New PSLE grading to be used in P5 next year

From next year, Primary 5 pupils will be graded using the new Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) scoring system to help them and their parents come to grips with it.

They will also be given likely entry scores for secondary schools reflecting the new system by the middle of their PSLE year, instead of the year's end, the Ministry of Education (MOE) said yesterday as it gave the final details of how the significant shift in the PSLE will work.

These pupils will in 2021 be the first cohort whose PSLE will be graded using broad achievement bands, which result in 29 possible scores, as opposed to the current T-score system, which has more than 200 variations.

The latter had been criticised for sorting pupils too finely and encouraging parents to push their children to chase that last mark.

The new system, part of a larger move away from an overemphasis on grades, will measure a child's level of achievement regardless of how his peers have done, and encourage families to choose schools based on the child's learning needs and interests.

From 2021, the order in which families list their choice of secondary schools will become more important as it will break a tie between two pupils with the same score.

MOE's director-general of education Wong Siew Hoong said his ministry will help families and schools adjust to the changes.

In the next few months, schools will engage pupils and parents, starting from pupils in Primary 4, to guide them in making decisions on the choice of PSLE subjects.

For instance, Mrs Lee Hui Feng, principal of Qihua Primary School in Woodlands, said next year's school diaries for pupils will include charts to guide them in converting their marks to the new achievement bands.

Main aspects of the shift, such as how pupils will be awarded Achievement Levels (ALs) one to eight for each of the four subjects - English, Mother Tongue, Maths and Science - instead of grades A* to E were revealed three years ago.

Yesterday, the MOE explained how Foundation-level subjects for pupils needing extra help will be scored under the new system and also outlined the criteria for those who want to take up Higher Mother Tongue in secondary school.

Foundation-level subjects will be graded AL A to AL C, which is pegged to AL6 to AL8 of Standard subjects. For instance, a pupil who scores between 30 and 74 in a Foundation-level subject will be given seven points. That is equivalent to a pupil scoring 20 to 44 marks in a Standard subject.

The total points for all four PSLE subjects will be used to determine the secondary school posting. To qualify for the Express stream, pupils need a total score of four - the best possible result - to 22.

Around one in 10 PSLE pupils takes at least one Foundation-level subject.

Anticipating parents' concerns on why Foundation-level subjects are pegged to the lowest three levels of Standard subjects, the MOE explained that the assessment load for the former is less demanding.

The ministry also assured parents that it is possible for a pupil to qualify for Express or Normal (Academic) stream even if he takes one or more Foundation-level subjects.

"Students should decide whether to take a subject at Standard or Foundation level based on their aptitude and ability to manage the demands of that subject, rather than whether they can still qualify for a particular course," the MOE said.

To be able to take up Higher Mother Tongue in secondary school, students would need a minimum overall PSLE score of eight. They can also take it up if they have a total score of nine to 14, as long they achieve the top two PSLE bands in the subject, or receive a distinction or merit in their Higher Mother Tongue.

Secondary schools will still have the flexibility to offer Higher Mother Tongue to pupils who do not get the necessary results, but have shown high ability and interest, the MOE said. As is current practice, the key consideration is to ensure they can cope with the higher academic load.

Madam P. Saras, 41, who has a daughter in Primary 3, was surprised at the level at which Foundation-level subjects were pegged. "I know they cover less of the curriculum, but does it need to be made so easy for the weaker students?" she asked.

But the former teacher appreciates plans to help pupils and parents get used to the new system. "Like most parents, I am anxious about the new scoring system and how it will affect my daughter. It helps to get started early."