School MattersCommonwealth Secondary School vs Manjusri Secondary School
Compare recorded PSLE entry ranges, CCAs, DSA programmes and location, with intake years shown alongside the data.
At a glance
| Compare | Commonwealth Secondary School | Manjusri Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Co-Ed School | Co-Ed School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | Autonomous | Not listed |
| Zone | West | East |
| Address | 698 West Coast Road | 20 Ubi Avenue 1 |
| Nearest MRT | Jurong East, Clementi | Ubi, Macpherson |
| Listed CCAs | 20 | 16 |
| DSA listings | 13 | 7 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 7 CCA listings. Commonwealth Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Boys), Broadcasting (Girls and Boys), Cross Country (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Manjusri Secondary School also lists Badminton (Boys), Basketball (Girls), Chinese Calligraphy and Brush Painting (Girls and Boys), Chinese Dance (Girls) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Listings may be incomplete; confirm availability with each school.
- DSA programme
- The records share 2 DSA programme listings. Commonwealth Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Boys), Coding (Girls and Boys), Cross Country (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Manjusri Secondary School also lists Chinese Calligraphy (Girls and Boys), Chinese Dance (Girls), Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys), Table Tennis (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Listings may be incomplete; confirm availability with each school.
- The daily journey
- Nearby MRT stations listed for Commonwealth Secondary School: Jurong East, Clementi; for Manjusri Secondary School: Ubi, Macpherson. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | Commonwealth Secondary School | Manjusri Secondary School |
|---|---|---|
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 8–13 | 2026 · 15–21 |
| PG3 · Affiliated | Not listed | 2026 · 15–22 |
| PG2 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 21–23 | 2026 · 21–25 |
| PG2 · Affiliated | Not listed | 2026 · 22–25 |
| PG1 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 25–28 | 2026 · 25–30 |
| PG1 · Affiliated | Not listed | 2026 · 25–28 |
Each range belongs to the intake year and programme shown. Affiliated and non-affiliated ranges are separate. D, M and P are Higher Mother Tongue requirements. Past ranges do not guarantee admission.
Get to know each school
Commonwealth Secondary School
Commonwealth Secondary began in 1964 as Tanglin Integrated Vocational Secondary School. It became Tanglin Secondary in 1969 and Commonwealth Secondary in 1972, commemorating the previous year's Commonwealth heads-of-government meeting in Singapore. It moved through two Jurong East campuses before reaching West Coast Road in 2006. Autonomous status dates to 1995, followed by recognised environmental-education and design-and-innovation centres in 2008 and 2016. This history helps explain its current mix of practical making, environmental learning and performing arts.
The eco-stewardship curriculum describes Geography water-quality investigations in the stream and wetland, Science farm-to-table work, and hydroponic design in Craft and Technology. Campus spaces include a rainforest, marine aquarium, plant nursery and indoor and outdoor farms. These are concrete learning settings; the pages do not give a fixed fieldwork allocation for every cohort. CCA projects also link sustainability with community partners and causes such as responsible consumption or animal welfare. Parents can ask how often students use these spaces within ordinary lessons.
Manjusri Secondary School
Manjusri’s history starts with the Singapore Buddhist Federation’s 1974 decision to establish a secondary school. The first pupils entered in 1982; the Sims Drive building opened officially in 1984. It began operating at Ubi Avenue 1 in November 2008, beside affiliated Maha Bodhi School, before the campus’s official opening in April 2010. The four virtues of its motto were represented in sculptures unveiled in 2022. That history explains its identity without implying that every pupil has the same religious background.
The Smart City and Assistive Technologies ALP asks groups of four or five pupils to learn programming and sensor functions with older people and less-abled users in mind. Sec 1 starts with the Potato Pirates card game, micro:bit connections and coding; Sec 2 develops and shares assistive designs and explores F1-car applications. Sec 3 and later experiences are labelled talent development, including Infineon production processes, polytechnic modules and engineer job shadowing. Those later opportunities should not be read as placements guaranteed to every student.
CCAs and programmes
Commonwealth Secondary School
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Boys)
- Broadcasting (Girls and Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Cross Country (Girls and Boys)
- Dragon Boat (Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Environmental Science (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Boys)
- Girl Guides (Girls)
- Indian Dance (Girls)
- Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Boys)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
- Netball (Girls)
- Percussion Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
- Red Cross Youth (Girls and Boys)
- Robotics (Girls and Boys)
Manjusri Secondary School
- Badminton (Boys)
- Basketball (Girls)
- Chinese Calligraphy and Brush Painting (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Dance (Girls)
- Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Community Service (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Boys)
- Girl Guides (Girls)
- Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls and Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Boys)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
- Scouts (Boys)
- Table Tennis (Boys)
- Wushu (Girls and Boys)
Listed DSA programmes at Commonwealth Secondary School
- Badminton (Girls and Boys)
- Basketball (Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Coding (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Cross Country (Girls and Boys)
- English Drama (Girls and Boys)
- Environmental Science (Girls and Boys)
- Football (Boys)
- Indian Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Modern Dance (Girls and Boys)
- Netball (Girls)
- Tamil Language (Girls and Boys)
Listed DSA programmes at Manjusri Secondary School
- Chinese Calligraphy (Girls and Boys)
- Chinese Dance (Girls)
- Chinese Orchestra (Girls and Boys)
- Choir (Girls and Boys)
- Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
- Table Tennis (Girls and Boys)
- Wushu (Girls and Boys)
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between Commonwealth Secondary School and Manjusri Secondary School?
Start with programmes, the CCAs your child wants and the actual journey from home. Visit both schools to assess the daily environment. Counts and past results alone do not establish which school fits your child.
How do their recorded PSLE entry ranges compare?
PG3 · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 8–13; Manjusri Secondary School 2026 · 15–21. PG3 · Affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School Not listed; Manjusri Secondary School 2026 · 15–22. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 21–23; Manjusri Secondary School 2026 · 21–25. PG2 · Affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School Not listed; Manjusri Secondary School 2026 · 22–25. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 25–28; Manjusri Secondary School 2026 · 25–30. PG1 · Affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School Not listed; Manjusri Secondary School 2026 · 25–28.
Do past admission records guarantee a place?
No. Ranges belong to the intake year and programme shown and can change. Keep affiliated and non-affiliated ranges separate and retain any D, M or P Higher Mother Tongue suffix.