Direct school admission (DSA)
Find information about the areas that we offer DSA in, and the respective criteria.
INTRODUCTION
Introduced in 2004, the Direct School Admission (DSA) scheme provides students with the opportunity to seek admission to a secondary school, based on a diverse range of specific academic and non-academic achievements and talents that they can demonstrate beyond the PSLE.
Meridian Secondary School (MSS) extends a warm invitation to Primary 6 students to apply for direct admission into the school for academic year 2027 before the Secondary One Posting Exercise.
Meridian Secondary School offers DSA for the following Talent Areas:
Angklung/Kulintang Ensemble
Leadership
Visual Arts
Floorball
Football
(Boys & girls are both accepted for each of the 5 talent areas)
If you are interested and would like to join us, you may seek admission through DSA. We will be admitting Secondary One students for 2027 through the MOE DSA-SEC Exercise 2026.
ADMISSION CRITERIA
The general criteria for selection are as follows:
Interest & passion
Applicants should demonstrate a keen interest in and passion for their respective talent areas. A clear and genuine aspiration in the talent area is an advantage.
Talent & aptitude
Applicants should demonstrate evidence of talent and aptitude in the talent area.Conduct & attitude for learning
Applicants should demonstrate a positive attitude for learning and demeanour. Applicants should be able to demonstrate evidence of good conduct in school.Obtained a Conduct Grade of ‘Good’ or better in Primary 5 (Overall) & Primary 6 (Mid-year)
CRITERIA / SELECTION PROCESS
The criteria and selection process for the talent areas are reflected below.
DSA criteria and selection process by talent area
Talent Areas | Criteria | Selection Process |
Angklung/Kulintang Ensemble | Strong interest & passion in angklung, kulintang, gamelan or any other instruments. No prior experience required. | Audition & selection interview for shortlisted applicants |
Leadership | Preferably holds a leadership position or role in the primary school with strong communication skills and passion for service. Eg. Class Monitor, Peer Support Leader, Basketball Captain, Band Major or Science subject representative for the class | Selection interview with performance for shortlisted applicants |
Visual Arts | Strong interest & passion with a sense of creativity in visual art Holds a collection of artworks and/or participation and achievements in art exhibitions/competitions | All applicants will need to submit and an existing E-portfolio for shortlisting purposes. Hard copies and/or actual works will not be accepted. Selection interview for shortlisted applicants. |
Floorball (Boys & Girls) Football (Boys & Girls) | Participation and/or achievements in the sport, in the National School Games (NSG) or any equivalent competition/involvements (eg. for football - Singapore Youth League, JSSL) Be medically fit for sports activities. | Sports trials (which may include an interview) for shortlisted applicants |
Points to Note:
Meeting all the criteria does not guarantee the student will be shortlisted/given an offer
Applicants who do not have prior experience may also apply. The school will assess applicants based on the selection criteria, which may include assessing the potential of the applicants.
KEY DATES
Key dates for DSA-Sec 2026 application process
DATE | EVENTS |
6 May (11am) to 2 June (4.30pm) 2026 | APPLICATION STAGE Application for DSA-Sec can be submitted through the online DSA-Sec Portal. The application is free-of-charge. For more details, please refer to MOE website – https://www.moe.gov.sg/secondary/dsa |
29 June to 28 August 2026 | SELECTION STAGE Only shortlisted applicants will receive notification from the school by 10 July 2026, if your child/ward has been shortlisted to undergo Direct School Admission (DSA) selection. * Refer to Selection Criteria/Process above for further details regarding the trials, auditions and/or interviews. |
17 to 28 August 2026 | NOTIFICATION OF OUTCOME All applicants will receive their application outcomes during this period. |
19 to 23 October 2026 | SCHOOL PREFERENCE SUBMISSION DSA applicants who receive at least one offer from schools are to indicate their school preferences online via the DSA-Sec Internet System (DSA-Sec IS) or in person at their respective primary schools. |
Late November 2026 | RESULTS RELEASE STAGE Release of DSA-Sec results will be done together with the PSLE results. |
SUBMISSION OF APPLICATION
Application for DSA-Sec can be submitted through the online DSA-Sec Portal (https://go.gov.sg/dsa-sec-application).
IMPORTANT NOTES
Parents and students are encouraged to choose schools wisely based on the student’s aptitudes and strengths, bearing in mind the schools’ academic and non-academic requirements, and the programmes available to develop the area of talent.
Students who are successfully admitted to the school via DSA are expected to honour their commitment to the school and participate in the activities related to the talent they are selected throughout their secondary school years.
For students NOT studying in MOE mainstream primary schools
Students not studying in MOE schools are required to obtain a Registration Number (RGxxxxxxx) at MOE Customer Service Centre (CSC), before they can apply through the DSA-Sec Portal. For more information, please refer to MOE website at: https://go.gov.sg/nmsdsa-sec-application
FOR DSA ENQUIRIES
For general enquiries, you may contact:
Mr Quaide Millath (HOD PE & CCA)
Tel: 6583 1387 (ext. 303)
Email: quaide_millath@schools.gov.sg
USEFUL MOE WEBLINKS
Instructions on Application (Mainstream students)
Instructions on Application (Non-Mainstream Students)
Direct to DSA-Sec Portal (Mainstream Students)
Direct to DSA-Sec Portal (Non-Mainstream Students)
Thank you and we look forward to seeing your applications soon!
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