1. How do I apply/register for the courses?

You may sign up for our language courses via our registration forms found on our website here once the registration window for that intake has opened. 

Classes will be formed upon receipt of sufficient applicants, and you will subsequently be notified to make payment of course fees, including fees for course materials. (Note: course materials purchased are non-refundable).

2. When do the course take place & when can I sign up?

We have 4 course intakes: January, March/April, June/July, and September. Registration will occur 1-2 months before the course start dates.

3. Can I sign up for >1 language courses at a time?

Signing up for more than 1 language course is not allowed unless the courses you intend to sign up for occur at different timings. If you do sign up for more than 1 language course occurring at different time slots, please email us about it at clslang@nus.edu.sg.

4. Can non-NUS students register for your language courses?

Yes, the External Language Programme is open to the public, both individual and corporate clients.

5. If I'm not from Singapore, can I take your language courses?

Yes, our classes are open to the public and are currently held entirely online via Zoom. As long as you are able to access Zoom, you should be able to take our language courses.

However, please do note that course material delivery may not be available to non-local/overseas addresses.

6. Is it possible to defer to a future intake once I have been enrolled into a course?

Please send an email to clslang@nus.edu.sg to request for deferment. Deferment requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Please note that deferment requests submitted after Week 5 of lessons will not be granted.

1. Which levels are considered beginner, intermediate & advanced?

As a general guideline,

• Levels 1-3: Beginner level
• Levels 4-6: Intermediate level
• Levels 7-8: Advanced level

However, please do note that the above may not be applicable to all languages.

2. Which level should I enroll into?

Applicants who have no prior knowledge of the languages are encouraged to start from Level 1.

Applicants who wish to enroll into higher levels are recommended to take the placement test.

3. Are there any textbooks I would need to get? Or would the materials be sent to me?

Depending on the language course, one of the following scenarios would apply:

1. Pay a course material fee in addition to our language course fees, for which we will deliver the course material to you (only for Singaporean local addresses)
2. Purchase the course material yourself directly from the book vendor, for which we will send an email detailing this closer to when the course starts
3. The course materials will be provided by the language teacher

4. If I don't pass the current class level that I'm doing, can I still sign up for the next level?

Yes, you can still sign up for the next level if you don’t pass the final assessment for the previous level.

5. Are the classes held online or in person?

Currently, all of our language courses are held online via Zoom. We do not offer any in-person classes at the moment.

6. If I am overseas (i.e., not in Singapore) during the course, can I still take the course?

Yes, as long as you are able to access Zoom while overseas to attend the class.

7. What equipment will I need for the language courses?

You would require the following for our language courses:

• A device with a front-facing camera function
• A microphone to speak with
• Speakers/earphones
• Access to Zoom

8. Will being late for class affect my attendance?

If you are either 30 minutes late to the class OR leave the class 30 minutes early, you will be marked as being absent from the class. If you will be late for a lesson, please inform your language teacher directly beforehand.

9. What do I do if I miss a class/cannot make it for one or multiple lessons?

As we do not offer make-up lessons for missed classes, it will be counted as an absence from that lesson. If you will be absent for a lesson, please inform your language teacher beforehand about your absence.

Should you require a video recording of the missed lesson or any additional self-learning materials, please also request for them directly from your language teacher.

1. How do the Japanese language courses correspond to the JLPT levels?

Our Japanese language courses from levels 1-8 currently only go up to the JLPT N4 level; we do not offer courses that are of levels higher than that.

Generally, the breakdown of our courses would be as follows:

• Upon completion of
  • Japanese levels 1-4 ≈ JLPT N5 level
  • Japanese levels 5-8 ≈ JLPT N4 level

2. Does completing your Japanese language courses mean that I will also receive a JLPT certificate of the corresponding level?

No, the certification we offer upon completion of our courses is a certificate by the Centre for Language Studies at NUS and not a JLPT certification. If you wish to obtain the JLPT certification, you would have to apply for and take the JLPT yourself.

1. What's the difference between your Chinese, Business Chinese Conversation & Chinese Language, Literature & Culture courses?

Chinese language courses are for beginners learning it as a language.

Business Chinese Conversation courses are for advanced Chinese speakers that want to learn business vocabulary in Chinese.

Chinese Language, Literature & Culture course is for advanced Chinese speakers that want to learn more about Chinese literature.

1. Do I need to take a placement test?

You should take a placement test if you

• have prior knowledge of the language
• would like to take our language courses at a level higher than level 1 & have not taken any course with us previously

2. How can I take the placement test?

Go to our Placement Test page to find out more.

3. Do I need to pay for the placement test?

No, you do not need to pay for the placement test.

1. What kind of certificates can I get from completing a language course?

We offer the following types of certificates:

• Certificate of Participation: granted to participants who have attended at least 70% of the classes OR successfully passed the final assessment
• Certificate of Completion: granted to participants who have attended at least 70% of the classes AND successfully passed the final assessment
• Proficiency Certificate: granted to individuals who have successfully completed three consecutive levels, encompassing Levels 1 - 3, Levels 4 - 6, & Levels 7 - 9

2. If I take a break in between consecutive language courses, but complete all 3 courses (e.g., levels 1 - 3), do I still get a proficiency certificate?

Yes, as long as you finish all 3 courses, you can get a proficiency certificate.

3. Do I get a soft-copy or hard-copy certificate at the end of the course?

We only issue soft-copy certificates to participants.

4. When will I receive my certificate?

Around one month after the course has ended.

1. What subsidies/discounts/schemes can I used to pay for your language courses?

The following subsidies/discounts/schemes can be used with our language courses:

• NUS affiliation discount for current NUS staff/student/alumni
• SkillsFuture Credits (SFC)
• Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA)

2. Can I use multiple subsidies/payment methods at the same time?

All subsidies can be used together.

3. How do I use subsidies for the language courses?

To use the subsidies, please indicate the subsidies that you would like to use in our registration forms when you register for our course, and we will follow up via email.

National Silver Academy (NSA)

1. What is the NSA subsidy?

NSA is a learning academy that works with post-secondary education institutions (PSEIs) and community organizations to provide diverse learning opportunities for seniors. Courses supported by NSA are offered at subsidised rates. For more information, please visit https://welearn-nsa.c3a.org.sg/home .

2. Who is eligible for the NSA subsidy?

As our courses are supported by NSA, Singapore Citizens aged 50 & above are eligible for a subsidy of up to 50% off the course fee (excluding GST).

        * Note: as long as you are turning 50 in the year that you are taking the course, you are eligible for the subsidy.

Company sponsored individuals are not eligible for this subsidy.

NUS affiliation discount 

1. I am an NUS student/alumni/staff. Am I eligible for a discount?

Yes, we offer an affiliation discount of 10% off our course fees.

Please note that this discount is not applicable to Company Sponsored individuals for courses taken in 2025.

2. If I am not yet an NUS student at the time of course sign-ups, but will be matriculating soon, am I still eligible for NUS student 10% discount?

No, only current NUS students are eligible for the discount.

3. Who can be considered NUS student/alumni?

NUS students refer to current students who have already matriculated into NUS. We would require your student card as verification for student status.

NUS alumni refer to NUS students who were previously matriculated in NUS and have since graduated from NUS. We would require either your alumnus card, degree scroll or student card as verification of alumni status.

4. Can ex-NUS staff receive the discount?

No, only current NUS staff are eligible for the discount. 

5. Can I use the SCALE alumni e-vouchers to pay for the courses?

No, the SCALE alumni e-vouchers cannot be used with our courses. For information on SCALE courses, please visit https://inetapps.nus.edu.sg/SACS/LifeLongLearning/Browse.

SkillsFuture Credits (SFC)

1. Can I use SFC to pay for the course?

Provided you have sufficient credits in your account, you may claim your credits to cover the course fees. If you do not have sufficient credits, the remaining balance payment can be made either via Internet Bank Transfer or PayNow.

2. Can the mid-career credits be used to pay for the course?

No, you cannot use the mid-career SkillsFuture top-up credits (about $4000 sfc) to cover our course fees. Only the standard credits can be used for our courses.

3. Can I use SFC to pay for course material fees (if any)?

No, course material fees are to be paid either to us or to the book vendors directly. They cannot be claimed via SFC.

Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA)

1. Can I use PSEA to pay for the course?

Provided you are under the age of 31 and have sufficient funds in your PSEA, you may use your PSEA to pay for our courses.

1. Where can I send my enquiries to?

Please email your enquiries to clslang@nus.edu.sg.

2. If I am an undergraduate, where can I send my enquiry to?

If you have enquiries about our undergraduate language courses, please refer to our website here on who to contact for your enquiry.