SOTA: School of the Arts Singapore
FAQ: General Information

How do I get to SOTA?

SOTA-default-bigmap

Who can apply to SOTA? How do I apply to SOTA?

To apply for admission to SOTA, all candidates must go through our Talent Academy, a selection platform that includes the portfolio review, entrance tests, audition, and personal interview. Learn more about Admissions.


How much is the school fees at SOTA?

Monthly school fees range from S$350 to S$2,910 for Years 1 to 4 and from S$450 to S$3,015 for Years 5 to 6. Learn more about school fees.


Can I use my child's Edusave to pay for the school fees?

SOTA's school and miscellaneous fees are not deductible via Edusave.


How do I apply for Bursary?

Bursary application is done online, and is only available once you are posted to SOTA.


What does the Bursary cover?

The SOTA Bursary provides tiered school and miscellaneous fees subsidy ranging from 33% to 100%. Learn more about Scholarships and Financial Assistance Schemes.


How do I apply for scholarships?

Scholarships are by nomination and are decided by the SOTA Scholarship Committee. Selected students will be informed accordingly.


Are scholarships offered to Singapore Permanent Residents and Foreigners?

SOTA-The NAK Scholarship is offered to students regardless of their nationalities, whereas the Temasek Foundation Scholarship for Arts Education and Temasek Foundation Scholarship for Young Artist are offered to Singaporeans and Singapore Permanent Residents only. Learn more about Scholarships and Financial Assistance Schemes.


Is there a school uniform for SOTA students?

Yes, students must wear their school uniform whenever they are in school.


What are the school hours like in SOTA?

School starts at 7:50am and ends at about 4:00pm.


Are the school holidays in SOTA same as most of the schools in Singapore?

SOTA’s academic calendar broadly follows the Ministry of Education schools’ academic calendar with some variations to accommodate the IB programme.

FAQ: SOTA Curriculum

What subjects do I study at SOTA? Do they study academic subjects?

At SOTA, all students go through a six-year integrated arts and academic curriculum that culminates in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma or an IB Career-related Programme. Subjects include: English Literature; Mother Tongue Language; Mathematics; Science (Physics, Chemistry, Biology); Humanities and Social Sciences (History, Geography, Economics, Social & Cultural Anthropology); Specialized Arts (Dance, Film, Music, Theatre, Visual Arts); Theory of Knowledge; the Extended Essay; and Creativity, Action & Service. Read more about our curriculum.


What subjects do students study during their first year in SOTA?

In Year 1, students do subjects in English Language & Critical Thinking; Literature in English; Mother Tongue Languages; Humanities & Social Sciences (Geography and History); Coordinated Science; Mathematics, Integrated Arts, Media Education, Experiential Education and either Dance, Music, Theatre or Visual Arts. View subjects studied by year.


Where do the students go to after their education in SOTA?

SOTA graduates have gone on to further their education in illustrious schools both in Singapore and abroad. Graduates have also been recognised for their achievements in a spectrum of fields. View the list of schools and scholarships.


What if I am exempted from taking Mother Tongue Language? Do I need to re-apply for exemption?

If you have received approval for exemption from Mother Tongue Language from the Ministry of Education (MOE) while you were in primary school, please indicate this on the online application form, and provide a photocopy of the MOE Mother Tongue Language Exemption Letter when you submit the supporting documents for Talent Academy applications. You do not have to re-apply for the exemption upon joining SOTA. Read about SOTA’s Mother Tongue Language Programme.


What if I am offered to take up Foreign Language in-lieu of Mother Tongue Language?

If you are taking up a Foreign Language (Japanese, German, French), you are to attend lessons at the Ministry of Education Language Centre (MOELC). SOTA currently offers only Hindi. If you are taking up Non-Tamil Indian Languages (NTIL) (i.e., Bengali, Urdu, Gujarati, Punjabi), you are to attend lessons in the respective NTIL school. SOTA will reflect the marks and grades awarded by MOELC/NTIL schools in your progress report. If you are taking language in-lieu, you are required to obtain a sub-pass at GCE A Level Foreign Language H1 examination in Year 5 to be eligible for admission to a public-funded, full-time undergraduate programme at a local university. In Year 5, if you are taking Foreign or Non-Tamil Indian Languages in-lieu of Mother Tongue Language, you will have to offer Language Ab Initio (Malay or German) in preparation for the IBDP. Read about SOTA’s Mother Tongue Language Programme.


Is a third language available at SOTA?

SOTA offers a rigorous Arts and Academics curriculum. If time permits, you will be able to attend Third Language courses at Ministry of Education Language Centre (MOELC). The Third Language result cannot be used to replace any subject in school. To be eligible for taking a Foreign Language as a Third Language, you must satisfy all three criteria:

  • Be ranked in the top 10% of the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) cohort;
  • Be a Singapore Citizen (SC) or Singapore Permanent Resident (SPR), or the child of a SC/SPR; and
  • Have been offered a Mother Tongue Language at the PSLE

Students who are eligible to take up a Foreign Language as a Third Language will be notified of their eligibility upon release of the PSLE results. Read about SOTA’s Mother Tongue Language Programme.


How is SOTA’s Music programme different from schools with Music Elective Programme (MEP)?

The approach to the programme is different with music at SOTA developed as an art form, not just as a subject. Read what the SOTA music programme covers and how it differs from other MEPs.


Will SOTA’s programme prepare me for professional examinations (eg. ABRSM)?

The purpose of the music programme is not to prepare students for examinations such as ABRSM, but to develop the student’s musical and intellectual capacities. However, students can take ABRSM exams if their Instrumental Study teachers deem it useful for their learning as external assessment can be a useful learning tool. Read what the SOTA music programme covers.


What are the options for Music students?

Based on their admission auditions, music students may be placed into either Creating or Performance Tracks to better support their musical talents. Students in Creating Track will still attend Instrumental Study lessons, but will also attend and be assessed on a creating module focused on compositional tools and processes. Students in the Performance Track will have a more focused Instrumental Study, which is one of the main components of assessments. They will commence with the creating modules from year 3. Students who begin in the Creating Track may switch to Performance Track in year 3 depending on their performance in years 1 and 2.

Students with an interest in Jazz and Pop music have the opportunity to apply to start in or switch to the Jazz and Pop track. Emphasis will be placed on jazz (this is a broad definition of the term that will include areas of pop, fusion, blues, funk, music from Latin American and so on). Percussionists are not currently being considered for a switch to drum-set in jazz. The combination of mallets, snare and drumset offers the best possibilities in development and already covers jazz and pop. Furthermore, the chamber music groups further augments these possibilities.


Are there Co-Curricular Activities (CCA) in SOTA?

There are no CCAs offered in SOTA. Students specialise in their chosen art discipline and they usually spend their time after school hours practising their art discipline or attending rehearsals for their various performances.

FAQ: Talent Academy

I have only recently found out about SOTA and have missed the deadline to apply for the Talent Academy. Are there any other platforms for me to apply?

SOTA's Talent Academy (TA) for DSA-Secondary, DSA-Secondary (non-MOE), and DSA-JC is conducted in June each year. Due to the nature of the TA audition and processes, SOTA does not conduct additional auditions beyond June.

SOTA ad hoc admission exercise may be conducted in December each year, subject to available vacancies.

Please check our Admissions page for more information.


I did not apply for Talent Academy in June. Can I apply via ad hoc admission if I am eligible for the Express stream upon release of my PSLE results?

No, you may not. Admission to SOTA is strictly through DSA-Secondary exercise. Students who did not participate in the DSA-Secondary exercise will have to go through the S1 Posting Exercise.


I was shortlisted for Talent Academy but did not receive either a Confirmed Offer or Waiting List. I am eligible for the Express stream upon release of my PSLE results. Can I still apply to SOTA via the ad hoc admission in December?

No, you may not. You are only allowed to participate in the DSA exercise once. Admission to SOTA is strictly through DSA-Secondary exercise. Students who did not participate in the DSA-Secondary exercise will have to go through the S1 Posting Exercise.


I have applied for Music (Performance) but was offered Music (Creating) instead. Can I appeal to be offered Music (Performance)?

SOTA would have carefully considered each application, and as such, the decision is final.


I am a Returning Singaporean/ Foreigner studying overseas. Do I have to take any tests to apply for the Talent Academy?

The applicants will be required to take the entrance tests after being shortlisted for the Talent Academy auditions.
For Year 1 admission, students not taking the PSLE will be required to sit for SOTA's entrance test for English and Mathematics.
For Year 2 to 5 admissions, students will be required to sit for SOTA's entrance tests for English, Mathematics and Science.


I am not computer savvy and I don’t know how to apply via the TA Portal. Can I come down to SOTA to seek assistance?

You are advised to refer to the step-by-step guide posted on the SOTA website or TA Portal.

For more information on TA application, please contact Office of Student Affairs at email: [email protected]

If you encounter technical difficulties, please contact our technical support team at email: [email protected]


How do I upload videos to Youtube?

You may refer to the Youtube Help page for assistance.


How do I upload videos and files to Google drive?

You may refer to the Google Support page for assistance.


How do I convert, compress or merge documents to PDF?

There are many free online websites you can use. Below are a few suggestions. Please note that SOTA is not affiliated to any of these sites. The links below will bring you to an external website not hosted by SOTA.

  • A. Convert word document to pdf document
    Link 1
    Link 2
  • B. Compress / Resize pdf documents
    Link 1
  • C. Merge individual pdf documents into 1 document
    Link 1
FAQ: Audition Notes

What is involved in the Talent Academy (TA) art form audition and how do I prepare for it?

Depending on the art form and category, the TA may include group activities, online questionnaires, presentation of the prepared pieces/monologues/art portfolio, interviews and entrance tests.

You may download the TA Preparation Notes and Checklist document here:

CATEGORY

TA PREPARATION NOTES AND CHECKLIST

DSA-Secondary

DSA-Secondary
(Non-MOE)

DSA-Junior College
(DSA-JC)

  1. TA Preparation Notes and Checklist for Dance (IBCP | IBDP)
  2. TA Preparation Notes and Checklist for Film (IBDP)
  3. TA Preparation Notes and Checklist for Music (IBCP | IBDP)*
  4. TA Preparation Notes and Checklist for Theatre (IBCP | IBDP)
  5. TA Preparation Notes and Checklist for Visual Arts (IBCP | IBDP)

Non-DSA

Year 2

  1. TA Preparation Notes and Checklist for Dance^
  2. TA Preparation Notes and Checklist for Literary Arts
  3. TA Preparation Notes and Checklist for Music*
  4. TA Preparation Notes and Checklist for Theatre
  5. TA Preparation Notes and Checklist for Visual Arts

Year 3

  1. TA Preparation Notes and Checklist for Dance^
  2. TA Preparation Notes and Checklist for Literary Arts
  3. TA Preparation Notes and Checklist for Music*
  4. TA Preparation Notes and Checklist for Theatre
  5. TA Preparation Notes and Checklist for Visual Arts

Year 4

  1. TA Preparation Notes and Checklist for Dance^
  2. TA Preparation Notes and Checklist for Literary Arts
  3. TA Preparation Notes and Checklist for Music*
  4. TA Preparation Notes and Checklist for Theatre
  5. TA Preparation Notes and Checklist for Visual Arts

Year 5

  1. TA Preparation Notes and Checklist for Dance (IBCP | IBDP)
  2. TA Preparation Notes and Checklist for Film (IBDP)
  3. TA Preparation Notes and Checklist for Music (IBCP | IBDP)*
  4. TA Preparation Notes and Checklist for Theatre (IBCP | IBDP)
  5. TA Preparation Notes and Checklist for Visual Arts (IBCP | IBDP)

*updated on 11 April 2018
^updated on 11 April 2018