PSLE is your child’s first experience sitting for a big national test, and scoring well is clearly at the top of everyone’s concerns. In contrast to other topics, such as Math or Science, where there are black-and-white solutions to practically every issue, English, like other languages, is more intuitive than theoretical in the absence of basic grammatical principles. When combined with the ever-changing nature of our grading systems, figuring out PSLE English may be difficult and sometimes perplexing. For example, a regular PSLE paper nowadays has a total of 200 points, and your child needs 180 marks to receive an AL1, the highest grade. With that in mind, here’s a simplified overview of the paper, its many components, and how your child may be better prepared to excel by using valuable advice and excellent PSLE English lessons.

Paper 1: Composition

Paper 1 is a 70-minute portion that consists of two writing components: Situational Writing and Continuous Writing. Based on the context, target audience, and goal of the given circumstance, your kid will be expected to write a brief functional piece in the form of a letter, an email, or a report in Situational Writing. Continuous Writing requires your youngster to write a constant prose of at least 150 words on a specific theme.

Reading more is the only method to improve one’s writing skills. This introduces children to various writing styles, vocabulary, and good grammar. It also enables kids to develop an instinct for intangible talents that may significantly impact the quality of their writing, such as sentence flow. You might also enrol them in an excellent English tuition centre for Primary School pupils for expert supervision.

Paper 2: Language and Comprehension

In terms of time and weightage, Paper 2 is the most crucial component of a PSLE English paper. Through a series of multiple-choice and open-ended questions, this 110-minute part will assess your child’s essential language abilities, including vocabulary, grammar, and understanding. They will also be evaluated on their ability to rework sentences.

Students frequently struggle with the two key components of Paper 2: Comprehension and sentence transformation. Make things simple to score high in Comprehension – identify the “who, what, where, when, why, and how” in each question and keep responses concise and correct. This is also a fundamental ability for Sentence Transformation, in which rephrased phrases should retain their original meanings while omitting superfluous words.

Paper 3: Listening Comprehension

In this 35-minute paper, your kid will be asked to listen to a range of spoken passages before being assessed on their ability to form literal and inferential readings of those texts to answer various multiple-choice questions.

Aside from the standard listening comprehension methods, encourage your child to absorb a wide range of spoken English content through other mediums such as television, radio, and even audiobooks. This teaches children to concentrate and pick up on essential ideas more easily. Of course, spoken texts will also be replayed, so your kid should take advantage of this opportunity to double-check their responses.

Paper 4: Oral

The oral portion of every English paper is brief but intensive, and even with ample preparation time, there is little space for anxiety because errors committed during this 10-minute exercise are irreversible. Paper 4 is divided into two sections: Reading Out, in which candidates must read a brief chapter aloud, and Stimulus-based Conversation, in which they must explain a given picture aloud to the invigilator.

Although it may appear strange, treating an oral test like a job interview may be beneficial since first impressions, body language, and coherent speech may all impact your child’s total score. They should also avoid rambling while making their phrases sufficiently detailed. Regular practice is essential for strengthening speaking abilities, such as utilising the perfect tone to communicate different emotions, good pronunciation and enunciation, and understanding when to pause in the Reading Aloud component.

Marcelino Tromp