PSLE English Oral & Listening — Tips & Practice

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The PSLE English Oral and Listening components account for 25% of your child’s total English score — a significant chunk that’s often under-practised. The good news? These sections are highly trainable. With the right strategies and a solid routine, your child can make rapid progress and walk into the exam with confidence. In this post, we’ll explain the exam format, marking criteria, real sample questions, and a weekly practice schedule to use at home.

Oral / Listening Section Format 🗣️

Here’s a breakdown of what your child will face in these two sections of the PSLE English exam:

🔵 Oral Communication (30 marks)

1. Reading Aloud (10 marks) – Your child reads a short passage. Assesses pronunciation, fluency, pacing and expression.

2. Stimulus-Based Conversation (20 marks) – A conversation with the examiner based on a visual (poster, picture, or photo). Assesses response relevance, personal reflection, clarity of speech and confidence.

🟣 Listening Comprehension (20 marks)

• 20 multiple choice questions based on 7 or 8 audio texts (announcements, instructions, conversations, and narratives).

• Each audio is played only once, no repeats.

• Focuses on literal understanding, implied meaning, tone and sequencing.

Marking Criteria 📊

Here’s how examiners award marks in each component:

✅ Reading Aloud (10 marks)

• Pronunciation – Are words spoken clearly and accurately?

• Fluency – Is the pace appropriate? Are there hesitations?

• Expression – Does the voice reflect the mood of the passage?

• Phrasing & Pausing – Are pauses placed naturally at punctuation?

✅ Stimulus-Based Conversation (20 marks)

• Content Relevance – Does the child address the question?

• Personal Response – Are answers developed with reasons/examples?

• Confidence & Fluency – Is the child speaking smoothly and comfortably?

• Language Use – Is vocabulary appropriate and grammatically correct?

✅ Listening Comprehension (20 marks)

• Assessed purely on correct multiple-choice answers.

• Skills tested:

  • Identifying keywords

  • Understanding intention/tone

  • Following sequence of events

  • Interpreting implied meaning

Sample Questions & Responses 💬

Use these examples to practise at home:

Reading Aloud 📖

Passage: “The boy dashed across the field, the wind tugging at his shirt. Behind him, the school bell rang — he was late again!”

🧑‍🏫 Exam Coach Top Tip: Don’t forget punctuation. Encourage your child to pause at commas and full stops.

Stimulus-Based Conversation 🖼️

Image Prompt: Poster about a school recycling drive.

Example Questions:

• “Why do you think the school organised this activity?”

• “Have you ever participated in something similar?”

• “Why is recycling important?”

🧑‍🏫 Exam Coach Top Tip: Teach your child to answer in 3 steps:

1. Describe the situation

2. Relate to their own experience

3. Share a personal opinion or insight

Listening Comprehension 🎧

Play your child a short 30-second recording (e.g. from an English news clip). Ask:

• “What was this clip about?”

• “Who was speaking, and to whom?”

🧑‍🏫 Exam Coach Top Tip: Only play the audio once, like they will in the exam. Build your child’s ability to listen actively and retain key points.

Practice Schedule 🗓️

Here’s a simple weekly schedule to get consistent oral and listening practice in before exam day:

Monday: Read aloud a short passage (5 mins). Tests fluency, pacing and expression.

Tuesday: Stimulus-based conversation with parent (10 mins). Tests structured personal responses.

Wednesday: Listen to audio clip (1 playback) + 3 questions. Tests active listening and comprehension.

Thursday: Record and replay reading aloud. Tests self-correction, pronunciation.

Friday: Oral + Listening mini mock test (15 mins). Tests exam simulation and timing.

Saturday: Review and feedback day. Highlights improvements and weak areas.

Sunday: Rest or informal practice (TV clips, news, etc.). Provides natural language exposure.

English oral and listening exams might seem straightforward, but they can be easy marks to lose if left unprepared. With a structured weekly approach and the right materials, your child can gain a real advantage, both in confidence and marks.

The key to success in PSLE English exams is practice, technique and constant vocabulary expansion. See below for how we can help your child with our weekly online English tuition sessions and free papers.

Our weekly PSLE English tuition covers:

✏️ English Writing

Creative writing is a major part of the PSLE English Paper 1. In these workshops, students learn how to plan and structure their compositions effectively, using engaging openings, vivid descriptions, and logical storylines. These sessions also focus on using exam-style questions as prompts to help students improve their grammar, punctuation and spelling, as well as their overall ability to write descriptively in a way that would be awarded marks in the PSLE.

📚 English Comprehension

Comprehension is a key component of the PSLE English Paper 2. In these sessions, students are guided through a PSLE-style text by their tutor. Then they will answer 10 questions, focusing on elements such as the process of elimination, minimising mistakes and literary devices.

🗣️ English Vocabulary

A wide vocabulary supports every aspect of PSLE English — from comprehension and grammar to composition writing. These sessions focus on teaching high-frequency PSLE words and their meanings, helping students expand their word bank and strengthen their language use in context.