06 Feb 2015
I applaud the latest move by the Ministry of Education (MOE) to release full past-year PSLE papers. This means that P6 students will be able review the actual questions set in the PSLE exams in the context a complete examination paper. This will definitely help them better prepare for their PSLE as it will assist students in examination time management.
Currently, past year PSLE questions are published but categorised according to topics for maths and science, and item types for English and mother tongue languages.
Publishing exam papers in full “will allow parents to have a clearer picture of the overall expectation of the PSLE”, Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) chief executive Tan Lay Choo said on Friday.
The booklets containing PSLE papers from 2012 to 2014 will be available in major bookstores from Saturday.
However, answer sheets in the new booklets will contain only answers for multiple choice questions, or questions with a fixed answer.
I urge the MOE to release full answers to all questions so that students will know exactly what is expected of them under examination conditions.
In a Facebook post, Education Minister Heng Swee Keat said the change will help students prepare well for the exams — “not to over-prepare and spend excessive time on drill-and-test, but to free up time for play… and not to under-prepare as PSLE can serve as a good gauge of their mastery of the subject for the next phase of their learning journey”.