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AEIS placement vs keeping an international-school hold
Companion to AEIS/S-AEIS — pass ≠ brand-school assignment, January vs Apr/May starts, when to keep a paid international hold, P1 IS vs AEIS age gates, and vacancy realism for expat families.
Parent AEIS mechanics: AEIS & S-AEIS. Local MOE realism: local schools for expats. This companion is the hold vs drop decision after the test.
Pass ≠ placement you wanted
AEIS / S-AEIS measures performance plus vacancies. MOE assigns where seats exist — not the brand primary locals ballot for. Crossing the score line still leaves:
| Outcome | Household move |
|---|---|
| Place offered | Register at the designated school; model commute before celebrating |
| Pass, no place / weak options | International hold or another cycle — fee already gone |
| Fail | Same — non-refundable test fee |
Calendar forks that kill holds
| Path | Typical start | Hold strategy |
|---|---|---|
| AEIS | January next year | Keep international seat through outcome email if cash allows |
| S-AEIS | Apr/May same year | Fewer seats — worst backup if you already cancelled the private hold |
| P1 IS | Separate May interest window | Not AEIS — age 6 to 6+ on 1 Jan of admission year |
Do not cancel a paid international hold on “we’ll just do S-AEIS” folklore.
Decision rule
Budget AEIS as a lottery ticket with a dated start — keep a private hold until the offer letter names a school you can actually commute to. Assignment beats preference; international fees beat a cross-island Year 3 surprise only if you planned the buffer.
Sources & citations
Admin and policy details change. Prefer the official page when making decisions; we cite primary sources for Singapore government and statutory guidance.
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