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For parents in Singapore, preparing a 12-year-old child for the Primary School Leaving Examination or PSLE is no small matter. In many ways, parents are tested during the lead-up to these national exams, as we deal with our own anxieties about our children’s future.

In this guide, we hope to provide you with answers to some of your burning PSLE questions. At the same time, we would like to encourage you to reflect on your expectations for your child. It’s time to focus less on grades, and more on finding a school where your child can thrive after the PSLE.

What is a good PSLE score?

Still learning about the PSLE scoring system, which is based on achievement levels (ALs)? Read our guide, where we’ll show you how to calculate your child’s PSLE score.

For those familiar with the local education system, do note that Singapore is doing away with the labels “Express” and “Normal” — instead, students will now take subjects at different difficulty levels known as G1, G2, and G3, according to their abilities. G1 subjects are the easiest to grasp, whereas G3 would be the most challenging level.

The best PSLE score that a student can achieve is 4 points. This would mean that the student has scored 90 marks and above (also known as AL1) for all four subjects tested in the PSLE. If the goal is to enter an Integrated Programme school, one would generally need a single-digit PSLE score (i.e. 4 to 9) to secure a place. Read more about Integrated Programme schools here.

However, please remember that most children will not be scoring 4 to 9 points at the PSLE. As a country, we are trying to move away from a narrow view of exam performance, and every parent needs to pitch in to make this change happen. We don’t want our kids to be unduly stressed, trying to get the highest possible score so that they can make it to ‘top’ schools, or feeling demoralised if their grades are deemed mediocre. 

Going by last year’s PSLE results, almost 70% of students who sit for the PSLE should qualify to take their secondary school subjects at the G3 level. About 20% of students will be assigned mostly G2 subjects, and around 10% of students will take mostly G1 subjects. You can read all about this in our PSLE scoring guide.

If your child wishes to take subjects at the G3 level, he or she should ideally have a total PSLE score between 4 and 20. 

How to score well for the PSLE?

A school’s weighted assessments are generally an accurate gauge of how your child will perform at the PSLE. Although you may have heard stories of students who dramatically improved their grades during the PSLE, this is not the norm, especially for struggling learners. 

It’s healthier to look at how your child is currently faring in school, and set a realistic PSLE target from there. For instance, if your child scored 22 points for his or her most recent exam, you could see if it’s possible to aim for 20 points at the PSLE. This would mean that your child needs to score between 65 and 74 marks for each subject. If your child is already averaging 60 marks per subject, a jump to 65 marks is not out of reach.

As for what a child needs to do to get those extra marks, your child’s teachers would be the best people to consult. For instance, some teachers may recommend that students focus on scoring well in the Multiple Choice Questions section, while others may have specific tips for gaining marks in other ‘easy-scoring’ exam components. If you haven’t already done so, now is a good time to get in touch with your child’s teachers for advice.

However, don’t fret if your child can only take secondary school subjects at G2 or G1 levels. This simply means that he or she needs more time to absorb concepts and build on knowledge. Children today have many more education options than their parents did — the best way to support your child is to remain open minded and positive about the future.

How to prepare for the PSLE?

Now is the best time to start! But it’s also important to start small. If you need help to create a PSLE revision plan and turn it into action, we have a step-by-step guide that you can use. You should also be aware of the study strategies that work, and those that don’t. In general, revision methods that involve some form of self-testing are much more effective than passive reading, or copying information from one place to another.

A good PSLE revision plan is one that is customised for your child. So don’t worry about googling for sample study plans — just because another child is completing one practice exam paper a day, doesn’t mean that this will be the ideal revision routine for your child. To help your child at home, focus on tackling one area for improvement at a time. This helps to prevent overwhelm for the whole family. 

If there are multiple areas that your child needs to address, see if the school can help ease the load with remedial lessons. Alternatively, you can still look for enrichment classes or tutors for your child. Although popular tutors and classes are probably fully booked, one can always think out of the box. For instance, you could check with your class WhatsApp group if anyone currently has private tuition and is willing to ‘share’ the session and split the costs leading up to the PSLE. Or if you are open to hiring ‘fresh’ tutors, tuition agencies can typically assign you a tutor quite quickly. It’s not essential to hire a tutor who has taught in schools before — what’s more important is that a tutor has a good attitude towards learning and can build rapport with your child. Also, a tutor should know how to react if your child is unwilling to pay attention or unable to grasp a concept.

Above all, make sure that your child has enough rest. Whether your child is doing well or struggling in school, he or she should still have at least two hours to decompress and relax every day. Some parents have a “no work after 6PM” rule, while others plan physical activities such as sports or walks in the park to ensure that a child has an outlet for stress release.

How do Foundation subjects affect the PSLE score?

Students who take Foundation-level subjects will also sit for the PSLE, but they will take a different paper from standard-level students, and receive the letter grades A, B, or C. These letter grades will then be converted to an ‘AL-equivalent’ score for school admissions — after the conversion, the best AL score that a student can attain for a Foundation subject is 6 points.

However, as long as a student’s total PSLE score is 20 and below, they will still be able to take most of their secondary school subjects at the G3 level. For more information, read about Foundation Subjects here.

What happens if you fail the PSLE?

Singapore’s Ministry of Education has said that the PSLE is a school placement exam, and there is no passing or failing mark for each PSLE subject, or the PSLE as a whole. A student can score 30 points for the PSLE and still progress to a secondary school, to take subjects at the G1 level. But one condition applies — the student needs to have scored an AL 7 or better in both English and Maths, or an AL B at the Foundation level for these subjects.

For PSLE scores beyond 30, students may be offered the option to repeat the PSLE, or they can progress to NorthLight School or Assumption Pathway School with their principal’s endorsement.

Can you make an appeal if you are dissatisfied with your child’s PSLE results?

Yes you can. This is done through your child’s school, to the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board, and there will be an appeal fee. The review usually takes about two weeks from the appeals deadline, and news about the outcome will be released through the school.

For details about appeals, refer to the FAQs here. As for whether appeals are common, in 2022, 1.5% of the PSLE cohort submitted an appeal request for the PSLE maths paper — that’s slightly over 550 students, from a cohort of over 37,000 students. Only one student eventually received a grade change for the maths paper.

Want to share your PSLE thoughts, or need advice from other parents? Join the KiasuParents conversation on PSLE 2023 here!