Is your child in a primary school in Singapore? If yes, they will take the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) in Primary 6.

The PSLE scoring system is currently based on Achievement Levels or ALs. Still trying to wrap your head around what this means? This guide is for you!

What is the current PSLE grading system? What are AL grades and how are they calculated?

The majority of children in Singapore primary schools will take “standard” subjects, where they will get a raw score for each subject, such as 90 marks. 

In the PSLE, this raw score will then be converted into a corresponding Achievement Level (AL), e.g. 90 marks will be equal to an Achievement Level of "1."

See the table below to understand how PSLE exam scores are converted into ALs:

Typically, primary schoolchildren will take four subjects: English, the Mother Tongue Language (MTL), Maths, and Science. 

Their PSLE Score will be the sum of ALs for the four subjects. This will range from 4 (1 + 1 + 1 + 1, if a child scores only AL1s) to 32 (8 + 8 + 8 + 8, if a child scores only AL8s). In other words, 4 would be the best possible total score.

What if my child is taking Foundation subjects? How is their PSLE Score calculated?

Children who need a gentler learning curve will take one or more subjects at Foundation level. (More information is available in our guide.) 

For these students, they will still receive a raw score, as well as a letter grade from A to C. 

During the PSLE, this grade will be mapped to an AL:

For example, if your child scores 90 marks for a Foundation subject, this is considered an A under the Foundation scoring system. When mapped to a “standard” PSLE Score, this is equivalent to an AL6.

To illustrate this further, if a child is taking four Foundation subjects, and scores A for all four subjects during the PSLE, this would be equivalent to an AL6 for each of the four subjects. As such, their PSLE score would be 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 = 24.

What if my child is taking the Higher Mother Tongue Language? Is this grade included in the PSLE Score?

For students taking the Higher Mother Tongue Language (HMTL), here’s how the scoring system works:

The HMTL score is not included in the overall PSLE score.

An update to be aware of: From 2026, students will be able to take the HMTL in secondary school, if they fulfill either of these requirements:

• Score AL1 or AL2 for the MTL
• Score Distinction or Merit for the HMTL

This is regardless of their overall PSLE Score.

What benefits do primary school students gain during the PSLE, if they take Higher Chinese (HCL)?

Students who get a Pass, Merit, or Distinction in HCL and have a PSLE Score of 14 or better (i.e. PSLE Score ≤ 14) have a posting advantage when applying to Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools. 

When multiple students with the same PSLE score apply to a SAP school, those with better HCL grades will be given priority. This applies before other tie-breakers.

When viewing the cut-off points (COPs) of SAP schools, you may see that this includes the HCL grade of the first and last student posted to the school, for example: 4(D) - 7(M). This means that among all the students posted to the school for that year, the best student had a PSLE Score of 4 and an HCL grade of Distinction. The last student to be posted to the school that year had a PSLE Score of 7, and an HCL grade of Merit.

What if my child is exempted from the MTL? How will their PSLE Score be calculated?

Students who are exempted from the MTL for the PSLE would have applied for exemption through their schools before the first quarter of the PSLE year.

Exemptions are considered on a case-by-case basis, and it’s best to enquire early with your child’s school.

In most cases, students obtain official exemptions from the MTL due to these reasons:

• They are returning from overseas and had no opportunity to learn an official MTL (Chinese Language, Malay Language, or Tamil Language), a Non-Tamil Indian Language, or an approved Foreign Language or Asian Language.
• They have special educational needs, with severe difficulties in coping with overall learning.

If your child is exempted from the MTL, they will still be assigned an MTL score. This is to ensure that they have a PSLE Score comprising four subjects, for the purpose of secondary school posting.

There are two conditions for the assigned MTL score: 

• Students will be treated on par with those who take Foundation MTL, where the Foundation MTL score is converted to a score between AL6 and AL8.
• The assigned score will also take reference from peers with similar scores for English, Mathematics, and Science.

The important thing to note is that students who are exempted from the MTL will only receive MTL scores from AL6 to AL8. This is to maintain fairness for students who are taking the MTL at Standard and Foundation levels, as they have a heavier academic load.

How do I know what secondary schools my child can qualify for, based on their PSLE score?

You can use the Ministry of Education’s SchoolFinder tool to see what the entry scores for specific secondary schools are. These are known as cut-off points or COPs. 

You can also refer to compilations of COPs by other parents, but please don’t treat this as official data.

Do also note that your child’s PSLE score will determine their Posting Group. Posting Groups are used for secondary school placement, and to guide the initial subject levels that students can take at the start of Secondary 1.

There are three Posting Groups, known as Posting Group 1, 2, and 3. These are mapped to subjects that are offered at three levels — G1, G2, and G3 — with G3 being the most challenging. 

However, students now have a flexible learning pathway, in that they will be allowed to take subjects at a more demanding level if they display competence. You can read more about Posting Groups and subject levels on the Ministry of Education website.

Want to talk to other parents about the PSLE? Join the conversation on the KiasuParents forum!