Focus on concept, reasoning to tackle science papers: Ex-PSLE examiner at ST PSLE Companion

Explore the PSLE Companion microsite for more insights and tips.

SINGAPORE – Reading exam questions aloud and going over the questions with a finger or ruler are some of the ways to build focus and ensure that science exam questions are read and understood correctly, said a former PSLE chief examiner.

Jolene Ang, who is also the co-founder of BlueTree Education, added that markers mark based on concept and reasoning rather than grammar or spelling. This is why she believes learning science keywords matters less for scoring and more for helping pupils find the right words to form their own answers.

She was speaking at The Straits Times PSLE Companion event on July 11, attended by more than 250 people.

“Our children do not read any more... they scan,” she said.

“However, keywords are not just for the markers, but they are really for your child,” she said, adding that these help pupils find the right words to come up with their answers.

Parents should also keep an “error book” tracking keywords and topics their children tend to get wrong, Ang said, adding that they can go over the keywords verbally to help the children master them.

The event was held at the SPH Media auditorium in Toa Payoh, with Eu Yan Sang as the presenting sponsor.

Some 40 pupils also attended an English workshop by Soo Kim Bee, a former gifted education senior specialist and master teacher at the English Language Institute of Singapore. She taught them how to use ST as a resource, and understand semantic fields and text cohesion.

The PSLE Companion was the third of four events that ST is running in 2026, as part of a broader push to extend the support it has offered parents through its PSLE Prep Forum over the past five years.

Parents who subscribe to the PSLE Companion package get full access to expert-led workshops, weekly articles and past-year PSLE resources, on top of unlimited access to ST’s content.

Those interested can subscribe at str.sg/psle-signup

During Ang’s session, which lasted an hour, parents asked for tips to bridge the gap between reciting textbook content and applying the lessons learnt, and whether pupils need to master the scientific vocabulary.

To do well for open-ended questions, Ang said, children need solid mastery of concepts, familiarity with keywords, and a clear grasp of question types.

She also advised parents to adopt the Feynman technique, where a child becomes the teacher to reinforce his or her learning. “Get your child to be the teacher, because when your child can explain to you very well... that’s the best,” she said.

Exam readiness is key, Ang added. Pupils need to know answer structures and what their common errors are, and prepare to sit a full-length paper.

She recommended a “write, shade, check” approach for multiple-choice questions, which now make up 60 of the paper’s 100 marks under the revised format.

“Write your answer immediately on the booklet, shade immediately and check immediately. Check when the question is still fresh in your mind.”

Parents who attended Ang’s workshop walked away with exclusive PSLE Science Challenge Cards, designed by ST and BlueTree Foundation to help pupils tackle science questions and avoid common exam errors.

Parents also heard from Moses Soh, deputy chief executive of Mind Stretcher, on writing stronger compositions under exam conditions.

“I suggest simple plots, descriptive writing,” Soh told parents, adding that pupils do not need complicated plot twists to score well. He also advised against flashbacks and unusual points of view.

On language, Soh said pupils can replace generic verbs such as “walk” or “sit” with more precise alternatives like “trudged” or “dragged his feet” to convey sadness, or “stormed” and “pounded down the corridor” to convey anger. He added that pupils should limit sentences beginning with “I” to one per paragraph to vary their sentence structure.

To build fluency, Soh said pupils should write at least one composition a week and review feedback by rewriting flawed paragraphs rather than simply correcting errors. He also recommended memorising about 10 high-quality model compositions – not to regurgitate them, but to internalise strong openings, climaxes and endings adaptable to different topics.

Asked whether reading newspapers would help build one’s vocabulary, he said they are an excellent resource, and would help to build familiarity with other English components as well, such as stimulus-based conversation.

Soh also advised pupils to read widely, and read storybooks instead of “low-quality” comics. Pupils left with only a few months to the exam should focus on model compositions.

Jessie Moh, whose child will sit the PSLE in 2026, said the session was helpful in giving her a clearer sense of direction since her son has only two months left to revise.

“(The event) helped ease my stress and provide more focus,” said Moh, 44, a real estate agent, adding that the tips felt more targeted than the general advice she picked up elsewhere.

She found the advice on grouping science topics together, and reading model compositions to build vocabulary, especially useful.

She had not previously considered how reading habits could support her son’s oral examinations, and was surprised that reading newspapers could help provide him with real-world examples.

“My son likes the World Cup... so now he will spend 10 minutes every day, waking up earlier, just to read the newspaper,” Moh said.