Do you have a child in Primary 6? Are you worried about how they will perform at the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE)?

Many of us in the KiasuParents community have lived through the PSLE experience, and we hope our perspective will be helpful to you, especially if you’re a first-time PSLE parent!

We’re now in Term 3 (July to September), where things can get overwhelming for a P6 child, or even for the whole family. Academically, here’s what to expect: In July, schools will ramp up their practice sessions for the PSLE oral exams in mid-August. It’s also around this time that the preliminary exams will be held, although schedules will vary by school. In any case, from August to September, the focus is usually on drilling for the written exams.

To reduce the pressure on your child and yourself, remember that you are not your child’s teacher. It may help to think of yourself as a fellow learner, working alongside your child. For instance, instead of marking your child’s work, you can get your child to read their answer out loud, followed by the recommended answer. Then ask your child these questions:

• Are there differences between your answer and the model answer? Can you list the differences?
• Do you think these differences matter? Why or why not?
• What extra knowledge or skill do you need, in order to answer the question in a ‘better’ way? Where can you find this information, or who can you ask for help?

If your child says, “Yes, there is a difference, and it matters because my answer will only get me one mark instead of three marks,” don’t end the discussion yet. Instead, talk about the ‘ideal’ answer and whether it’s really more complete or accurate. 

Parents tend to assume that every recommended answer has been validated by an expert, but this can be subjective. By analysing these ‘model’ answers with your child, you’re encouraging deeper thinking about learning. If you agree that there are certain areas that are less important, you’ll also minimise unnecessary stress over PSLE exam components that may not matter too much in the long run.

Want more suggestions to better support your child through the PSLE? Here’s how you can mentally prepare yourself and your child for the journey ahead.

How Important are the Prelims?

What’s the purpose of the P6 preliminary exams? You can think of it as a practice round for the PSLE, and it gives schoolteachers an indication of how well the material has been understood. Based on the insights gained from the prelims, teachers will try to help their students to fill gaps before the PSLE. 

Many parents also want to know if the prelims will be harder than the PSLE papers. This depends on your child’s school, and the best people to ask would be your child’s teachers. 

Minimally, the prelim papers should be pegged at the difficulty level of the PSLE papers. But note that PSLE papers may also feature one or two ‘never-before-seen’ questions that will be challenging for most students.

If your child attends enrichment classes, do ask the tutors for insights. They would’ve seen papers from a spread of schools, and they are in a good position to gauge the difficulty of your child’s paper compared to papers from other schools, as well as past-year PSLE papers.

A word of caution: If your child’s prelim scores are disappointing, be wary of pinning your hopes on a PSLE ‘miracle.’ We’ve all heard of children who have vastly improved their scores, but the more likely outcome is that your child’s PSLE score won’t be too different from their prelim score. In fact, some children have done worse in the PSLE, compared to the prelims. It’s better to be realistic, and prepare for outcomes based on facts.

Can We Leave PSLE Prep to the School?

This is a difficult question to answer. The reality is that many parents don’t rely on school preparations to get their child ready for the PSLE. Instead, they invest in ‘extra’ efforts such as PSLE workshops conducted by enrichment centres. And if their child is already being tutored, they may also request that the tutor puts in additional hours leading up to the exams. 

What are the outcomes that we know of? Anecdotally, there are bright children who were extensively tutored, but didn’t do ‘well’ for the PSLE. Conversely, there are children who relied entirely on school preparations, and did very well. Clearly, it’s difficult to assess if extra preparations will give your child an edge.

If finances are not an issue, you can assess if your child might benefit from close attention and reassurance, which external classes and tutoring can provide. You can also think about the time factor — how much time should your child spend on studying? Some parents have a “no work after 6PM rule,” and this is something you may want to consider, to avoid your child becoming overworked and risking burnout close to the exams.

Should We Start Choosing Secondary Schools?

Yes you should, and here’s why: things move quickly after your child receives the PSLE results, as you’ll only have about a week to make your decision. 

If we’re focusing solely on scores, the best PSLE outcome would be a single-digit PSLE score, which allows for entry into the most sought-after secondary schools in the country. However, most children will get a double-digit score — if you know that your child likely falls in this category, it’s useful to start researching lesser-known schools and what they can offer.  

How Can We Avoid Getting Crushed by the PSLE?

It’s easy to say that grades don’t matter in the long run, but it’s important to accept your true feelings. Here’s the reality: if your child’s score isn’t stellar, it’s natural to feel some disappointment, especially if you had invested in tutoring, revision bootcamps, and other last-ditch efforts to boost your child’s PSLE grades.

Even for parents who downplay the importance of the PSLE, it can still sting when you hear of other kids getting into brand-name schools, while your child’s choices seem lacklustre. But for the sake of your child, try your best not to be too affected. Remind yourself that it’s better for your child to be placed with similar-ability learners, so that they can gain confidence and find their own way to thrive. 

Although your child’s PSLE score will dictate their school choices, you should be aware that even among schools with similar cut-off scores, there can be obvious differences in morale and culture, which is why preliminary research is always useful. This can include checking online forums, calling schools to schedule a visit, and asking for school recommendations in your network.