The easiest primary schools to get into in Singapore
More than half of Singapore's primary schools are not as hard to get into as the headlines suggest. Of the 179 schools taking Primary 1, 98 did not need to ballot at Phase 2C in the 2025 exercise, which means every Singapore Citizen who applied got a place, no matter how far they lived. Only 81 balloted. Past results are the best guide we have, though a school that did not ballot in 2025 could still ballot in a later year if demand shifts.
The Primary 1 anxiety is real, but it is not evenly spread. In the last exercise most schools did not need to ballot at all, which means proximity was never even tested. The pressure is concentrated in a short list of names, not the whole system.
Keith Teo, CheckHowMuch
Every Singapore Citizen who applied at Phase 2C was admitted. Sorted by spare places, most room first.
More applicants than places, so a ballot decided admission. Sorted by applicants per place across the whole of Phase 2C.
What "did not ballot" actually means for parents
A primary school only ballots when more children apply than there are places in a registration phase. At Phase 2C, the phase most families use, a school that did not ballot admitted every Singapore Citizen who applied, regardless of how close they lived. In the 2025 exercise, 98 of 179 schools fell into that group, so for a large share of schools a family did not need to win a distance ballot at all. The 81 that balloted are the genuinely competitive ones, where home-school distance decided who got in.
Use this as a guide, not a guarantee. Demand shifts year to year, MOE is trimming Primary 1 places at most schools from 2027, and a school with room one year can ballot the next. Always check MOE's live vacancies and balloting page in the year you register, and check the home-school distance for any address before you commit.
Frequently asked questions
How many primary schools ballot in Singapore?
In the 2025 Primary 1 exercise, 81 of 179 schools balloted at Phase 2C, and 98 did not. A school ballots only when applicants exceed places, so most schools admitted every Phase 2C applicant.
Which primary schools are easiest to get into in Singapore?
The 98 schools that did not ballot at Phase 2C in 2025 were the most accessible, because every Singapore Citizen who applied was admitted. Lianhua Primary School had the most room, with 242 places for 26 Phase 2C applicants.
Does a school not balloting mean my child is guaranteed a place?
No. It means that in 2025, every Phase 2C applicant was admitted. Demand changes from year to year, and a school that did not ballot before can ballot later. Check MOE's live vacancies and balloting page during the registration exercise for the current year.
What is Phase 2C in P1 registration?
Phase 2C is open to all Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents whose child has no prior tie to the school, such as a sibling or alumni parent. Most families register at this phase. Home-school distance only decides priority if the phase is oversubscribed and goes to ballot.