School MattersCommonwealth Secondary School vs Victoria 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 | Victoria School |
|---|---|---|
| School type | Co-Ed School | Boys' School |
| Level | Secondary (S1-S4) | Secondary (S1-S4) |
| School tags | Autonomous | IP · Autonomous |
| Zone | West | East |
| Address | 698 West Coast Road | 2 Siglap Link |
| Nearest MRT | Jurong East, Clementi | Siglap, Bedok, Paya Lebar |
| Listed CCAs | 20 | 27 |
| DSA listings | 13 | 32 |
Differences to explore
- CCA
- The records share 2 CCA listings. Commonwealth Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Boys), Broadcasting (Girls and Boys), Choir (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Victoria School also lists Audio Visual Aid (Boys), Badminton (Boys), Boys' Brigade (Boys), Chinese Orchestra (Boys) 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 1 DSA programme listing. Commonwealth Secondary School also lists Badminton (Girls and Boys), Basketball (Boys), Choir (Girls and Boys), Coding (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Victoria School also lists Art Elective Programme (Boys), Art Elective Programme (Boys) - IP, Badminton (Boys), Badminton (Boys) - IP and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Listings may be incomplete; confirm availability with each school.
- Programme tags
- Commonwealth Secondary School: no IP or SAP tag listed; Victoria School: IP. Check the specific programme your child would enter.
- The daily journey
- Nearby MRT stations listed for Commonwealth Secondary School: Jurong East, Clementi; for Victoria School: Siglap, Bedok, Paya Lebar. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.
Recorded entry ranges
| Compare | Commonwealth Secondary School | Victoria School |
|---|---|---|
| IP · Non-affiliated | Not listed | 2026 · 5–8 |
| PG3 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 8–13 | 2026 · 6–9 |
| PG2 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 21–23 | Not listed |
| PG1 · Non-affiliated | 2026 · 25–28 | Not listed |
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.
Victoria School
Victoria School began in 1876 as an English class for twelve boys in Kampong Glam Malay School. It became Victoria Bridge School after moving near the bridge in 1900, and adopted Victoria School at Tyrwhitt Road in 1933. It received autonomous status in 1993 and moved to Siglap Link in 2003. Its house system dates from 1929; the Victoria Challenge began in 1987. These long-running traditions explain part of the school’s identity, without proving that every present pupil has the same experience.
The website presents a national-examination route, still labelled the O-Level Programme, alongside the Victoria-Cedar Alliance IP. Its published subject list spans sciences, humanities, languages and options such as Art, Music and Physical Education; families should verify the next intake’s qualification labels, availability and prerequisites. IP pupils spend four years at their secondary school before two years at VJC. The IP framework includes research, electives and the Helmsman leadership programme, progressing from personal and team leadership to organisational leadership. It expects students to take ownership of learning; it is not simply an exam-free version of the other route.
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)
Victoria School
- Audio Visual Aid (Boys)
- Badminton (Boys)
- Boys' Brigade (Boys)
- Chinese Orchestra (Boys)
- Choir (Boys)
- Concert Band (Boys)
- Cricket (Boys)
- Cross Country (Boys)
- Debating and Public Speaking (Boys)
- English Drama (Boys)
- Floorball (Boys)
- Football (Boys)
- Hockey (Boys)
- Infocomm Technology (Computing) (Boys)
- International Chess (Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Boys)
- National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Sea) (Boys)
- National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Boys)
- Photography (Boys)
- Red Cross Youth (Boys)
- Sailing (Boys)
- Scouts (Boys)
- Table Tennis (Boys)
- Tennis (Boys)
- Track and Field (Boys)
- Volleyball (Boys)
- Wushu (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 Victoria School
- Art Elective Programme (Boys)
- Art Elective Programme (Boys) - IP
- Badminton (Boys)
- Badminton (Boys) - IP
- Chinese Orchestra (Boys)
- Chinese Orchestra (Boys) - IP
- Choir (Boys)
- Choir (Boys) - IP
- Community Youth Leadership (Boys)
- Community Youth Leadership (Boys) - IP
- Concert Band (Boys)
- Concert Band (Boys) - IP
- Floorball (Boys)
- Floorball (Boys) - IP
- Football (Boys)
- Football (Boys) - IP
- Hockey (Boys)
- Hockey (Boys) - IP
- Mathematics (Boys)
- Mathematics (Boys) - IP
- Science (Boys)
- Science (Boys) - IP
- Table Tennis (Boys)
- Table Tennis (Boys) - IP
- Tennis (Boys)
- Tennis (Boys) - IP
- Track and Field (Boys)
- Track and Field (Boys) - IP
- Volleyball (Boys)
- Volleyball (Boys) - IP
- Wushu (Boys)
- Wushu (Boys) - IP
Questions about these schools
How should I choose between Commonwealth Secondary School and Victoria 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?
IP · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School Not listed; Victoria School 2026 · 5–8. PG3 · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 8–13; Victoria School 2026 · 6–9. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 21–23; Victoria School Not listed. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Commonwealth Secondary School 2026 · 25–28; Victoria School Not listed.
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.