By Victoria Khoo Miin-Hsuen (27A01A)

That change is constant is a cliché hardly worth repeating. In a bid to prevent our Subject Previews from becoming similarly superfluous, Raffles Press has rolled out a series of revisions to Please Mind the Platform Gap (PMTPG), intended to keep our commentary at eye level with the curriculum.

In 2012, PMTPG started out as “a fortnightly column aimed at preparing Year 4 […] students for the challenges of JC life”, an enduring concept that would later expand to include spin-offs like the “Universities Edition”. Raffles Press today is fairly different from what it was back in 2012. Still, the objectives of this series are one thing that has remained the same.

Our educational landscape will inevitably evolve with the times, and the scale of that change can often feel daunting. This uncertainty may worry incoming batches, but Raffles Press is here to demystify the road ahead, at least within RI. We hope to equip you with the clarity needed to make an informed decision, one that brings you genuine fulfilment across your two years here.

Below is an updated index, including a selection of Subject Previews newly aligned with recent syllabi revisions. Like the list consolidated in 2022, most Previews consider the subject at the H2 level, even though an H1 version may be available as well. For more information, you may wish to reference a 2025 article on H1 subjects under the category “General Resources”.

Mathematics and the Sciences

H2 Biology (2022)

H2 Chemistry (2022)

H2 Physics (2022)

H1/H2 Mathematics (2022)

H2 Further Mathematics (2022)

H2 Computing (2022)

Humanities and the Arts

H2 Economics (2022)

H2 Geography (2026)

H2 History* (2022)

H2 Literature in English (2026)

H2 English Language and Linguistics (2026)

H2 Chinese Language and Literature (2023)

H2 Malay Language and Literature (2017)

H2 Tamil Language and Literature (2017)

H2 Art (2017)

H2 Music (2017)

Foreign Languages

H2 Japanese (2026)

H2 French (2022)

H2 Spanish (2020)

H2 German (2026)

Knowledge Skills

H2 Knowledge and Inquiry* (2026)

H1 General Paper (2018)

H1 Project Work (2018)

*Not offered at the H1 level in RI.

General Resources

RI A-Level Curriculum Requirements (2026)

Choosing Subject Combinations: The Science Combinations* (2014)

Choosing Subject Combinations: The Arts Combinations* (2014)

Choosing Subject Combinations: The Hybrid Combinations (2020)

Choosing Subject Combinations: Contrasting Arts Subjects* (2016)

Choosing Subject Combinations: Taking a Third Language* (2016)

Changing Your Subject Combination (2020)

H1 Subjects (2025)

On Choosing the Arts Stream (2025)

Why I Joined the Raffles Academy* (2014)

Why I Rejected the Raffles Academy* (2014)

The Humanities Programme** (2023)

*Many of the older articles were written based on outdated syllabi, but some core points of discussion may still be relevant today.

**Do note that the Humanities Programme in RI will see changes in 2027, though the specifics have yet to be announced. As such, it may not be advisable to depend entirely on the information provided in the 2023 article.

In bold are edits made to the 2022 list, which can be found here.

It bears repeating that Raffles Press is not, however, the arbiter of truth. These Previews serve to shore up your understanding of the subjects offered in RI, but are no substitute for personal exploration. As the year flips over, take the time to consider your options, seek advice beyond what you see on this page (e.g. seniors, career-guidance counsellors), and place weight on what truly excites you.

Though this decision may feel rather consequential, school life is much more than the subjects you take, and fulfilment is still broadly attainable outside of it.

For what lies ahead, here’s luck to the start.