Math PSLE 2024 

Math PSLE is a yearly affair, this year a total of 40,894 Primary 6 students took the PSLE exams, of which 98.5% are suitable for secondary schools. 

This is consistent with previous years where admission rates border along 98.5%, but one is led to wonder, how were the papers this year? 

PSLE 2024 

Based on the budget debate from 2022, 2 main changes were implemented:
 

1. Since 2019, pupils in Primary 1 and Primary 2 have also not had any tests and exams, and are not given grades in those years. 
2. No mid-year exams for Primary 3, Primary 5, Secondary 1 and Secondary 3 students for a select proportion of schools from 2023. 

There are benefits to this as the weeks are used to give more space to developing life skills or learning, and this includes time to learn for math. Additionally, it is a move to reduce the constant stress of the exams weighing from preparation for them constantly. 

As with any new schemes, this may also be a hindrance for some as lesser exams may reduce the ability for a student to assess his performance based on a benchmark.

Views on the PSLE 2024 math component 

For the PSLE this year, views were varied, most students point out the “tricky” nature of the questions which have added to the difficulties in answering them.

A balanced view of the PSLE for 2024 math from forums can be found here.  

How are math questions set? 

The questions set are in line with MOE’s perspective of the math papers where the paper is typically “a balance of easy, moderate, and challenging questions to assess students’ levels of mastery.” 

A few ‘challenging’ questions are also included to allow students who can answer them to demonstrate their capabilities. These ‘challenging’ questions are capped at 15% of the paper, i.e. 15 marks out of 100.

Method Marks

For the PSLE, showing the methods used to solve the question is important. In a situation where both students get the same answer, an inaccurate method/working or ineligible “steps” may cause the marks to differ. 

This is one of the key pointers gathered by a few students, some of which may find that they have correct answers but have scored differently from their peers. 

What to remember about the PSLE 

For the students, keep in mind that the PSLE, whether it is the math component or any other subject, is simply a gauge of your ability in that current age group. 

It should not be taken as the full assessment of the student’s capabilities. While scoring is important for subjects, continue to look forward to the opportunities ahead!