SINGAPORE - Are answer scripts for the Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) strictly assessed, and do markers accept solutions that may not be in the answer scheme?

These were among questions parents of pupils sitting the PSLE in 2024 had at The Straits Times Smart Parenting PSLE Prep Forum held on April 6. 

Responding to the queries, Mr Ong Kong Hong, the Ministry of Education’s divisional director of curriculum planning and development division 1, shared that PSLE markers adopt a rigorous standardisation process.

This is to ensure marking is fair and consistent across all scripts.

“The markers have got to agree how to mark the paper. They actually go through question by question because every student may have a different way of showing the working or answering the question,” said Mr Ong.

He added that the answer scheme is updated as markers come across new methods or solutions presented by candidates who arrive at the correct answer.

One parent asked about the importance of drilling keywords in preparation for the exams.

“As long as the concept is correct and you are able to explain, with or without the keywords... I will give you the marks,” Mr Ong said.

Another parent, who has a dyslexic child, wanted to know if pupils are penalised for spelling and grammar errors.

To this, Mr Ong replied that they will be penalised in language papers, but not in subjects like mathematics and science where they are not assessed for language.

More than 180 people attended the forum, which was held at the SPH Media Auditorium.

In a discussion with ST senior education correspondent Sandra Davie, Mr Ong shared that one common mistake pupils make is failing to carefully read questions.

He said that, in being too focused on what they want to express in their writing, they may miss what the question is asking. They then risk losing out on the intended marks for that question.

Mr Ong also addressed the perception that there is a quota for the number of pupils who can be awarded the top grade for each subject under the new PSLE scoring system.

The 2023 cohort of Primary 6 pupils was the third batch to sit the PSLE under the new system, in which pupils are given an achievement level (AL) ranging from one to eight for each subject instead of grades such as A* to E.

He said the new system does not look at how pupils perform relative to each other.

“In the standards reference system, we look at how many people meet the standards,” said Mr Ong.

“If the students demonstrate that they really know how to do the maths paper, the science paper, and can do it well, they will all get the grades.”

Mathematics expert Yeap Ban Har, who shared tips on how to ace the PSLE maths paper, said the ability to do maths is not the only reason why some pupils obtain an AL1 grade instead of an AL4 grade.

“What distinguishes an AL1 kid is that desire, that he really wants an AL1. In other words, (for) the questions that are easy to do, they don’t even make any mistake.

“Because they are so motivated, they make sure no marks are lost unnecessarily,” he added.

Dr Yeap, a former National Institute of Education lecturer and maths textbook author, said that while pupils get better at mathematics through practice, there is no need to hunt for exam papers from top schools or practice endlessly with assessment books.

“I often advise my students to do just 20 marks’ worth of questions every day,” he said, adding that students do not have to plan their revision according to specific mathematical topics.

“Just pick any question you want. Get used to the fact that mathematics is mathematics.”

Dr Yeap emphasised the importance of incidental learning through hands-on play at a young age to help children build up their visualisation skills.

This is one of five mathematical abilities Dr Yeap said pupils have to develop to ace the PSLE paper for mathematics.

The other four are: the ability to see patterns; having a number sense; effective mathematical communication through symbolic, visual and verbal language; and lastly, developing metacognition – awareness of one’s own learning or thinking processes.

Said Dr Yeap: “Practice is important, but you must have these abilities before you practise.”

He also advised parents not to work out solutions for their children, and instead provide scaffolding to help them think and arrive at answers themselves.

“When you help your child, please don’t hold the pencil. Because when you hold the pencil, you take over. Let your child hold the pencil,” said Dr Yeap.

“You always walk with your child when you’re helping them with whatever, including mathematics. You don’t carry them.”