PSLE English is an examination to test the English language skills of a student. It tests the English skills in writing, verbal communication, critical listening, comprehension, and argumentation. The questions in the exam will be in a format containing multiple-choice, open-ended, and contextual writing. By having a deep understanding of the examination pattern, a student will be able to prepare well and plan the revision effectively. Know more about the PSLE revision guide in the article below and learn how to ace the exam effortlessly.

An Overview of PSLE English Examination Format to Aid PSLE Revision

The sections included in a PSLE English exam are:

1. Paper 1 – Paper one contains writing and answering open-ended questions. It is further subdivided into situational writing (part 1) and continuous writing (part 2).
2. Paper 2 – Paper two concentrates on comprehension and language divided into two booklets, A and B. Booklet A has multiple choice questions in grammar, vocabulary, visual text comprehension, and vocabulary cloze. Booklet B includes open-ended questions in grammar cloze, comprehension cloze, spelling and grammar editing, transformation or synthesis, and comprehension OE.
3. Paper 3 – Paper three has multiple choice questions for listening comprehension.
4. Paper 4 – Paper 4 has open-ended questions for oral communication, with part 1 that includes reading aloud and part 2 includes stimulus-based conversation.

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PSLE Revision Strategy & Basic Tips for Students

Undoubtedly the PSLE is a turning point in a student's learning process as it is the final examination in primary school education. A few tips to ace the PSLE English examination are consolidated below. By following them, your child will be able to weed out the foundational mistakes and score better.

Concentrate on the Strengths

Instead of focusing on your child's weaknesses, act smart and focus on their strengths. The simple trick is to become better at what they are already good at. Make them thorough with the components in which they are already scoring high. Start revising the areas they are already strong in as it will consume less time. Then move on to the other sections in which your child is weak and drill them. Put in maximum effort and convert your child's weaknesses to strengths.

Focus on Small Portions

Revision is a daunting task as there is a pile of work to do. Start small by focusing on a single portion or section. You can encourage your child to start a particular section they love and then move to the rest of the sections. Do not attempt the previous year's question papers where the sections are combined. After completing a section, allow them to answer questions under that category and take the revision process slow.

Improve Mental Health

Stay calm and help your child perform more breathing exercises. Revision can turn out to be a nightmare for a few. Always remember to relax them first by encouraging slow counting. Getting rid of anxiety is the best way to save your child's mental health.

Keep Your Goals Realistic

Analyse the scoring system using the AL (achievement levels) instead of the old T-score. As a parent, you should help your ward and discuss the realistic goals they will be able to achieve. Support your child by setting clear goals for them. Encourage them to master the skill before concentrating on scoring well in an examination. You have to make them understand that the sense of achievement is the key to motivation, which will eventually help them learn better. When students are revising, they require a great amount of positivity around them, and as parents, you have the responsibility to provide good vibes.

Understand Question Sections and Types

Preparing for an examination is as important as a break and rest between hectic learning schedules. Sufficient preparation will prevent careless mistakes students commit while taking up an exam. For example, a child might lack exam strategies and strike out the wrong options in multiple-choice questions instead of ticking the right one. Therefore, prepare your child well to be aware of what is coming.

Provide Mock Exams

Set up a mock test at home and make your child attempt the previous year's question papers. You have to time your child and offer an environment that is quiet and free of distractions. Ensure that people at home are not creating unnecessary noise like watching the television, talking over the phone, or playing games. When a child is provided with constant practice to take up examinations, they will be able to find their own mistakes and reinforce the concepts they have learned.

Also Read : Tips to Help Your Child Score Better in PSLE English Oral Stimulus-Based Conversation

English PSLE Revision Guide on How to Handle Comprehension and Language Use

As discussed earlier, paper 2 contains comprehension and language, and here the students will be evaluated based on their ability to comprehend textual and visual information and use the English language correctly. An ultimate guide to ace language use and comprehension is listed below.

Understand Grammar RulesFor sections: Grammar Cloze, Grammar MCQ, Synthesis, Editing

As English is a subject where grammar rules play a major role, it is necessary to learn and understand all the rules in grammar. You have to ensure that your child is thorough with the entire set of rules in grammar. Guide your child by jotting down the grammar rules frequently evaluated during the revision process. Students learn and absorb the concept better when they are taught with examples. You can remind them how the rule applies with the help of simple illustrations. Most importantly, preventing grammar mistakes is possible when the student has complete knowledge of the following.

• Using the right prepositions
• Subject-verb agreement
• Preventing fragmented sentence usage
• Using correct punctuations

Learn to Spell CorrectlyFor Sections: Comprehension Cloze, Editing

It is important to learn to spell and write without any errors when revising. You can make your child go through the compositions they have already done and spot the misspelled words. The common mistakes most students commit are:

• Spelling a word incorrectly
• Forgetting appropriate punctuations

The best way to prevent this will be to read more books and develop a good vocabulary. By doing so, the student will become fluent in the language and improve their proficiency. The simple tips to follow while attempting comprehension include:

• Reading the passage carefully
• Answering in detail
• Managing time properly
• Rechecking the answers

Be Thorough With VocabularyFor Sections: Visual Text Comprehension, Comprehension Cloze, Vocabulary MCQ

Vocabulary is the hardest section in revising for the PSLE English examination. There are so many words in the language, and it isn't easy to understand or learn everything. However, you can make your child thorough with adjectives, phrasal verbs, idioms, verbs, etc. With knowledge of the above, they will be able to answer questions meaningfully. When two words or phrases have the same meaning in the English language, the choice of words or phrases in a context will depend on the other words around them. When you prepare your child by making them choose the right words or phrases, they will be able to score better in their PSLE English exam.

Learn to Structure Sentences CorrectlyFor Sections: Open-ended Comprehension, Sentence synthesis

The sentence synthesis section requires a good knowledge of constructing proper sentences. Students must learn the rules of direct and indirect speech along with active and passive voice. In open-ended comprehension, a student must be aware of how to make a complete sentence. Bear in mind that when a student makes a mistake by writing the sentence structure wrong, they will lose marks.

Be Aware of TechniquesFor Sections: Open-ended Comprehension, Vocabulary MCQ

Using simple hacks and techniques will make the answering process easy. For example, when answering the multiple-choice questions, besides reading the question carefully, a student must use the language clues to shortlist the right answer. This strategy will be handy when the student is completely baffled by the question. It helps them get closer to the answer by eliminating the incorrect choices.

Summing It UpThe PSLE English examination is to assess the overall proficiency of a student based on their learning outcomes. Practice and confidence are the keys to tackling the questions quickly while appearing for the examination. Follow the simple tips discussed above in the PSLE revision guide to ace the exam effortlessly. Try the Study Smart Singapore app, which allows your child to prepare well with AI-powered question banks, which will effectively strengthen their weak areas in English.