PSLE Complete Guide | Full English Paper Breakdowns
Each year in Singapore, Primary 6 students across the country sit the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE). As one of the first major national exams a child takes, the PSLE can be a stressful time for both students and their parents. There are often many questions about the process and what it involves, so we’ve put together this guide to help you understand what the four PSLE English papers include.
Contents
PSLE English – General Information
What is the PSLE?
What subjects are tested in the PSLE?
What PSLE English papers do children take in Primary 6?
When is the PSLE taken?
Where is the PSLE taken?
How is PSLE marked?
When are PSLE results released?
What are PSLE results used for?
PSLE English Paper 1 – Writing
PSLE English Paper 2 – Language Use and Comprehension
PSLE English Paper 3 – Listening Comprehension
PSLE English Paper 4 – Oral Communication
PSLE English Preparation
Do children need to revise for their PSLE?
Where can I find practice materials for the PSLE?
How can I help my child prepare for the PSLE?
PSLE English – General Information
What is the PSLE?
The Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) is a national examination taken by all Primary 6 students in Singapore. It marks the end of primary school education and assesses students’ readiness for secondary school.
What subjects are tested in the PSLE?
The PSLE tests students in four core subjects:
🏴 English Language
🇸🇬 Mother Tongue Language
➗ Mathematics
🧪 Science
What PSLE English papers do children take in Year 6?
The PSLE English examination consists of the following components:
Paper 1: Writing
Paper 2: Language Use and Comprehension
Paper 3: Listening Comprehension
Paper 4: Oral Communication
When Is the PSLE taken?
The PSLE is usually conducted over several days in September and October. The exact schedule is announced by the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) each year.
Where Is the PSLE taken?
Students take the PSLE in their own primary schools under formal examination conditions.
How Is the PSLE marked?
PSLE papers are marked centrally by trained examiners appointed by SEAB. Students are graded on an Achievement Level (AL) system ranging from AL1 (highest) to AL8 (lowest) for each subject.
When are PSLE results released?
PSLE results are typically released in November. Students will then make their secondary school choices based on their overall results.
What are PSLE results used for?
PSLE results are used for secondary school placements. They help determine the most suitable academic path for each student, such as the Express, Normal (Academic), or Normal (Technical) streams in secondary school.
PSLE English Paper 1 – Writing
How long is PSLE English Paper 1?
PSLE English Paper 1 has a duration of 1 hour and 10 minutes.
15 minutes are allocated for Situational Writing
55 minutes are allocated for Continuous Writing
How many marks are available in PSLE English Paper 1?
There are a total of 55 marks for Paper 1:
Situational Writing: 15 marks
Continuous Writing: 40 marks
What topics are covered in PSLE English Paper 1?
This paper assesses a student’s ability to communicate effectively through writing. It covers:
Understanding the purpose, audience, and format of different text types
Organising ideas logically and clearly
Using appropriate vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structures
Expressing thoughts and emotions clearly in narrative, descriptive, or personal recount formats
What question types are found in PSLE English Paper 1?
The paper consists of two sections:
Situational Writing – Students write a short functional piece (e.g., email, letter, report) based on a given scenario and visual prompt.
Continuous Writing – Students choose one out of three picture-based prompts and write a full-length composition (usually narrative or descriptive in style).
What is the expected standard for Primary 6 in this paper?
To meet the expected standard, students should:
Demonstrate clear and coherent organisation of ideas
Use appropriate vocabulary and varied sentence structures
Write with correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling
Fulfil the task purpose, format, and tone (especially in Situational Writing)
Engage the reader effectively with content and expression (especially in Continuous Writing)
What is a good score?
A high-quality response that meets all assessment criteria will achieve a higher Achievement Level (AL). While there is no scaled score for individual papers, doing well in Paper 1 contributes significantly to an overall strong grade in English. An AL1 (the highest band) generally reflects excellent writing skills in both sections.
PSLE English Paper 2 – Language Use and Comprehension
How long is PSLE English Paper 2?
PSLE English Paper 2 lasts for 1 hour and 50 minutes.
How many marks are available in PSLE English Paper 2?
The paper is worth a total of 95 marks.
What topics are covered in PSLE English Paper 2?
This paper assesses a wide range of English language skills, including:
Grammar: Tenses, subject-verb agreement, connectors, prepositions, reported speech, etc.
Vocabulary: Word choice, contextual meaning, phrasal verbs, collocations
Cloze Passages: Using grammar and context to complete texts
Comprehension: Understanding and interpreting different types of texts, including factual and narrative passages
Visual Text Comprehension: Reading and interpreting information from posters, advertisements, brochures, etc.
What question types are found in PSLE English Paper 2?
The paper includes a variety of question formats, such as:
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Fill-in-the-blank (grammar and vocabulary cloze)
Open-ended questions for comprehension
Editing for Spelling and Grammar
Synthesis and Transformation (rewriting sentences using specific rules or structures)
What is the expected standard for Primary 6 in this paper?
To meet the expected standard, students should:
Show strong grammar and vocabulary usage across different contexts
Read texts with understanding and respond accurately to comprehension questions
Demonstrate an ability to infer, interpret, and evaluate information
Use appropriate grammar structures in sentence transformation and synthesis
What is a good score?
A strong performance in Paper 2 contributes heavily to a high Achievement Level (AL) in English. While Paper 2 is not individually scaled, scoring well here significantly boosts a student’s chances of securing AL1 or AL2, indicating mastery of language skills and comprehension abilities.
PSLE English Paper 3 – Listening Comprehension
How long is PSLE English Paper 3?
PSLE English Paper 3 lasts 35 minutes.
How many marks are available in PSLE English Paper 3?
This paper is worth 20 marks in total.
What topics are covered in PSLE English Paper 3?
The paper assesses a student’s ability to listen attentively and understand spoken English in various everyday and formal contexts. It includes:
Understanding main ideas and details
Following spoken instructions or narratives
Interpreting announcements, dialogues, or conversations
Inferring meaning from tone and context
What question types are found in PSLE English Paper 3?
All questions are multiple choice, based on audio recordings. Students will listen to:
Short dialogues or monologues
Narratives or factual passages
Announcements or conversations
Students are allowed to listen to each recording only once and must select the most appropriate answer from the given options.
What is the expected standard for Primary 6 in this paper?
To meet the expected standard, students should:
Pay close attention to both specific details and overall meaning
Demonstrate the ability to understand tone, mood, and speaker intent
Make accurate inferences based on what they hear
Be familiar with the question format and practice active listening
What is a good score?
A high score in Paper 3 supports a strong overall English Achievement Level (AL). Scoring close to full marks (18–20/20) indicates excellent listening and comprehension skills, contributing positively toward achieving AL1 or AL2 for English.
PSLE English Paper 4 – Oral Communication
How long is PSLE English Paper 4?
The oral exam lasts approximately 10 minutes per student, though preparation time is provided just before the assessment.
How many marks are available in PSLE English Paper 4?
Paper 4 carries a total of 30 marks, divided into two components:
Reading Aloud: 10 marks
Stimulus-Based Conversation: 20 marks
What topics are covered in PSLE English Paper 4?
This paper assesses a student’s ability to:
Read aloud clearly and expressively
Engage in a conversation based on a visual prompt, such as a poster, photo, or scenario
Express personal opinions, share experiences, and elaborate on ideas clearly and confidently
What question types are found in PSLE English Paper 4?
The oral exam consists of two parts:
Reading Aloud
Students read a short passage aloud to the examiner, demonstrating proper pronunciation, intonation, pacing, and expression.
Stimulus-Based Conversation
Students discuss a topic related to a visual prompt, respond to follow-up questions, and express personal thoughts, feelings, or experiences.
What is the expected standard for Primary 6 in this paper?
To meet the expected standard, students should:
Read fluently and with appropriate expression
Speak clearly and confidently in standard English
Give thoughtful responses supported by personal examples or reasons
Demonstrate good conversational skills, such as staying on topic and responding appropriately to questions
What is a good score?
A strong performance in both components, especially in Stimulus-Based Conversation, contributes significantly to achieving AL1 or AL2 in English. Speaking naturally, confidently, and clearly with relevant content is key to a top score.
PSLE English Preparation
Do children need to revise for PSLE English?
While the PSLE is designed to assess what children have learned throughout their primary school years, some revision can be greatly beneficial. It can help reinforce their understanding of key concepts and build confidence.
We’d recommend focusing on topics your child finds challenging and practising the key PSLE skills as much as possible.
Where can I find practice materials for the PSLE?
How can I help my child prepare for the PSLE?
There are many ways you can support your child's preparation for their PSLE.
1. PSLE English Tuition 👩🏫
Tuition can be a useful tool to assist your child’s preparation for the PSLE English because it can help them progress faster than they otherwise would do at school. There are several different types of tuition available for PSLE students, each with their own benefits.
🙋🏿♂️ Individual Tuition: learning alone provides a 1-on-1 environment in which some students thrive due to uninterrupted attention from a tutor. This can be done in-person or online, and it can achieve great results for your child. Particularly in subjects such as maths and science, where students are required to fully understand each step of the question in order to arrive at the correct answer.
👨👧👧 Group Tuition: group tuition provides a collaborative learning environment where students can interact with peers and learn from each other, as well as their tutor. A collaborative learning environment is especially helpful in PSLE subjects such as English writing, comprehension and language use. Students can listen to and analyse each other’s answers in order to improve and refine their own.
Group PSLE tuition can achieve exceptional results compared to a class in school because all of the children are highly-motivated and ready to learn. The tutor must also teach the class at the appropriate level to achieve excellent PSLE performance, not at the level of the least able student (as in school). It's also a more cost-effective option.
👩🏽🏫 In-Person Tuition: this traditional approach involves face-to-face sessions with a tutor, either individually or in a small group. In-person tuition allows for personalised attention and immediate feedback, but it can often be less thoroughly planned and more improvised than online tuition.
👩🏼💻 Online Tuition: learning online is an increasingly popular choice. It offers flexibility and convenience, allowing students to learn from the comfort of their own homes with top-rated tutors from across the UK.
Furthermore, the lesson plans are more robust and less improvised than in-person tuition because, in order to effectively deliver an online lesson, the teacher absolutely must have a variety of pre-prepared and well structured resources ready to be shown through the screen.
⏩ Intensive Courses: intensive courses are designed to cover a significant amount of material in a short period of time. They're ideal for parents who want a more structured learning programme with a clear start and end point. At times, tuition sessions can drag on without the progress or structure of the learning totally evident. Intensive courses are a good remedy for this problem.
The Exam Coach: Your Partner In PSLE English Tuition
The Exam Coach delivers group online tuition for children studying to sit the PSLE. We offer weekly online tuition workshops that fit in with your schedule and set your child on a steady path of improvement.
Our 11 Plus Tuition Model
👨🏼🏫 Expert Tutors: our tutors are experienced, top-performing teachers who are passionate about helping children succeed in the PSLE English exams.
✅ Proven Approach: our approach is based on years of experience and has helped countless students achieve their goals.
🎯 Targeted Skill Development: sessions are focused on essential PSLE English exam techniques and skill development in order to score marks in the exam.
⏰ Online and Flexible: our online tuition options offer flexibility and convenience, allowing your child to learn from home.
📚 Comprehensive Preparation: we specialise in the core PSLE English disciplines, including English comprehension, spelling, punctuation and grammar.
🏆 Build Exam Confidence: our supportive and encouraging group learning environment helps build your child's confidence and reduces anxiety about the PSLE.
With The Exam Coach tuition team, your child will be well-prepared and confident on exam day.
2. Practice Papers and Mock Exams 📝
Practice papers are a vital preparation resource for several reasons:
😱 Familiarisation with Format: working through practice papers helps your child become comfortable with the structure, timing, and types of questions they'll encounter in the actual PSLE. This is especially useful if the PSLE will be their first formal exams.
🔎 Identify Areas for Improvement: by reviewing their answers with a mark schemes, you can work with your child to pinpoint their strengths and weaknesses.
💪 Build Exam Technique: practice papers help develop essential exam skills, such as time management, careful reading, and clear answer presentation.
Click the buttons below to access our free PSLE papers and resources.
3. Focus on Key Skills 🔑
The fundamental concepts of Primary 6 are what will be tested in the PSLE.
📚 Regular Reading: encourage your child to read a wide variety of texts – fiction, non-fiction, poetry, magazines. Reading exposes them to different writing styles, expands their vocabulary, and helps them develop a strong grasp of grammar and punctuation in context.
➗ Mental Maths: practice mental maths regularly. Quick recall of number facts, times tables, and mental calculation strategies are essential for success in the Maths papers. Use games, flashcards, and everyday situations (like shopping) to make it fun.
✏️ Spelling: create a spelling diary or use flashcards to focus on tricky words, common exception words, and spelling rules. Encourage your child to use new words in their writing and conversation.
🗣️ Vocabulary Expansion: expand your child's vocabulary by introducing new words, exploring synonyms and antonyms, and discussing word meanings. A rich vocabulary improves reading comprehension and writing skills.
