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SOTA: School of the Arts Singapore
School of the Arts Singapore (SOTA)
/
Admissions
/
SOTA Talent Academy
/
DSA-Secondary
DSA-Secondary
To the TA Homepage
How To Apply
Criteria
Contact Us
How To Apply
Date
For
What To Do
From March 2021
All Applicants
Check
Your Eligibility Criteria:
At least 12 years old (born in 2009)
Primary 6 students studying in a local MOE mainstream school and taking the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) in 2021
Primary 6 students who are home-schooled and taking the PSLE in 2021
Click the
Criteria
tab above to read more about the criteria on admission, eligibility, and successful enrolment to SOTA
From March 2021
All Applicants
Download
the Preparation Notes and Checklist for the art form that you wish to apply to
here
, and
Prepare
your portfolio for submission
Note: You may apply for up to
TWO
(2) art forms only.
9 April 12:00 noon to 18 May 2021 5:00 pm (SGT)
All Applicants
Apply Online
Sign Up
for a TA Portal account
here
Log in
and
Submit
your application
here
Application closes
on 18 May 2021, 5:00 pm (SGT)
If you are applying to TWO (2) art forms, you only need to submit ONE (1) application. Choose the 2 art forms when prompted. You will not be able to go back and amend your choices once you have confirmed your selection(s)
You will not be able to apply for a second art form if you have already chosen and confirmed an art form or have submitted an application for the first art form
The system will not allow you to cancel/withdraw your application once you have confirmed your selections
It takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour to complete the entire application for
ONE
(1) art form, provided that the supporting documents and portfolio submission have been prepared in advance
Submit
your application early, as the TA Portal may experience slower connectivity due to high traffic during the application period
Incomplete applications will be disqualified. Appeals for late submissions will not be considered
You are
not
required to apply via MOE's DSA-Sec Portal
June 2021 6:00 pm (SGT) [TBC]
All Applicants
Log in
to the TA Portal to:
check
the status of your Shortlisting Outcome
June 2021 6:00 pm (SGT) [TBC]
Shortlisted Music (Performing), Theatre & Visual Arts Applicants Only
Log in
to the TA Portal and:
Click
on the
ANNOUNCEMENT
tab to:
Music (Performing):
download the 3rd set piece (woodwind and brass applicants only)
Theatre:
download the prescribed monologue
Visual Arts:
click the link provided to submit scanned copies of your Visual Arts Portfolio via the Google Form
June 2021 6:00 pm (SGT) [TBC]
All Shortlisted Applicants
Log in
to the TA Portal and:
Update and Upload
your Primary 6 MYE result slips
June 2021 6:00 pm (SGT) [TBC]
All Shortlisted Applicants
Log in
to the TA Portal and:
Click
on the
ANNOUNCEMENT
tab to:
download
your TA Schedule to find out your allocated audition days/dates and to
check
for more information about your TA
June – July 2021 [TBC]
All Shortlisted Applicants
Complete
all
scheduled TA activities comprising:
Individual auditions or portfolio presentations and interview
Panel interview
Online questionnaire
More information will be shared with shortlisted candidates about how the activities will be conducted.
Shortlisted applicants must complete all scheduled TA activities within the stipulated time. Incomplete attendance will result in disqualification.
August – September 2021 [TBC]
All Shortlisted Applicants
Log in
to the TA Portal and
check
the status of your final TA Outcome
(Confirmed Offer, Wait List, or Unsuccessful)
October 2021 [TBC]
Confirmed Offers and Wait List Applicants
Attend
SOTA's Cohort and Parents' Engagement Programme (CPEP)
October 2021 [TBC]
Confirmed Offers and Wait List Applicants
Exercise
your option and
indicate
SOTA during the DSA-Secondary Exercise School Preference Submission
November 2021 [TBC]
Confirmed Offers and Wait List Applicants
Release
of the PSLE and School Posting Results at your Primary School
You must qualify for the Express stream in order to be posted to SOTA
December 2021 [TBC]
Applicants who are Successfully Enrolled to SOTA
Complete
your registration online
The decision of the Selection Panel is final. The School reserves the right not to release the results and/or the reasons for non-selection of applicants. The School maintains strict confidentiality on all information provided to us during the TA applications and TA auditions. Hence, we regret that we will not provide any feedback on the application and/or outcome.
Criteria
Admission Exercise
Eligibility
Criteria
Art Forms
Offered
App
lication
Process - Submission
of Online Application
App
lication
Process - Shortlisting
Phase
App
lication
Process -
TA
Outcome
Admission Exercise
When does SOTA conduct its admission exercise?
SOTA conducts
ONE
(1) Admission Exercise a year through the Talent Academy (TA). Application opens in April and closes in May. The TA dates will be published on the website in May 2021. Please refer to the DSA-Sec
How To Apply
tab for more information on the application process and the timeline to take note of.
Parents and pupils are encouraged to choose schools wisely based on the pupil's aptitudes and strengths, bearing in mind SOTA's academic and non-academic requirements, and the programmes available to develop the area of talent.
What does the Talent Academy (TA) comprise?
All shortlisted DSA-Sec applicants must complete all TA activities within the stipulated time. TA activities include the following:
Individual auditions or portfolio presentations and interview
Panel interview
Online questionnaire
Is there a Talent Academy (TA) registration and/or entrance test fee applicable?
There is no TA Registration Fee applicable.
I have missed the DSA-Sec application in April to May. Are there any other admission exercises for Year 1 intake for the Academic Year 2022?
No, there isn't. SOTA admits 100% of its Year 1 cohort through the DSA exercise and does not participate in the S1 Posting exercise post-PSLE.
The School may conduct a Supplementary Intake Exercise (SIE) in November post-PSLE subject to available vacancies.
Eligibility Criteria
What are the eligibility criteria for application under the DSA-Sec category?
Applicants must meet the following:
At least 12 years old (born in 2009), and
Primary 6 pupils studying in a local MOE mainstream school and taking the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) in 2021, or
Primary 6 pupils who are home-schooled and taking the PSLE in 2021
Can non-Singaporeans apply under the DSA-Sec category?
The application is open to Singaporeans, Singapore Permanent-Residents, and Foreigners who meet the eligibility criteria stated in the first question of this section.
I am home-schooled, which category should I apply for admission to Year 1?
Please see the following:
Home-schooled in Singapore and taking the PSLE in 2021: DSA-Secondary
Home-schooled in Singapore and
not
taking the PSLE in 2021: DSA-Secondary (Non-MOE)
I am a Returning Singaporean / Returning Singapore Permanent-Resident. Can I apply via the DSA-Sec category?
You are
not
eligible to apply via the DSA-Sec category as you will not be taking the PSLE.
If you are born in 2009 (12 years old) and will be completing Grade 6 by December 2021, you may apply via the DSA-Sec (Non-MOE) category. Learn more about the
DSA-Sec (Non-MOE)
Application Process, or
If you are currently in Grade 7, 8 or 10, you may apply via the Non-DSA category. Find out if you are eligible to apply by checking the "Eligibility" section of the "Criteria" tab on the
Non-DSA
page.
Must I have attended formal art lessons in order to apply?
Must I have formal training and/or certification (ABRSM, RAD etc) in order to apply?
No, you are not required to have any formal training or certification in order to apply. For Music pupils, it is important that you are able to sight-read and sight-sing.
What are the eligibility criteria for successful admission to SOTA?
To gain admission into SOTA via DSA-Sec, shortlisted applicants must satisfy the following criteria:
Received either a Confirmed Offer or Wait List (subject to available vacancies) for their final TA outcome
Indicated SOTA during the Exercise School Preference Submission
Be eligible for the Express Stream (Scores 4 to 20)
; or
Be eligible for the Express /Normal (A) Option (Scores 21-22)
If you satisfy criteria 1 and 2 and have received an ‘Express/Normal (A) Option’, you may be automatically assigned to the Express stream and be posted to SOTA.
subject to confirmation
Art Forms Offered
What are the art forms that I can apply to?
Can I apply to more than 1 art form?
The art forms available for admission to Year 1 are:
Dance
Literary Arts
Music (Performing) or Music (Creating)
Theatre
Visual Arts
Applicants may apply to up to
TWO
(2) art forms only.
Applicants only need to submit
ONE
(1) application for BOTH art forms.
Can I apply to more than one (1) instrument for Music?
No. You may only apply for
ONE
(1) instrument (including ‘voice’) and to
ONE
(1) Music track only.
Can I apply to both Music (Performing) and Music (Creating) tracks?
You may apply to
ONE
(1) track only. Based on the Music Faculty’s assessment of the portfolio submitted, you may be shortlisted to audition for the other track instead, if you are found to be more suitable for that.
What is the difference between Music (Performing) and Music (Creating) tracks?
Learn more about the two tracks
here
.
Application Process - Submission of Online Application
How do I apply and submit my application?
Do I have to submit any portfolio relevant to the art form that I wish to apply to?
Do I have to submit any supporting documents?
Application is done online via the TA Portal. You will need to register for an account before you can log in to complete the application form.
You must download the
Preparation Notes and Checklist
relevant to the art form that you are applying for to find out what you need to prepare for your portfolio submission, as well as the supporting documents required for submission.
If you are applying to TWO (2) art forms, you only need to submit ONE (1) application. Choose the 2 art forms when prompted. You will
not
be able to go back and amend your choices once you have confirmed your selection(s).
You will
not
be able to apply for a second art form if you have already chosen and confirmed an art form or have submitted an application for the first art form.
The system will not allow you to cancel/withdraw your application once you have confirmed your selections.
It takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour to complete the entire application for one art form, provided that the supporting documents and portfolio submission have been prepared in advance.
Applicants are advised to submit their applications early, as the TA Portal may experience slower connectivity due to high traffic during the application period.
Incomplete applications will be disqualified. Appeals for late submissions will not be considered.
Please refer to the DSA-Sec
How To Apply
tab for more information on application process and the timeline to take note of.
Do I have to submit an application via MOE's DSA-Sec Portal?
No, you are not required to submit an application via MOE's DSA-Sec Portal. Students interested to apply to SOTA will continue to apply directly to SOTA via the TA Portal because of our unique admission requirements. Do note that application to SOTA does not count towards the three (3) choice limit on the MOE DSA-Sec Portal.
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?
We regret that we are unable to provide in-person support due to the ongoing pandemic. Please email our technical support team at
[email protected]
or SOTA Admission at
[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.
Convert word document to PDF document (
Link 1
or
Link 2
)
Compress / Resize PDF documents (
Link 1
)
Merge individual pdf documents into 1 document (
Link 1
)
I would like to apply for DSA-Sec but I am not available on the days of the Talent Academy (TA), can I be auditioned on a different date?
Can I choose the TA dates if I am shortlisted?
No. All auditions, assessments, and interviews must be done during the TA dates indicated. All TA schedules will be arranged by SOTA and no change of dates is allowed. Please refer to the DSA-Sec
How To Apply
tab for more information on the application process and the timeline to take note of. We regret that due to the nature of the audition activities, no auditions will take place outside of the TA window.
Application Process - Shortlisting Phase
I have submitted my application via the TA Portal. How do I find out the outcome of my application?
I have been shortlisted to attend the TA. How do I find out which days I have been scheduled to attend?
Log in to the TA Portal and:
check the status of your shortlisting outcome, and
download your
TA Schedule
to find out the TA dates/days that you are allocated to. Do note that these may take place over multiple days.
check the ‘announcement’ tab to learn more about your TA Schedule
If you are shortlisted for 1 art form you will need to complete the following:
An art form audition or presentation and interview
A panel interview
An online questionnaire
If you are shortlisted for 2 art forms you will need to complete the following:
Two art form auditions or presentations and interviews
A panel interview (same interview for both shortlisted artforms, only required to take this ONCE)
An online questionnaire (same questionnaire for both shortlisted artforms, only required to take this ONCE)
Shortlisted applicants must complete all their scheduled activities within the stipulated time. Absence during any part of the TA will disqualify the application.
I have downloaded my TA schedule and realised that I am not available on one of the dates allocated to me. Can I request for a change of date?
No. All TA schedules are arranged by SOTA and no change of dates is allowed. Please refer to the DSA-Sec
How To Apply
tab for more information on the application process and the timeline to take note of.
I have applied for Music (Performing) but was shortlisted for Music (Creating) instead. Can I appeal to be offered Music (Performing)?
SOTA would have carefully considered each application, and as such, the decision is final.
I applied for the Talent Academy (TA) but was not shortlisted. Can I appeal?
I applied for the Talent Academy (TA) but was not shortlisted. Can I know why?
All applications are carefully reviewed and considered by the selection panel according to a rigorous process. As such, the decision of the selection panel is final. The school reserves the right not to release the results and/or the reasons for non-selection of applicants. To ensure the continued rigour of the selection process, we regret that we are not able to provide any feedback.
Application Process - TA Outcome
I have attended the Talent Academy (TA). How do I find out the outcome of my TA?
You must log in to the TA Portal to check the status of your final TA outcome. Please refer to the DSA-Sec
How To Apply
tab for more information on application process and the timeline to take note of.
I have received a Confirmed Offer/Wait List for my TA result. What do I do next?
You must participate in the School Preference Exercise in late October (date TBC) through MOE’s DSA-Sec Portal.
The MOE DSA-Sec Portal will indicate the list of DSA schools from which you have received a Confirmed Offer and/or the list of schools at which you have been placed on Wait List.
Exercise your option and indicate SOTA as one of your choices at this stage.
What does being on the Wait List mean?
A pupil on the Wait List may be allocated to SOTA if there are available vacancies, and, if he/she meets the following criteria:
Indicated SOTA as first choice during the Exercise School Preference Stage
Be eligible for the Express stream (Scores 4 to 20) or the Express/Normal (A) Option (Scores 21 to 22)
What are the circumstances for available vacancies to happen?
Available vacancies may happen if a Confirmed Offer student:
did not exercise their offer from SOTA during the Exercise School Preference Stage, or
is ineligible for the Express stream
How do you determine which wait listed student to give the available vacancy to?
Pupils on the Wait List are ranked based on their overall performance across the assessed areas during the Talent Academy. For example, if there are 10 pupils on the wait list, they will be ranked from 1st to 10th. If there are 2 vacancies available, the pupils ranked 1st and 2nd will be posted to SOTA, provided that they meet the eligibility criteria and indicated SOTA as their first choice.
When will I find out if I have been posted to SOTA?
You will receive your school posting result on the same day as the release of the PSLE result. Please refer to the DSA-Sec
How To Apply
tab for more information on application process and the timeline to take note of.
What happens if I did not get posted to SOTA?
You will participate in the S1 Posting Exercise for posting to other schools.
I attended the Talent Academy (TA) but missed part of the TA activities on my schedule. Will that affect my chances of being selected?
Yes. Absence during any part of the TA will disqualify the application. Shortlisted candidates must attend and complete all their scheduled activities. There will not be any make-up auditions.
I attended the Talent Academy (TA) but was not offered. Can I know why?
We understand your request for feedback in order to help you improve in your artistic journey. The school maintains strict confidentiality about the audition procedures and criteria for the Talent Academy, to ensure and maintain the authenticity of performances and portfolios at future auditions. As such, we regret that we are unable to share any feedback.
I attended the TA but was not offered. Can I request to be re-assessed?
Regrettably, no. The school evaluates the candidate's artistic talent and potential based on the admission criteria and a rigorous assessment process during the Talent Academy (TA). Candidates are assessed via solo auditions or portfolio presentations depending on the art form, as well as group workshops, exercises and interviews. Admission to the school is highly competitive. As such, we are only able to offer candidates who have performed consistently well across the assessed areas. The school would have carefully reviewed each applicant’s TA assessment and therefore, the decision is final.
I have attended the TA but was not offered. Can I apply again after PSLE?
No, you may not. SOTA admits 100% of its Year 1 cohort via the DSA exercise, as such, the S1 Posting exercise after PSLE is not applicable for admission to SOTA.
I have attended the TA but was not offered. Can I apply again via the Supplementary Intake Exercise (SIE)?
The SIE may open if there are available vacancies post-PSLE. Pupils who have attended and/or applied to the TA are not eligible to apply via the SIE.
I attended the TA but was not offered. Can I re-apply again next year?
You may only re-apply for admission to Year 5 in the year that you are taking the Singapore-Cambridge GCE 'O' level examinations. This is because you are required to submit a fresh portfolio of works completed in the last 3 consecutive years, and cannot include works submitted in your previous application.
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Supplementary Intake Exercise [closed]
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Student Financial Support & Scholarships
Contact Us - Admission Enquiries
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