Will this phase go to a ballot?
During registration the MOE page shows live vacancies and applicants for every school. Enter those two numbers for the phase you are watching and this tells you, in plain English, whether it is oversubscribed, whether a ballot applies, and whether your home distance even matters. It explains how the numbers work, it does not promise a place.
Last reviewed against official sources: 18 July 2026
Step 1: is the phase oversubscribed?
From MOE's vacancies and balloting page, read off the two numbers for the phase you want, then enter them here.
Step 2: where does your family stand?
When a phase is oversubscribed, MOE gives out places in a fixed priority order and only holds a ballot in the one group where the places run out. Tell us your family and, if MOE shows it, the group the ballot fell in.
How to read MOE's live numbers
- Vacancies is how many places are open in that phase. Earlier phases and reserved places are already taken out, so this is what is genuinely left.
- Applicants is how many children have applied so far. During the phase this number climbs, so refresh near the closing time for the real picture.
- If applicants are fewer than or equal to vacancies, everyone gets in. No ballot, and distance does not matter.
- If applicants are more than vacancies, the phase is oversubscribed. Places go in this order: Singapore Citizens within 1km, then 1km to 2km, then beyond 2km, then the same for PRs. A ballot is drawn only inside the one band where the places run out.
Independent parent-run guide. The live numbers and the final placement are MOE's: check the vacancies and balloting page and how balloting works, and the P1 Registration Portal is the final word for your child.
Find your child's group
Every cohort has its own WhatsApp group of parents going through the exact same year, real-time registration updates, school reviews, balloting news and honest answers from people one step ahead of you. Pick the year your child starts Primary 1.
The 2026 registration exercise runs from 30 June to 30 October 2026, with the citizen and PR phases finishing in late August. This is the live cohort, phase dates, balloting and school choice are happening right now.
Registration in mid-2027. Get the lay of the land early, school shortlists, the 30-month address rule, and what to prepare.
Plenty of runway. Useful if you're weighing a home move for distance priority or choosing a kindergarten with an eye on P1.
Free to join. A friendly, parent-run space, no spam, no selling.