A school placement assessment provides comprehensive information on your child’s cognitive ability, adaptive skills such as communication, socialisation, and self-care, as well as academic skills like literacy and numeracy, to aid in identifying the most appropriate educational setting for your child. This assessment is typically conducted for preschool-aged children transitioning to primary schooling. Older children who are already enrolled in a school can obtain a school placement assessment if their current setting does not seem to suit them well.

A school placement assessment is conducted by medical and allied health professionals* at hospitals, private qualified professionals and/or early intervention professionals working with your child. Information is collected from various sources, including feedback from parents, feedback from teachers, direct observations or standardised assessments, medical records and past interventions (if any).

Not all children who go through a school placement assessment undergo an IQ test. Standardised assessments of cognitive functioning (i.e., IQ tests) and adaptive skills are typically only used when initial assessments suggest the need for specialised educational provisions [e.g., special education (SPED) school] or when it is unclear if a child’s needs can be adequately supported in a mainstream school. When providing advice to help parents decide whether to enrol their child in a mainstream primary school or SPED school, psychologists, medical practitioners, and allied health professionals are guided by professional practice guidelines developed jointly by MOE, hospitals, and SPED schools.

It is important to note that school placement assessments are not one-time tests that your child sits for and then ‘passes’ or ‘fails’. They are a summary of all the observations that teachers, professionals, and caregivers have made about your child and the kind of school setting that is suitable for them. Furthermore, completing a school placement assessment does not mean that your child would then have to go to a SPED school.

Parents make the final decision regarding the choice of school, and the assessment serves as a guide for you to decide on which educational setting is best for your child’s learning and well-being.

*Allied health professionals include clinical psychologists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech and language therapists and others.

This information is sourced from MOE