Start with two checks: the school and the subject

First, confirm that your child’s school offers the subject. Use this guide to secondary schools offering G3 or O-Level Computing as a starting point, then verify the current subject options with the school.

Next, go through the sections below on K349 modules and assessment format with your child. The key question is whether the actual mix of theory, written answers, spreadsheets and programming suits how they want to learn.

What does the G3 Computing syllabus cover?

Syllabus K349 has five modules:

• Computing Fundamentals
• Algorithms and Programming
• Spreadsheets
• Networking
• Impact of Computing

A student who enjoys coding will still need to explain concepts in writing, work accurately with spreadsheets, understand networks and consider how computing affects people and society.

How are G1, G2 and G3 Computing different?

G1, G2 and G3 are separate syllabuses, and they are not three names for the same course.

• G1 Computing is Syllabus K127. Its modules include Document Processing, Media Software and Programming.
• G2 Computing is Syllabus K237. Its modules include Spreadsheets, Media Software and Programming.
• G3 Computing is Syllabus K349. Its five modules include Algorithms and Programming alongside Computing Fundamentals, Spreadsheets, Networking and Impact of Computing.

G1 and G2 are implemented from 2026 with the Secondary Three cohort and have their first examinations in 2027. If your child has encountered G1 or G2 Computing, that may make the subject area more familiar, but it does not make the syllabuses interchangeable.

Paper 1 vs Paper 2: is the assessment a good fit?

Ask your child whether they are willing to explain a Computing idea clearly in writing as well as build, test and correct work on a computer. Enjoying coding is a useful start, but the written and theory side carries a big part of the assessment weight.

A practical decision checklist for parents

Before your child chooses G3 Computing, work through these questions together:

1. Does the school offer it? Confirm the current subject options directly with the school.
2. Do the five K349 modules sound interesting? Look at the full subject, not programming alone.
3. Is your child prepared for written explanation? Paper 1 is a written examination worth 60%.
4. Do they enjoy practical problem-solving? Paper 2 involves spreadsheets, Python and JupyterLab in a lab setting.
5. Can they describe where they get stuck? Being able to identify a theory or practical gap makes practice more focused.

You do not need five perfect answers. The checklist is a way to replace a vague interest in “coding” with a clearer conversation about the subject your child will actually study.

When G3 Computing tuition may help

Structured support may be useful when your child understands the ideas but struggles to explain them in writing, or when they need more guided practice with programming and spreadsheets.

Computhink Academy’s G3 Computing tuition programme runs weekly over Secondary 3 and Secondary 4 and covers theory and practical work. The fee is $667 per term for nine 1.5-hour lessons at Computhink@ToaPayohLibrary in Singapore.

For a first lesson, bring a recent school exercise or programming question. It gives the teacher and your child something concrete to discuss: where the difficulty begins, what has already been tried and whether the next useful step is written explanation or practical execution.

Questions parents often ask

Is G3 Computing the same as O-Level Computing?

G3 Computing is the renamed successor to O-Level Computing. O-Level Computing uses Syllabus 7155 through the final O-Level examinations in 2026. G3 Computing uses Syllabus K349 from the first G3 examinations in 2027.

Is G3 Computing just programming?

No. Algorithms and Programming is one of five K349 modules. The others are Computing Fundamentals, Spreadsheets, Networking and Impact of Computing. The assessment includes a written paper and a lab-based paper.

What is the difference between G3 Computing Paper 1 and Paper 2?

Paper 1 is a two-hour written examination worth 60% of the total marks. Paper 2 is a two-hour-30-minute lab-based examination worth 40%, completed using spreadsheet software, Python and JupyterLab.

What should parents check before choosing G3 Computing?

Check whether the school offers G3 Computing, then review the five K349 modules and the two-paper assessment with your child. The subject is a better fit when the student is willing to develop both written explanation and practical problem-solving.