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The DSA Interview is not the destination - it is early interview training

  • 2 days ago
  • 4 min read

Much of my work takes place in one-to-one sessions with both students and adult professionals preparing for competitive interviews. The setting is deliberately stark. No phones. No devices. Just the candidate and a series of increasingly demanding questions.


Having coached both students and adult professionals across different stages of life, I have had the unique opportunity to observe something clearly: the mechanics of interviews do not fundamentally change. The stakes increase. The depth required grows. But the core skills — communication, composure, clarity of thought, self-awareness — remain constant. And this is why I often encourage parents to look at the DSA interview beyond just the immediate outcome.




The DSA pathway is both selective and intentional. Families who pursue it do so because they believe it aligns with their child’s strengths and aspirations. Understandably, the DSA interview is often viewed as a pivotal moment — but in reality, it is early exposure to a life skill that will compound over time.


First, it is often the first time a 12-year-old is asked to explain themselves. What is success to you? What inspires you? What is your greatest weakness? These questions require introspection. They force a child to move beyond achievement and into self-awareness. And self-awareness is foundational — not just for interviews, but for leadership, growth, and long-term success. Many adults struggle with these questions. Learning to answer them at 12 is powerful training.


Second, in the broader trajectory of life, the DSA interview may be one of the lower-stakes interviews they will face. Ahead lie scholarship interviews, university admissions panels, and job interviews that shape career direction. No athlete competes once and expects peak performance immediately. Competition experience matters. The DSA interview provides early exposure to a panel of strangers, to managing nerves, to realising that confidence is often a behaviour before it becomes a feeling. These lessons cannot be simulated fully — they must be experienced.


Third, the ability to think on the spot and articulate ideas clearly, persuasively, and authentically will increasingly differentiate humans in an AI-augmented world. Technical skills alone are no longer sufficient. Word choice, tone, pacing, presence — these communication nuances matter. Early awareness allows students to begin developing these capabilities years ahead of peers. Like compounding interest, communication maturity builds momentum over time.


I have had the privilege of seeing students return for coaching, years after their DSA interviews — for medicine, dentistry, law, and scholarship preparation. The difference is visible. Those who had early interview exposure carry less fear. They understand the mechanics of panels. They know what it feels like to be challenged — and to survive it. Regardless of the DSA outcome, the experience gives them a mental reference point. And that confidence becomes a platform they build on when the stakes are truly high. When viewed strategically, the DSA interview is not just about securing a secondary school placement. It is early training in articulation, composure, and self-awareness — skills that will be tested repeatedly across a lifetime.


I recently ran an interview skills workshop for a group of 17-year-old students in a scholars’ development program. Every student in the program had applied for the DSA back when they were 12. Some remember the questions; others do not. What they all recall, however, is how it felt to sit in that room: the pressure, the need to organise their thoughts clearly, and the effort to convey confidence through both words and presence. It is through this experience that they begin building the foundation for all future interviews. Early exposure and coaching can transform uncertainty into strategies and skills that students can apply repeatedly throughout their journey.


Written by:

Siew Ling Hwang, Interview Skills Coach, Discovering Potential  www.discoveringpotential.com.sg


Siew Ling is an Interview Skills and Communication Skills Coach.


Siew Ling coaches students for their Primary 6 and JC DSA interviews as well as university entrance interviews in many areas including medicine, dentistry, physiotherapy, law, business, accounting, renaissance engineering and more for both local Singapore universities and overseas universities. She has also coached students for internship opportunities in several of the large consulting firms and financial institutions, as well as scholarship interviews including PSC scholarships, SAF scholarships, MOH scholarships, MOE scholarships and others.


In addition, Siew Ling is also the author of the PSLE Oral Stimulus Based Conversation Guidebook (2nd edition) and coaches students for their PSLE Oral examinations.


Siew Ling's coaching experience includes (not limited to):


Confirmed DSA P6 offers for the following schools: 

  • RI, RGS, HCI, NYGH, MGS, SCGS, NUSH, Dunman High, St Nicholas Girls, Crescent Girls, SOTA, NJC, TJC, Chung Cheng High, Nan Hua, Nan Chiau High, Maris Stella, Fairfield Methodist, Catholic High, Temasek Sec, Victoria School, Singapore Sports School as well as entrance into international schools including SJII, ACSI and HCI. 

  • Talent areas: Leadership; Academic - English, Bilingualism, Science, Math, STEM, Humanities; Sports - Track & Field, Tennis, Shooting, Sailing,Rugby; Performance/Visual Arts/Literary Arts - Choir, Band, Chinese Orchestra, Dance, Chinese Dance, Visual Art, Literary Art; Infocomm, Girl Guides

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Scholarships:

  • ASEAN scholarship, School based scholarships, scholarships by IRAS, MPA, MINDEF, MOH, MOE, SIA, SAF as well as university entrance interviews for medicine, dentistry, law, engineering, physiotherapy.


To sign up for workshops or 1-on-1 coaching, please refer to the links below:


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