EXPANDED Flexible Grading Option (FGO)
Worried about your grades? Want to take an intimidating module?
Well, there's sometimes a way out – Now, more than ever before with the new Flexible Grading Option. The new, Expanded FGO replaces the old S/U system (and FGO 1.0)!
Effective from AY25/26 Semester 2 (aka, since May 2026), the Expanded FGO scheme allows you to declare many types of modules as Pass or No Record grades. EITHER way, that module will then have no effect on your GPA. If declared as No Record, however, the AUs from the module will not count towards fulfilling degree requirements (like Thanos-snapping the module, basically).
For more info, read on below or on p. 11 of the official NTU Academic Handbook.
So no more S/U???
WHAT'S ALL THIS
(EXPANDED)
FGO STUFF?
You may have heard from friends/seniors of the infamous S/U Option - this is the OLD system that Expanded FGO NOW SUPERSEDES (ie. please disregard everything you know about the S/U system)
WHAT IS FGO?
Expanded FGO now allows you to convert your letter-grades for almost all modules (into Pass/No Record grades - which DO NOT affect your CGPA. It basically removes the effect of your performance in that mod on the overall GPA you have in NTU!
ALMOST ALL MODULES????
You heard that right - it's the biggest change with EXPANDED FGO now. "The Expanded FGO is applicable to all course types except Final Year Projects, Professional Internships / Attachments and courses with academic sanctions imposed." - NTU Academic Handbook 2026
(us old folks could only use them on BDEs haha)
✅ CAN USE FGO:
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Major Core mods ✅
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aka mods everyone in your major kinda has to do)
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ICC mods ✅
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aka mods (almost) everyone in NTU has to do
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MPEs (Major Prescribed Electives) ✅
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aka mods that belong to your major but you can choose what you wanna learn - hence "Electives" in the name
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BDEs (Broadening and Deepening Electives) ✅
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aka mods outside your major that you can choose to do (eg. Ceramics, Badminton, Spanish, etc) - hence "Electives" in the name
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(for more on mod types, pls refer to this page on all the acad stuff)
❌ CANNOT USE FGO:
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FYPs ❌
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Professional Internships/Attachments (PIs) ❌
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A course that specifically and explicitly says that ("academic sanctions") ❌
HOW to exercise FGO?
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Every semester, after the release of results, there will be Declaration Periods for FGO
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The Office of Academic Services (OAS) will send a email to announce these periods.
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The most recent period was 2 June 2026, 9:30am to 4 June 2026.
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During FGO Declaration Periods, you can access the FGO system here.
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Students can declare the FGO on eligible courses taken in ANY semester, during ANY declaration period BEFORE their graduation,
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subject to the quota of FGO Academic Units (AU) for their degree programmes
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and also subject to the MINIMUM no. of letter-graded MPE/core courses for their degree programmes (more on that below).
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However, once a Declaration Period ends, any FGO declared will be IRREVOCABLE
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You DON'T have to FGO in the Declaration Period right after you took a mod!!! You can even wait until your last sem in NTU haha but maybe that's not making the most of it?? tldr: you need to plan properly. Don't rush!
For a detailed guide on how to use FGO, please consult the OAS website or their FGO user guide.
Do I qualify for FGO?
How much can I FGO?
WHO can use Expanded FGO?
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All full-time undergraduates admitted from AY25/26 onwards (from June 2026 onwards).
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Not applicable to:
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Part-time students
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LKCMedicine students
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Exchange students
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Non-graduating students.
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Your EXPANDED FGO quota differs based on your programme length:
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Up to 24 Academic Units (AUs) for most 4-year degree programmes.
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Up to 21 AUs for direct Y2 entry, 3-year, part-time and Biomedical Sciences programmes
For more information, please refer to the official NTU OAS Intranet page on FGO.
Why FGO?
What if I need to FGO an MPE? Can I?
WHY FGO?
Ever wanted to take a super interesting module (like pottery or some crazy infamous mod in your major) but worried that it would affect your GPA?
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With FGO, you can take modules and explore learning outside your comfort zone without worrying so much!
For more information, please refer to the official NTU OAS intranet on FGO.
What if you badly need to FGO a MPE/ICC/Core module?
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Tl,dr - NOW YOU CAN!!!! no extra steps/reclassification needed!!!
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HOWEVER, please bear in mind that you still need to meet certain conditions to GRADUATE. There are TWO things to always keep in mind before trying to use FGO:
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CAN I use FGO on this mod?
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aka, is it an eligible mod-type (probably)?
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aka, do I have ENOUGH FGO quota left to do so? will I have enough for my future plans? (It's like money/allowance lol)
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AND: CAN I GRADUATE if I use FGO??? 2nd Major? Minor???
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Different majors have different guidelines on graduation requirements! Please google and find your own school's requirements (NOT THE AI OVERVIEW**** GO TO THE INTRANET SITE OR SOMETHING PLEASE)/they will probably explain it in their own school-level FGO email
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eg.
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This will all sound complicated, but just CHECK YOUR DEGREE AUDIT before trying any FGO and it will all make sense hahahah:
(see, I can graduate haha and IF i wanted use Expanded FGO, I could still use it on one or two more mods cause i have excess AUs for the last two rows (Min. AU of blahblahblah)
Those with 2nd Majors and Minors need to follow the old requirements still (have only max 12AU of the 2nd Major as non-letter-graded and max 6AU of the minor as non-letter-graded). So y'all got even more to think about lah basically if you want to FGO anything!
