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Preparing for Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE)

Pupils sit for the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), a national examination, after 6 compulsory years of primary education in Singapore. The PSLE assesses students' attainment of the learning outcomes of different subjects – English, Mathematics, Science and Mother Tongue. This assessment also facilitates the transition into the next phase of their education journey – secondary education.

The PSLE exam formats and syllabus are summarised below:

English (0001)
Paper Component Item Type Marks Weightage
1 Writing
(Situational & continuous writing)		 Open-ended 55 27.5%
2 Language Use & Comprehension
(Grammar, Vocabulary, Editing, Synthesis & Transformation, and Comprehension)		 MCQ & Open-ended 95 47.5%
3 Listening Comprehension MCQ 20 10%
4 Oral Communication
(Reading aloud & Stimulus-based Conversation)		 Open-ended 30 15%
Total     200 100%

Mathematics (0008)
Paper Component Item Type No. of Questions  No. of Marks per Question  Weighting Duration 
1 Booklet A MCQ 10, 5 1, 2 20%
50 min
Booklet B Short answer 10, 5 1, 2 20%
2 - Short answer 5 2 10% 1h 40min
Structured /
Long-answer		 13 3, 4, 5 50%
Total 48 - 100% 2h 30 min

Science (0009)  
Booklet Item Type No. of Questions  No. of Marks per Question  Marks Duration 
A MCQ 28 2 56 1h 45 min
B Open-ended 12 - 13 2 - 5 44

Chinese (0005)
Paper Component Item Type No. of Questions  Marks Weighting
1 作文
(命题作文 / 看图作文)		 开放式 2 选 1 40 20%
2 语文理解与运用
A (语文应用 , 短文填空, 阅读理解一)
B (完成对话, 阅读理解二)
多项选择
开放式
15, 5, 5
4, 11		 90 45%
3 口试
(朗读篇章, 会话)

听力
朗读, 对话

听力理解 
1, 1

10
50

20
25%

10%
Total       200 100%

A more detailed outline of the exam formats and syllabus can be found at Singapore Examinations Assessment Board.



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