Parent’s Guide to PSLE English and the AL Scoring System

The Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) is a major milestone in every child’s primary school journey. For many parents, it can also be a source of uncertainty — from understanding the different English Language papers to figuring out how scores, Achievement Levels (ALs) and Posting Groups work.

With changes to the PSLE format in recent years, it is natural to have questions about what has stayed the same, what has changed, and what these changes mean for your child. This guide provides a clear overview of the PSLE English Language examination and the post-PSLE process, so parents can better support their child with confidence and clarity.

1. What is PSLE?

The Primary School Leaving Examinations (PSLE) is a national examination conducted by the Ministry of Education (MOE) and the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB). Students in Primary 6 will take the PSLE to assess their suitability for secondary school.     

2. What are the papers that my child will sit for and how many marks are allocated to each paper? 

There are four papers that students will take for the English Language.

3. Will my child sit for all the papers on the same day?

No. The papers are spread out over several months. These are the tentative dates of the examinations.

4. When are the PSLE papers marked?

After the examinations conclude, marking takes place during the PSLE Marking Exercise, which typically occurs in mid-October and lasts about three days. Tentative dates for the exercise are Monday, 12 October to Wednesday, 14 October 2026.

5. When are the PSLE results released?

PSLE results are usually released at the end of November, typically during the first week of the school holidays. Parents should refer to MOE announcements or local news outlets for the confirmed release date.

6. How do I compute the English Language results for my child?

Once the examination is completed, parents often wonder how the English Language results are computed.

To calculate your child’s English Language score:

1. Add the raw marks from all four papers (total out of 200).
2. Divide the total by 2.

This gives the final English Language score out of 100, which will then be converted into an Achievement Level (AL).

7. How do I figure out what the AL for my child’s English Language is?

Each subject is graded using Achievement Levels (AL). Your child’s raw marks will be converted to the AL score. AL1 (the best) to AL8. The table shows the AL Grade for Standard subjects.

8. How do I calculate the total AL score for all four subjects?

The total PSLE score is the sum of the ALs for the four subjects:

• English
• Mother Tongue
• Mathematics
• Science

The best possible score is AL4 (AL1 for all four subjects), while the lowest possible score is 32 (AL8 for all four subjects).

9. What does Posting Group mean?

Under the Full Subject-Based Banding, “Posting Groups” 1, 2 and 3 have replaced the old “Streams” (Express, Normal Academic and Normal Technical).

10. How would I know which Posting Group my child will be in?

Based on the PSLE system (starting from the 2024 Primary 6 cohort), your child’s Posting Group is determined by their total AL score. 

MOE uses the following score ranges to assign Posting Groups.

11. How do I know which secondary school my child can enter?

The eligibility will be based on a few factors:

• Identify the Posting Group

Your child’s total AL score determines the Posting Group (1, 2 or 3). Each secondary school has different Cut-Off Points (COP) for each of these Posting Groups. 

• Use MOE SchoolFinder Tool 

Parents are encouraged to use the MOE SchoolFinder tool to filter schools by score, distance and programmes offered:
https://www.moe.gov.sg/schoolfinder?journey=Secondary%20school

• Choice Order

Since many students may have the same score, your order of choice matters when filling in the Secondary School Option Form which will be given to your child together with his/her PSLE result slip.

12. I have a child who took PSLE two years ago. What has changed?

All the components in the PSLE 2024 are the same in PSLE 2025, except that the number of marks for some components have changed. Here is a comparison of the components that have changed.

13. With the change in marks for some of the components, does this mean that the 2025 PSLE and the 2026 PSLE is harder?

In line with MOE’s 2020 English Language Syllabus, the examination has shifted its focus to real-world communication and critical thinking more than rote memorisation. Based on the table in Question 12, the most notable change is the increased weightage of the Oral Communication component and a corresponding decrease in the written papers. Therefore, the importance of being able to speak confidently while stating opinions and reasons is of greater importance in the PSLE now.

Furthermore, students are required to complete Situational Writing tasks for different purposes, audiences and contexts. This includes, but is not limited to, formal letters, informal emails, articles or reports. In the past, tasks specified all six key pieces of information that could be all found directly in the pictures. However, students must now provide one logical response of their own based on the task requirements. This requires students to think critically rather than transferring information from a list.

Ultimately, it is not that the PSLE now is harder or trickier, instead, it is less predictable. For example, students can no longer score based on memorising model compositions. There is a greater emphasis on the ability to think and express opinions clearly and the application of concepts and rules, in new and unseen scenarios or situations. 

Understanding how the PSLE works — particularly the structure and assessment focus of the English Language examination — allows parents to better support their child in the crucial upper primary years.

With the increased emphasis on communication, reasoning and application of language skills, consistent exposure to reading, writing, listening and speaking across different contexts is more important than ever. By staying informed about the PSLE structure and expectations, parents can help their child approach the examination with greater confidence and readiness.

At My English School, we support students through this shift by building strong language foundations early and systematically, while guiding them to apply these skills confidently as they progress towards the PSLE. If you would like to better understand how your child is coping with English or how to prepare meaningfully for the upper primary years, our team will be happy to advise.

While efforts have been made to ensure the information provided in this document is accurate as of January 2026, the information may contain unintentional errors or omissions. 

For more information about the Full Subject-Based Banding, please refer to https://www.moe.gov.sg/microsites/psle-fsbb/full-subject-based-banding/main.html