The hardest primary schools to get into in Singapore
Princess Elizabeth Primary School was the hardest primary school to get into in the 2025 exercise, drawing 232 Phase 2C applicants for 41 places (5.7× per place). Of the 179 schools taking Primary 1, only 81 balloted at Phase 2C, where home-school distance decided who got in; the other 98 admitted every Singapore Citizen who applied. Past results are the best guide we have, though demand can shift from year to year.
At the very top, distance is everything. When a school draws far more applicants than places, living inside 1km stops being an advantage and becomes the entry ticket. That is a small number of schools, but it drives a lot of the property decisions I see.
Keith Teo, CheckHowMuch
More applicants than places, so a distance ballot decided admission. Sorted by applicants per place across the whole of Phase 2C, most contested first. Within-1km demand can be higher still.
What a high ballot ratio means for parents
A primary school only ballots when more children apply than there are places. At Phase 2C, the phase most families use, the 81 schools above drew more applicants than places in the 2025 exercise, so a ballot decided who got in. Admission then runs by home-school distance: applicants within 1km are balloted first, then 1-2km, then beyond 2km. For these schools, living within 1km is the single biggest thing a family can do to improve the odds, which is why catchment HDB flats near them command a premium.
Treat this as a guide, not a guarantee. The ratios above are for the whole of Phase 2C; within-1km competition at the most-wanted schools is often tighter. Demand also shifts year to year, and MOE is trimming Primary 1 places at most schools from 2027. Always check MOE's live vacancies and balloting page in the year you register, and check the home-school distance for any address before you commit.
Frequently asked questions
What is the hardest primary school to get into in Singapore?
In the 2025 Primary 1 exercise, Princess Elizabeth Primary School (Bukit Batok) was the most oversubscribed at Phase 2C, with 232 applicants for 41 places, a ratio of 5.7×. Nan Hua Primary School and South View Primary School followed. These figures are for the whole of Phase 2C; within-1km demand can be higher still.
How many primary schools balloted in Singapore?
In the 2025 exercise, 81 of 179 schools balloted at Phase 2C (45%), and 98 did not. A school ballots only when applicants exceed places, so the 81 that balloted are the genuinely competitive ones where distance decided admission.
Does a high ballot ratio mean my child cannot get in?
No. A ratio above 1× means a ballot was held, and home-school distance set the order: applicants within 1km are balloted first, then 1-2km, then beyond. Living within 1km of an oversubscribed school is the single biggest thing you can do to improve the odds. Demand also shifts year to year.
What is Phase 2C in P1 registration?
Phase 2C is open to all Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents whose child has no prior tie to the school, such as a sibling or alumni parent. Most families register at this phase. If it is oversubscribed, home-school distance decides priority through a ballot.