SINGAPORE - School leavers eyeing a place in a highly competitive course at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) can soon improve their chances through interviews, aptitude tests and portfolios.

NTU announced on Friday (Feb 15) that for 40 of its 111 undergraduate programmes, shortlisted applicants will undergo a "qualitative assessment" that goes beyond grades to employ a broader set of criteria such as interviews, aptitude tests and portfolios.