THE results of the 2007 GCE O-level examination will be released on Thursday, the Education Ministry said on Monday.

Students can collect their results from their schools at 2pm that day.

Private candidates will be informed of their results by post. They can also access their results through the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board website at http://www.seab.gov.sg from 2 pm on Thursday.

Students can submit applications to junior colleges (JCs), Millennia Institute (MI), polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) via both the Joint Admissions Exercise (JAE) and the Joint-Polytechnic Special Admissions Exercise (JPSAE) using their GCE O-Level results.

This year, students will be able to receive the posting results of their JAE application through an additional channel, via SMS text messaging, said MOE. They must provide a local mobile phone number during registration through the JAE Internet System (JAE-IS) to receive the SMS.

The JAE is conducted annually by the MOE to allow those who had sat for the GCE O-Level Examination to apply for admission to courses offered by the JCs, MI, polytechnics and ITE.

During the registration period for the JAE, all JCs, MI, the polytechnics, ITE and all secondary schools will also make available computing facilities for students to make their applications online.

The posting results of the JAE application are tentatively scheduled for release on Feb 19.

The JPSAE will be conducted, together with the JAE, from Jan 24 to 28.

A student can apply concurrently to both the JPSAE and JAE. Successful applicants may be offered a course under the JAE and the same or another course under the JPSAE.

Students who are offered courses under both JAE and JPSAE can decide to accept one of the two offers and exercise it during the enrolment period set by the polytechnics.

The JPSAE complements the existing JAE, by allowing polytechnics to consider applicants based on a broader measure of merits beyond performance in the GCE O-Level Examination.

Under the JPSAE, each polytechnic will be able to admit up to 5 per cent of their annual intake of students based on their special talents and aptitude.

Each polytechnic will have the discretion to determine its modes of assessing applicants' talents and achievements, including portfolios and interviews, among others.

The polytechnics will set their own respective selection criteria to ensure that only applicants who are able to cope with the rigours of a diploma education are admitted.

Details on the JPSAE can be found at http://www.polytechnic.edu.sg/jpsae and on the respective polytechnics' websites.