Three H2s, one H1, a contrasting subject, GP, PW and Mother Tongue. How the combination rules work, what is reversible, and how to choose without closing doors.
By Marcus Toh · 2026-06-17
Per JC published guidance, a JC student carries 10 to 12 units: H1 General Paper and H1 Mother Tongue at one unit each, four content subjects where H2 counts 2 units and H1 counts 1, and Project Work as coursework. The common shape is three H2s plus one H1, with ambitious students taking four H2s.
The contrasting rule stops over specialisation, and it cuts both ways: science students must offer at least one subject from the Humanities and Arts group, and arts students must offer H1 or H2 Mathematics as their contrasting subject, with H2 Knowledge and Inquiry accepted as a contrasting subject for both. So the child who wants to drop Maths entirely discovers they cannot, and the pure science student meets an essay subject either way.
The two compulsory H1 papers have their own guides, General Paper here and Project Work here, and the full exam calendar the combination eventually meets is in the A-Level timetable.
Families choose JC combinations the way they choose restaurants for guests, by impressiveness, and it costs students two years of struggle in subjects they never liked. After three years of tutoring I can tell you the pattern: the students who thrive chose subjects they could sustain interest in for two years, and the ones who burn out chose the combination that sounded strongest at the family gathering.
So run the decision in the right order. Start from the two or three university courses your child is genuinely drawn to, check what those courses actually require, and protect those subjects. Then fill the rest by strength and interest, not by prestige, because an A in the subject they love beats a C in the subject that impressed the aunties, both for the rank points and for the child. And when in doubt between two combinations, pick the one your child can imagine studying on a tired Tuesday night in JC2, because that night is coming either way.
No. A student offers each subject at one level, and the H1 version covers a reduced content load of the same discipline, which is what makes the H1 slot the natural home for the contrasting subject.
H1 and H2 subjects are graded A to E as passes, with published JC marking bands running A at 70 to 100 down to E at 45 to 49, then S (sub pass) at 40 to 44 and Ungraded below, while H3 subjects are graded Distinction, Merit, Pass or Ungraded.
At JC entry, subject to the school's offerings and eligibility checks, but with the H2 to H1 revision valve and H3 applications in JC2, the true lock in point is later than most families fear. The promotion gate at the end of JC1, covered here, is the moment the combination's weight really shows.