Students cheer the removal of Project Work from university admission criteria, hoping for less stress and a more holistic educational approach.
SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Education recently confirmed that Project Work (PW) will no longer be factored into university admission scores starting in 2024. This decision marks the end of a long-standing academic requirement, one that has been a source of stress and frustration for many students.
For years, PW has been a mandatory year-long project for first-year ‘A’ Level students, where they are tasked with identifying a societal issue and proposing a solution. At the end of the project, students must submit a report and deliver an oral presentation. While PW was designed to help students build communication and teamwork skills, many feel it has done more harm than good.
The change was met with relief by most students who have felt the pressure of PW, with many arguing it should have been removed from the university admission process sooner. A quick glance at online student forums like SGExams shows that PW was often seen as unnecessary, overly stressful, and more of a burden than a benefit.
Emma*, a 21-year-old university student, recalls her own challenging experience with PW. As the group leader, she found herself managing slackers and uncooperative teammates, leading to frustration and extra work on her part. “In my group, only three members were productive. The rest barely contributed,” she shares. “It felt like I was doing everything alone.”
This feeling of being let down by groupmates is common among PW participants. While the subject aimed to prepare students for real-world collaboration, the lack of effective teamwork often led to internal conflict and added stress. Emma’s story is not an isolated one—many students reported similar frustrations with group dynamics during the project.
Another major gripe with PW was the lack of support from teachers. Emma explains that her group received minimal guidance throughout the project, with her tutor only offering useful feedback at the last minute before the report was due. The lack of clear direction led to sleepless nights and excessive stress as the deadline approached, leaving many students feeling physically and mentally drained.
The recent change in policy to make PW a pass/fail subject, with no impact on university admissions, is seen as a positive step toward reducing the unhealthy competition and stress that has long been associated with the subject. “Removing the letter grade from PW will make things less stressful,” Emma notes. “It reduces that constant pressure to outperform everyone else.”
While group work and collaboration remain important skills, many hope that removing the academic pressure of PW will allow students to focus on genuine learning, rather than stressing over their rankings or grades.
