Admissions Info
General Info
Officially, we are not listed as a single CCA by the school due to the fact that the we are a combined CCA with our Infocomm counterparts for both HS and JC. Robotics is part of the Infocomm Club (for HS members) and the Infocomm and Robotics Society (for JC members).
Officially, we only have 1-2 CCA days per week (for both HS/JC). However, due to the high levels of commitment required in robotics, and the fact that we have free access to the robotics lab, many members do come back outside of official CCA days and often stay late in school to finish their robots. We believe such freedom gives members the flexibility to plan and juggle their other academic commitments more effectively while devoting a significant amount of time to develop their robotic skillsets.
Yes, there are no school rules that forbids this. We do have a few members that are in the Consortium/ Students’ Council or have a second CCA at the side. However we generally discourage our members from doing so due to the high levels of commitment that robotics demand on top of the need to balance out their academics as well.
Every member will be expected to compete in NRC (LEGO), ensuring that everyone participates in at least one competition a year. Most members also participate in either RoboCup or VEX competitions on top of LEGO as well, so the average member can expect to participate in 2-3 competitions yearly.
Should any team do well enough to qualify for an international competition, the school would usually support the team to go overseas and compete, typically with some amount of subsidies as well.
Members who wish to participate in more robotics competitions on their own accord can also do so.
Listed below are the competitions that we take part in: (dates are tentative and subject to change yearly, we may also not go for some competitions if there is not enough interest within the club)
- Jan/Feb – Singapore VEX Robotics Championship (Worlds Qualifiers)
- Mar – First LEGO League Singapore (International Qualifiers)
- Apr – RoboCup Singapore Open (International Qualifiers)
- Apr – VEX Robotics World Championship
- Jun – Singapore VEX Robotics Open (Inter-School Scrimmage)
- Jun/Jul – RoboCup Internationals
- Sep – National Robotics Competition (WRO Qualifiers)
- Nov – World Robot Olympiad
All members are eligible to run for a position in the HS and JC CCA Executive Committee in Sec 2/3 and JC1 respectively.
Roles available for Robotics members in the HS EXCO are:
- Chairman
- VEX/RoboCup heads
- Quartermaster
- Treasurer
For JC EXCO:
- President
- Secretary
- Robotics Head
Do note that since we are a combined CCA, EXCO positions are also shared and can be contested by our Infocomm counterparts for non-robotics exclusive roles. (eg President)
Unless you are a DSA (Robotics) applicant, we do not require any prior experience in Robotics or coding in order to join. Any prior experience/knowledge that you have will only be counted as a bonus during the selection phase and may be held to a higher standard than inexperienced applicants.
We do accept a number of inexperienced members every year and sufficient training is provided to everyone. As long as you are able to grasp things quickly and show commitment to learning, anyone can flourish in our CCA.
Yes we do. While there is no denying that Robotics is a male-dominated field at this current time, we would never discriminate against any female applicants. We have had about 10 female members since 2018.
We pride ourselves on being able to offer competition opportunities for members to participate in both RoboCup and VEX whereas most schools in Singapore only offer LEGO-type competition opportunities. This means most members would be exposed to key mechanical and/or software engineering skills early on which the LEGO platform cannot offer, whereas other students might only be exposed to at a University/Polytechnic level.
Some of the highlights are:
- 3D Modelling and Printing (spoiler: we have a self-funded 3D printer!)
- Cadding (Computer-Aided Design using AutoCAD/Fusion360)
- Electronic System Design and Prototyping
- Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Design (using Altium Designer/EagleCAD)
- Arduino Platform
- Text-based programming languages (C/C++/Python etc)
- Computer Vision and more!
However, it is important to note that we cannot guarantee that every member will master all of the above skillsets during their time with us. Robotics has a very steep learning curve on top of the need to balance out their academic studies. Hence, it is ultimately up to the members’ own drive and initiative to put in the effort to learn these skills and utilize these opportunities fully.
Please select your application type:
DSA Applicants
NOTE: Information provided in this section pertains to High School DSA only. Successful DSA-HS (Robotics) applicants are immediately entered into the Robotics CCA.
As for DSA (Robotics) on the JC side, we would like to clarify that while the school has recently pushed out a new DSA category for Computing & Robotics, it is not compulsory for these students to join our CCA. As such, a DSA-JC (Robotics) student will not be guaranteed a spot with us and would have to enter through the standard College application process.
Do apply for Hwa Chong Institution (High School) under DSA-Infocomm on the MOE DSA portal! Visit our school website to find out more.
We require a good amount of prior experience of robotics, such as participation in a few robotics competitions (VEX/LEGO). Knowledge of programming languages e.g. C++, Python, etc., are a welcomed bonus, but NOT necessary for application to robotics.
We judge candidates on a holistic basis, so some things we look out for are a solid grasp of robotics fundamentals, logical thinking skills, and overall character rather than just one’s prior achievements in robotics.
For Robotics DSA, after submitting your application, the school will shortlist suitable candidates to proceed to the interview stage. The interview will typically be conducted by a panel of teachers and senior club members, and questions asked will evaluate your robotics knowledge and logical reasoning skills.
This varies every year depending on the quota given by the school and the overall pool of applicants we receive. As a guideline, we have accepted anywhere between 2 to 4 DSA (Robotics) members in previous years.
As your spot in Robotics is guaranteed, training will start much earlier, usually within the first or second week of school reopening, as compared to the other Sec 1’s which will only enter the CCA in late February.
Depending on the competition schedule, this head start might also allow DSA members to participate in RoboCup in April, allowing them to gain more competition experience.
Officially, apart from the additional sessions in Sec 1 as mentioned above, the answer is no. But, we would strongly encourage all members to make the best use of their time with us. We are probably the only high school Robotics CCA in Singapore with such a large degree of freedom, free access to the lab daily, including weekends, while offering the widest range of competition opportunities.
Besides, given that applicants must have demonstrated a strong interest and proficiency in robotics to secure a DSA spot with us, we would naturally expect more from them, e.g. taking up leadership opportunities or showing more commitment.
With the current DSA (Robotics) structure, no, you only have to commit for 4 years in High School and you are free to leave and choose another CCA in JC. However, given that you have enough passion to apply for DSA-robotics in the first place, we would strongly urge you to remain with us for the whole 6 years so that you can develop your passion and skillset to the fullest.
High School Applicants
During the Sec 1 Orientation period, you can approach us (currently under Infocomm Club) during the CCA orientation to sign up for trials.
Do inform any of our HS EXCO members or approach us during the Sec 1 CCA orientation. We will arrange an trial slot for you together with the new Sec 1s.
Currently, we adopt a 2-round format. (subject to change per year) In Round 1, applicants will go through an interview that assesses their logical thinking ability and overall character. Members with prior experience will receive additional questions to assess their level of robotics knowledge.
After internal deliberation, we will shortlist applicants for the second round. In Round 2, applicants will go through a team-based challenge, as well as an individual building/programming task.
This depends heavily on the school’s quota for the year. As a guideline, we accept about 6-8 robotics members a year (inclusive of DSA members).
Not necessarily. All Sec 4 High School members who wish to continue on Robotics in JC are subject to the decision of the current JC EXCO on whether they deserve the CCA spot. This is to ensure fairness to other people who apply to Robotics in JC.
College (JC) Applicants
For any concerns regarding joining us abruptly in JC such as fitting into our system or being left behind, do check out this page!
Do indicate your interest during the C1 orientation at our CCA roadshow booth. We will contact you at a later date to arrange for an interview/trial time slot.
We might conduct a building/programming task for all applicants before proceeding to the interview segment. During the interview, we will assess your level of robotics knowledge, logical reasoning ability and character.
Apart from the quota given by the school, the number of JC applicants also depends heavily on overall interest per batch. Generally, we accept about 6-9 JC members every year. (inclusive of HS members who wish to continue on with Robotics in JC)
Should you wish to enter early to start preparing for competitions early (like RoboCup), you can contact your seniors (who are current members of the club) to arrange with the EXCO for an early interview during the holidays (subject to a case-by-case basis)
Otherwise, you would have to apply during the CCA roadshow and go through the same procedure as the other JC robotics applicants.
