What is a contrasting subject?
All students are required to offer subjects in both the ‘Humanities and the Arts’ and ‘Mathematics and Sciences’ subject groups, as shown in the table below. A contrasting subject is a content-based subject taken outside a student’s main area of specialisation. For example, an Arts student can offer 3 subjects from the ‘Humanities and the Arts’ subject group and 1 subject from the ‘Mathematics and Sciences’ subject group. It helps to provide a broad base of learning which prepares a student for the multi-disciplinary approach in university education. Contrasting subject(s) could be offered at H1 or H2 Level.
Subject group | H1 | H2 |
Humanities and the Arts | Economics History Literature in English | Art Economics Management of Business Geography History Literature in English Chinese Language & Literature Malay Language & Literature Tamil Language & Literature |
Mathematics and Sciences | Biology Chemistry Physics Mathematics | Biology Chemistry Physics Mathematics Principles of Accounting |
Students are not allowed to offer the following subject combinations because there is no contrasting subject in the subject combinations:
H2 content-based subjects | H1 content-based subject | Reason |
Economics, History, Management of Business | Literature in English | No subject from ‘Mathematics and Sciences’ group |
Chemistry, Biology, Principles of Accounting | Mathematics | No subject from ‘Humanities and the Arts’ group |
Related questions
I have not read English in Literature at O-Level in Secondary school, can I offer English in Literature at A-Level?
What is the difference between H1 Mathematics and H2 Mathematics?
Will my choice of subject combination at A-Level affect the university courses that I can apply to?
If my child has been granted approval to offer non-Tamil Indian Languages or foreign languages at GCE O-Level, can he/she continue to offer the same language at GCE A-Level?
