NTU Timetable Planner: How to Build Your Semester Schedule on NTUMods

Before STARS opens, you need to know which module indexes actually work with your schedule. A timetable that looks fine in your head often looks different once you map out five modules across a real week. Catching clashes at the planning stage means you can fix them — not scramble during the bidding window.

The NTUMods timetable planner lets you add modules, pick indexes, and see your week laid out before you commit to anything. This guide walks through how to use it effectively.

What the NTUMods timetable planner does

The timetable planner is a visual tool for building your semester schedule before STARS opens. It does not register you for anything — it is purely for planning.

You can:

• Search for any NTU module and add it to your timetable
• Select specific indexes (session times) for each module
• See lectures, tutorials, and labs laid out as a week view
• Spot clashes between modules before you bid
• Build multiple timetable versions to compare

It pulls live module data including current-semester indexes, so what you see reflects what will actually be available when STARS opens.

Step 1: Add your fixed modules first

Start with the modules you have no flexibility over — compulsory core modules, lab-heavy modules, and modules with very few index options.

These are the ones that constrain everything else. If you add them first, you will see the actual gaps in your week where BDEs and electives can fit.

Labs deserve special attention. Lab sessions typically have one or two index options at most, compared to five or more for lectures. If you try to fit a lab around a BDE index instead of the other way round, you will often find there is no valid combination. Always lock in lab indexes first.

Step 2: Check all available indexes

Most modules have multiple indexes — the same content delivered at different times. In the planner, you can switch between indexes to see which slot works with your existing schedule.

For BDEs especially, index selection can be the difference between a timetable that works and one that does not. A BDE with five available indexes almost always has at least one that fits. The planner shows you all of them so you can pick the right one before you bid.

Step 3: Add electives and BDEs around your core

Once your core and lab modules are placed, fill in the remaining gaps with BDEs and electives.

At this stage, the planner's clash detection is useful. If a BDE index overlaps with a tutorial or lecture, the planner highlights it. You can try a different index or a different module without having to track conflicts manually.

If you are unsure which BDE to add, browse the Complete NTU BDE List or filter by category on NTUMods. Then bring the module into the planner to see how it actually sits in your week.

Step 4: Build a backup timetable

Once you have a working timetable, build a backup — a second version using alternative indexes or a replacement module in case your first choice fills up during STARS.

The backup should be one you have fully verified: correct indexes, no clashes, module counts toward your requirements. If you need it during add/drop, you want it ready to go, not something you are figuring out under time pressure.

For more on why backup planning matters and how to use it during STARS bidding, see How to Bid for a BDE at NTU.

Step 5: Cross-check exam dates

Before you finalise your plan, check exam dates for your shortlisted modules on the NTU Exam Schedule. A timetable with no index clashes can still be painful if it puts three papers in four days during the exam period.

See NTU Exam Schedule Guide for how to use the exam schedule in module planning.

Timetable planning vs STARS bidding

The timetable planner and STARS do different things:

Use the planner to prepare your shortlist and verify index choices. Then use those verified choices when you bid in STARS.

Common planning mistakes

Skipping the planner and deciding during STARS. Bidding windows are not the time to figure out which indexes work. Go in with a plan.

Ignoring labs until the end. Lab indexes are the least flexible element in any timetable. Build around them first.

Only planning for your preferred timetable. Things will not all go as planned. A backup timetable with alternative indexes takes ten extra minutes and makes add/drop significantly less stressful.

Not checking AU count. The planner shows you what fits in your week, not whether you are meeting your graduation requirements. Check AU totals and degree audit separately.

Next steps

Once your plan is ready:

1. Note down your preferred and backup indexes for each module
2. Check the exam schedule for any exam clustering
3. Go into STARS bidding with your list ready — see How to Bid for a BDE at NTU for the full STARS strategy

For the broader module planning process before timetable building, start with How to Plan NTU Modules Before STARS Opens.