Starting from 2021, our Primary 6 students have switched to a new Primary School Leaving Examination PSLE scoring system where they will be graded using Achievement Levels (ALs) instead of T-scores.
If your child is born after 2009, you will want to know all these changes in the 2021 new PSLE scoring system.
Under the new PSLE scoring system, how well your child does in each PSLE subject will be scored using Achievement Levels (ALs) instead of letter grades like A*, A, B, C etc that were used in the old system.
Here’s a table with the mark range for the different ALs your child can score:
There will be 8 ALs in total depending on the raw marks that your child scores for each subject. These scores are not dependant on the performance of the rest of the cohort unlike the previous years, so there’s no bell curve involved.
If 2 students perform equally well, they’ll be placed in the same AL for that subject. There is no limit to the number of students who can get the same grade.
As you can see, AL 1 is the best score and AL 8 is the lowest. So the smaller the number, the better it is!
To calculate the final PSLE score, you’ll need to add the ALs you get for all 4 subjects. This score can ranges from 4 all the way up to 32.
MOE has released indicative AL cut-off points by streams and school types based on last year’s PSLE results and postings. We’ve included it here for your reference.
Unlike the old system, you will not be awarded with extra bonus points under the new PSLE AL system.
However, should there be a scenario where 2 students have the same score, priority will be given to the student who has a better Higher Mother Tongue grade if they are applying to a SAP school.
This table shows the scores to be eligible for the Express, Normal (Academic) and normal (Technical) streams in secondary school.
Do note that streaming will be abolished in secondary schools after 2023 and it’s going to be replaced with subject-based banding (SBB) where students will be able to take different subjects at different levels
As long as your child has a PSLE score of 8 or better, they’ll be eligible for it.
Otherwise, if your child scored anything from 9 to 14, he/she will only be offered Higher Mother Tongue if he/she has attained AL1 or AL2 in that subject. Having said that, some schools may still offer them the subject if they have shown exceptional interest and potential in it.
Make sure they know what is tested and strategize their revision time according to their ability to maximum the results you get. Preparing for PSLE Mathematics doesn’t have to be stressful if you know exactly how to plan for it.
Practicle can help to assess each child’s understanding and mastery of what is required for the PSLE and find any learning gaps that might occur even when your child was in Primary 4 or 5. This constant finding of weaknesses lets our system teach them what they need exactly and help them improve much faster as a result.
Through our gamified approach, your child will not only enjoy the learning process and be rewarded for their effort, they’ll build the right studying habits to propel them towards their goals for PSLE.
We hope that you have found this post useful in addressing some of your concerns regarding the new PSLE scoring system and what it means for you and your child.
Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any further questions and we’ll be glad to answer them!
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