Which subjects should I choose for O/L? The six you must take, the three you choose, and what your results open later

At the O/L you take nine subjects. Six are compulsory for everyone. The other three you choose, one from each of three groups. The published rules that follow you to university ask almost entirely about your O/L English, Mathematics and Science; we found one course that counts an elective. This page sets out the structure, the groups, and the O/L results that degree courses still check years later, each with its source.

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Written by Idasara Academy · Reviewed by Samisa Abeysinghe on 6 October 2026 · Last updated 6 October 2026

Sources were read on 5 and 6 October 2026.

The nine subjects

What you take Subjects Source
Six core subjects, compulsory Religion, First Language, Mathematics, Science, English Language, History [S1] Table 5
Elective 1 One subject from Group I [S1] Table 5 notes
Elective 2 One subject from Group II [S1] Table 5 notes
Elective 3 One subject from Group III [S1] Table 5 notes

The three groups you choose from

These are the groups as the National Institute of Education described them in 2018.

Group Subjects the NIE lists Source
Group I Geography; Citizenship Education and Governance; Entrepreneurship Education; classical and modern languages (Pali, Sanskrit, French, German, Hindi, Japanese, Arabic); Sinhala or Tamil as a second language [S1] Table 5 notes
Group II Music (Eastern, Western, Carnatic); Art; Dancing (local, Indian); Drama and Theatre (Sinhala, Tamil, English); Literature (Sinhala, Tamil, English, Arabic) [S1] Table 5 notes
Group III Information Technology; Agriculture and Food Technology; Fisheries and Food Technology; Design and Technology; Arts and Crafts; Home Economics; Electronic Writing and Shorthand; Health and Physical Education; Communication and Media Studies [S1] Table 5 notes

The examination timetable for 2025 (2026) also lists Business & Accounting Studies, Korean, Chinese and Russian, which the 2018 list does not name ([S2]). Your school decides which subjects it offers in each group and can tell you where those four sit.

Which O/L results follow you to university

When you apply to a state university after the A/L, some courses ask for a particular O/L grade as well. The University Grants Commission publishes the list. Every requirement on it is in English, Mathematics or Science.

Course of study O/L result required Source
Law English: C [S3] p.145
Communication Studies English: C [S3] p.145
Computing & Information Systems English: C [S3] p.145
Green Technology English: C [S3] p.145
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) English: C · Mathematics: C [S3] p.145
Information Technology & Management English: C · Mathematics: C [S3] p.145
Information Systems English: C · Mathematics: C [S3] p.145
Quantity Surveying English: C · Mathematics: C · Science: S [S3] p.145
Fashion Design & Product Development English: C · Mathematics: C · Science: C [S3] p.145
Facilities Management English: C · Mathematics: C · Science: C [S3] p.145
Food Business Management English: C · Mathematics: C · Science: C [S3] p.145
Town & Country Planning English: B · Mathematics: C [S3] p.145
Design English: S · Mathematics: C · Science: C [S3] p.145
Architecture English: S · Mathematics: C [S3] p.145
Landscape Architecture English: S · Mathematics: C [S3] p.145
Business Science Mathematics: C [S3] p.145
Arts – Information Technology Mathematics: C [S3] p.145
Arts (SP) – Mass Media; Arts (SP) – Performing Arts English: S [S3] p.145
Nursing; Pharmacy; Medical Laboratory Sciences; Radiography; Physiotherapy English: S [S3] p.145

One course counts an elective. From the 2022/2023 intake, Communication Studies can be entered in three ways, and one of them is a C in Communication and Media Studies at the O/L; the other two are an S in that subject at the A/L, or a C in O/L English ([S3] pp.34–35).

This is the list for the 2020/2021 intake, the most recent handbook published as readable text. The Commission revises it each year, so check the handbook for your own admission year before you rely on a row.

What this means for your choice

What students ask What the published rules say Source
Will my electives decide my A/L stream? The circular that sets the A/L streams lists the A/L subjects each stream needs. It makes no O/L elective a condition of any stream [S4] §5
Which O/L subjects should I protect above all? English and Mathematics. A Credit in both meets every English and Mathematics requirement on the list except Town & Country Planning, which asks for a B in English. An ordinary pass in English leaves out the twelve courses that ask for a C or a B [S3] p.145
Does Science matter if I will not do a Science stream? For five courses on the list, yes: Design, Fashion Design & Product Development, Facilities Management and Food Business Management ask for a C in Science, and Quantity Surveying asks for an S [S3] p.145
So how should I pick the three electives? Apart from Communication and Media Studies for one course, no rule we could read ties an elective to a later stream or course. Pick the ones you can do well in and that your school teaches well [S3] p.145, pp.34–35, [S4] §5

What O/L results do I need to get into an A/L stream? This page does not state them. We could not read the Ministry's current Grade 12 admission circular ourselves, and other websites give different answers. Your school's principal applies that circular and can tell you exactly.

What to do now

  1. Ask your school which subjects it offers in each of the three groups.
  2. Try the free Grade 9 subject wizard. It needs no account.
  3. Whatever you choose, work on English and Mathematics first: O/L English, O/L Mathematics, O/L Science.

Next: the six A/L streams and what each combination opens · plans and prices.

Sources

Whatever You Choose, Work on English and Mathematics First

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