Academic Calendar

The standard academic calendar*, with effect from AY2020/21, will have the following structure:

• It consists of two semesters and a special term.
• Each regular semester includes 13 weeks of instruction and 2 weeks of end-of-semester examinations.
• There are two consecutive mini-semesters in each regular semester. The first mini-semester (Mini-semester A) comprises 6 weeks of instruction, 1-week break (Reading Week) and 1 week of examinations. The second mini-semester (Mini-Semester B) comprises of 6 weeks of instruction, 1-week break (Reading Week) and 2 weeks of examinations (which is the same period as the end-of-semester examinations).
• Special term takes place during the Semester 2 vacation period. It comprises of two parts, each of which lasts 6 weeks and is inclusive of an examination period.

The table below presents the basic chronological structure of the two main semesters, with 2 mini-semesters within each regular semester, in any academic year. 

* The Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine and the Faculty of Dentistry operate on a slightly different academic calendar structure.

¹ Commences on first Monday of August each year.

² For Semester 1 and mini-semester 1A, this starts in the week immediately following Orientation Week. 
  For Semester 2 and mini-semester 2A, this commences on the second Monday of January each year. 
 The University may start Semester 2 on the third Monday of January as deemed necessary in some years to maintain a 5-week vacation in December/January.
 For mini-semester B, this starts in the week following examination week of preceding mini-semester A. 

³ From Saturday to the following Sunday

⁴ From Saturday of the final week of the preceding Instructional Period to Friday of the following week.

⁵ For Regular Semester and mini-semester B, a 2-week period that starts from the Saturday immediately following Reading Week and ends on Saturday. 
  For mini-semester A,1-week period from Monday to Saturday.

⁶ For Semester 1, this is during December to early January.
  For Semester 2, this goes from May through July. The 2-part Special Term takes place during this vacation period, with each part being 6 weeks long.

To view the current, future and previous NUS Academic Calendars, please click on the respective links below.