School Matters

Getting things ready

Xinmin Secondary School vs Yio Chu Kang Secondary School

Compare recorded PSLE entry ranges, CCAs, DSA programmes and location, with intake years shown alongside the data.

At a glance

CompareXinmin Secondary SchoolYio Chu Kang Secondary School
School typeCo-Ed SchoolCo-Ed School
LevelSecondary (S1-S4)Secondary (S1-S4)
School tagsAutonomousNot listed
ZoneNorthSouth
Address11 Hougang Avenue 83063 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5
Nearest MRTHougangYio Chu Kang
Listed CCAs1915
DSA listings1415

Differences to explore

CCA
The records share 7 CCA listings. Xinmin Secondary School also lists Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys), Boys' Brigade (Boys), Cross Country (Girls and Boys), Debating and Public Speaking (Girls and Boys) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Yio Chu Kang Secondary School also lists Basketball (Boys), Indian Dance (Girls and Boys), Infocomm Technology (Computing) (Girls and Boys), Malay Dance (Girls and 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 5 DSA programme listings. Xinmin Secondary School also lists Boys' Brigade (Boys), Chinese Dance (Girls), Cross Country (Girls and Boys), Girls' Brigade (Girls) and more, which do not appear in the other school's records. Yio Chu Kang Secondary School also lists Basketball (Boys), Chinese Dance (Girls and Boys), Digital Media (Girls and Boys), Indian Dance (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 Xinmin Secondary School: Hougang; for Yio Chu Kang Secondary School: Yio Chu Kang. Compare the full journey from home, including transfers and the walk to school.

Recorded entry ranges

CompareXinmin Secondary SchoolYio Chu Kang Secondary School
PG3 · Non-affiliated2026 · 8–132026 · 15–22
PG2 · Non-affiliated2026 · 21–232026 · 23–25
PG1 · Non-affiliated2026 · 25–282026 · 25–30

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

Xinmin Secondary School

Xinmin began as Sin Min School on 1 November 1945, initially teaching primary pupils. Its founders rented three bungalows after Yap Fun Hong sold five pigs to help fund education for the Hougang-Serangoon community. Secondary classes began in 1956, and performances helped raise money for facilities in 1958. MOE’s heritage record dates autonomous status to 2001 and the Creative Arts Complex to 2015. Its 80th anniversary was in 2025. These are historical milestones; earlier examination bands or rankings do not establish a current teaching-quality ranking.

MAKERS@Xinmin combines digital and analogue making across a specially designed two-year lower-secondary curriculum. All pupils in those years learn about AI applications and ethics, and design and prototype solutions to real problems. Examples include sustainability models using AI, eco-themed games and environmental-data analysis, with workshops, pop-up sessions and showcases. This is broader than a coding club for selected enthusiasts. Ask what the child will build, how teachers supervise tool use and how a pupil with little coding experience is helped to contribute within a group.

Yio Chu Kang Secondary School

MOE records the school’s establishment in 1965, its move to Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5 in 1982, and the merger with Chong Boon Secondary in 2018. The merged school retained Yio Chu Kang’s English name and adopted Chong Boon’s Chinese name, 崇文中学. It introduced a new school song in 2019. The heritage record also dates its performing-arts niche status to 2007 and Pathlight satellite partnership to 2014. Older alumni accounts may therefore concern a different period of school organisation; the merger is an important boundary when reading them.

The ALP centres on technological sustainability and connects STEM knowledge to community problems. Its structured curriculum develops coding and computational thinking through inquiry, with a Secondary 1–2 curriculum overview. Further options include the Mechatronics, Aeronautical and Robotics club, competitions, Secondary 3 polytechnic elective modules, mentorship and a maker programme. These are additional opportunities for interested pupils, not a guarantee that every child receives every placement. STEM DSA entrants are expected to join the relevant club. A family should compare ordinary curriculum exposure with the time, selection and commitments attached to deeper participation.

CCAs and programmes

Xinmin Secondary School

  • Art and Crafts (Girls and Boys)
  • Badminton (Girls)
  • Boys' Brigade (Boys)
  • Chinese Dance (Girls)
  • Choir (Girls and Boys)
  • Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
  • Cross Country (Girls and Boys)
  • Debating and Public Speaking (Girls and Boys)
  • English Drama (Girls and Boys)
  • Floorball (Boys)
  • Girls' Brigade (Girls)
  • Guzheng Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
  • Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls and Boys)
  • National Cadet Corps (NCC) (Land) (Boys)
  • Rockwall Climbing (Girls and Boys)
  • Shooting (Girls and Boys)
  • St John Brigade (Girls and Boys)
  • Students' Council (Girls and Boys)
  • Volleyball (Girls and Boys)

Yio Chu Kang Secondary School

  • Badminton (Girls)
  • Basketball (Boys)
  • Chinese Dance (Girls)
  • Choir (Girls and Boys)
  • Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
  • English Drama (Girls and Boys)
  • Floorball (Boys)
  • Indian Dance (Girls and Boys)
  • Infocomm Technology (Computing) (Girls and Boys)
  • Infocomm Technology (Media Production) (Girls and Boys)
  • Malay Dance (Girls and Boys)
  • National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
  • Netball (Girls)
  • Red Cross Youth (Girls and Boys)
  • Robotics (Girls and Boys)

Listed DSA programmes at Xinmin Secondary School

  • Badminton (Girls)
  • Boys' Brigade (Boys)
  • Chinese Dance (Girls)
  • Choir (Girls and Boys)
  • Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
  • Cross Country (Girls and Boys)
  • English Drama (Girls and Boys)
  • Floorball (Boys)
  • Girls' Brigade (Girls)
  • Guzheng Ensemble (Girls and Boys)
  • Rockwall Climbing (Girls and Boys)
  • Shooting (Girls and Boys)
  • St John Brigade (Girls and Boys)
  • Volleyball (Girls and Boys)

Listed DSA programmes at Yio Chu Kang Secondary School

  • Badminton (Girls)
  • Basketball (Boys)
  • Chinese Dance (Girls and Boys)
  • Choir (Girls and Boys)
  • Concert Band (Girls and Boys)
  • Digital Media (Girls and Boys)
  • English Drama (Girls and Boys)
  • Floorball (Boys)
  • Indian Dance (Girls and Boys)
  • Malay Dance (Girls and Boys)
  • Mechatronics, Aeronautics and Robotics (Girls and Boys)
  • Media Arts / Film / Photography (Girls and Boys)
  • National Police Cadet Corps (NPCC) (Girls and Boys)
  • Netball (Girls)
  • Red Cross Youth (Girls and Boys)

Questions about these schools

How should I choose between Xinmin Secondary School and Yio Chu Kang 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: Xinmin Secondary School 2026 · 8–13; Yio Chu Kang Secondary School 2026 · 15–22. PG2 · Non-affiliated: Xinmin Secondary School 2026 · 21–23; Yio Chu Kang Secondary School 2026 · 23–25. PG1 · Non-affiliated: Xinmin Secondary School 2026 · 25–28; Yio Chu Kang Secondary School 2026 · 25–30.

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.