to 2022 examination periods, respectively.

Mr Chan Chun Sing: The number of private candidates who have registered for the GCE "O" Level examination has declined over the past decade, from about 8,000 private candidates in 2012 to about 3,000 in the past three years.

The majority – from 75% to 80% – were 20 years old or below and about 15% were between 21 and 30 years old; 60% of the candidates were female.

Most of the private candidates sat for "O" Level English and Mathematics.