Exam difficulty, use of PSLE results being studied by MOE to lower exam stakes: Desmond Lee

SINGAPORE – In reviewing how to reduce the stakes of exams, the Ministry of Education (MOE) is considering changes including adjusting their difficulty and studying how PSLE results are used in secondary school admission.

Education Minister Desmond Lee said these are issues that the ministry is looking at to curb

the education “arms race”

, along with other aspects like Direct School Admission (DSA) and co-curricular activities (CCAs), which have become increasingly competitive.

The MOE wants to hear views on the ground before implementing changes, and will soon start a series of conversations with Singaporeans, said Mr Lee on Jan 26 in his first interview with the media since

taking over the portfolio in May 2025

.

Asked whether MOE would study alternative assessment models or if the Primary School Leaving Examination would likely remain a central feature, he replied: “We do not want to pre-judge, we do not want to circumscribe... it may or may not be a tweak, it could also be quite major”.

Mr Lee said MOE wants to have an “open and frank” conversation as it considers what changes to make. “We are not wedded to any approach,” he added.

During the 1½-hour-long interview at the MOE headquarters in Buona Vista, Mr Lee said he has in the past seven months engaged ministry personnel, educators, parents and students.

These engagements have shaped his priorities for the education system – chief among them reducing the national fixation with grades and competition, improving social mixing and refocusing on all-round learning.

Mr Lee had previously said during the debate on the

President’s Address in Parliament on Sept 25, 2025,

that MOE would study how to reduce exam stakes, focus on non-academic aspects of the school experience, and guard against “hothousing” by families with more resources.

This refers to parents investing heavily in their children’s academic and extracurricular pursuits through tuition and training.

His remarks come amid growing recognition that the arms race in education has not abated despite significant changes made by the Government to dial back on excessive academic pressure, through ending streaming and

revamping PSLE scoring

.

Mr Lee said MOE’s multi-year effort will involve conversations with groups such as school leaders, educators, parents, students, researchers and the wider community.

This will be done through in-person focus groups, online engagements and surveys. More details will be shared later, he said.

The aim is to have “open and frank” conversations in line with

the Forward Singapore agenda

, he said. The national engagement exercise from 2022 to 2023 had showed that many Singaporeans hoped for broader definitions of success.

The ministry is also studying assessment models from other systems.

These include “well-known examples” like Europe, Denmark, Finland, Estonia and East Asia, as well as those that have fared well in TALIS – an international teaching survey – such as Shanghai, China and Hong Kong, said Mr Lee.

Exams and assessments aim to gauge a child’s understanding and guide placement, as well as determine the level of learning best suited for the child, said Mr Lee.

He noted that any policy changes will be made carefully, as these will likely have a major impact.

“I’m quite sure there’ll be very diverse feedback that we’ll get, including ideas about how we can better move away from this arms race to enable our children to learn more holistically and to learn more deeply,” he added.

On the other hand, some feel that students need to face stress, he said. “There are some people who say examination stress is important, academic excellence is important... don’t dumb our system down.”

Mr Lee said the ministry wants to understand what makes exams “high stakes”.

“Is it about the fact that it is a single exam? Is it that the composition of the questions or the difficulty levels need to be looked at? Or do we look at the implications of the exams (in secondary school admissions)?” he said.

“The fact that better-off families have the resources to hothouse our children for some high-stakes exams is also a matter of concern.”

It will take time to change the mindsets of a generation, said Mr Lee, adding that students should be given time and space to explore other aspects like sports, the arts, music, leadership and community service.

MOE is also reviewing the DSA scheme and CCAs, so that they stay focused on the holistic development of students, he said.

The DSA was started in 2004 as an avenue for pupils to secure spots in schools based on their strengths in areas like sports and the arts. The ministry has been studying further since 2025 how to make the scheme more accessible to students.

“We recognise that (DSA) can also­ drive hothousing, and cause the full impacts of social stratification. Those with more resources are able to spend more on their children,” said Mr Lee.

Similarly, CCAs will be further reviewed to move away from an achievement-driven focus, he said.

Calling CCAs an important component of all-round education that allows for social mixing and the development of character and values, Mr Lee said they have, over time, become increasingly achievement-oriented.

He cited the LEAPS framework, introduced in 2014 to guide students’ progress in their CCAs.

At the end of secondary school, students receive a rating of Excellent, Good, or Fair for their CCA contributions. They can also be awarded bonus points that give them a better chance in admission to post-secondary institutions.

“The LEAPS framework is meant to measure and give you some emphasis on how you develop holistically. But for some people, it can also result in a myopic focus. And so we want to shift the balance back to holistic education,” Mr Lee said.

MOE is also looking at the possibility of lifelong CCAs, to encourage students to hone skills they picked up from their sports team or arts club after they graduate.

Mr Lee said it is working with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth on this front.

“We want to reduce this arms race because it affects our children in developing all round,” he said. “Some will study with a view to... that high-stakes exam, and it may forgo deep learning, impactful learning.”

“We want to replace the kind of negative stress with positive attributes that encourage and stimulate our children to learn deeply and to develop holistically.”

“The role of education continues to be extremely important for Singapore,” said Mr Lee.

“It needs to prepare people, not just for the workplace, but for society and for the world. We have no resources other than the industry of our people.”

Future reforms will continue efforts to move away from a narrow meritocracy that emphasises intellectual achievements to one that focuses on holistic development, he said.

Said Mr Lee: “Academic achievements are not necessarily an indicator of future success in life.”