2013 PSLE Discussions and Strategy

[Pa Pa Na Na]

Hi. I am new to KSP. MY elder boy will be sitting for PSLE this year.

We have read through the 2013 PSLE Instructions To Candidates booklet, by the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB). We are greatly concerned with Point 11 on Page 1 of the booklet which states, ‘Write your answers legibly in blue/black ink or ball pens. If you need to change your answers, cross them out and re-write the answers.’ His teachers and tutors have told us that correction tapes are DISALLOWED in PSLE. Can parents advise if this is true? Is it ‘DISALLOWED’ or ‘DISCOURAGED’ as the instruction seems ambiguous. I have written in to SEAB to enquire if correction tapes can be used at PSLE and have asked them for the rationale behind this instruction if correction tape is DISALLOWED. I am awaiting SEAB’s response. This instruction is causing us great anxieties as my son has been conditioned to using correction tapes. If this is a standing instruction, then correction tape should have been banned in schools to prevent pupils from getting used to them. We think it is more effective and time consuming for students to simply use the correction tape to ‘erase’ his mistake especially for Mathematics and Compositions, and the overall presentation of answers during examinations will be neater. Can parents kindly share your sentiments and experiences please? Thanks!

[ngl2010]

Pa Pa Na Na:

Hi. I am new to KSP. MY elder boy will be sitting for PSLE this year.

We have read through the 2013 PSLE Instructions To Candidates booklet, by the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB). We are greatly concerned with Point 11 on Page 1 of the booklet which states, 'Write your answers legibly in blue/black ink or ball pens. If you need to change your answers, cross them out and re-write the answers.' His teachers and tutors have told us that correction tapes are DISALLOWED in PSLE. Can parents advise if this is true? Is it 'disallowed' or 'discouraged' as the instruction seems ambiguous? I have written in to SEAB to enquire if correction tapes can be used at PSLE and have asked them for the rationale behind this instruction if correction tape is disallowed. I am awaiting SEAB's response. This instruction is causing us great anxieties as my son has been conditioned to using correction tapes. Can parents please share your sentiments and experiences please? Thanks!

Hi. This is the first time I heard of it. I thought it is only discouraged. There was a great deal discussions of it in Kiasuparents Forum in 2012 and 2013 about the use of correction tape but the conclusion is the correction tape is discouraged, not banned.

I am in panic mode now as my son is used to correction tape. No correction tape will mean disaster for him.

Any parents can confirm whether the correction tape is discouraged or banned? The last reply we got from SEAB was a few years ago. Has the policy changed?

[Pa Pa Na Na]

My wife asked our neighbor whose daughter sat for PSLE last year and was told that she could not use correction tapes at PSLE. We are in panic mode too as our son is kind of perfectionist who likes his work piece to be clean and tidy. No correction tape will be a crisis for him too!!!

[ngl2010]

Please see this. But this is a few years ago and on O-level.


http://www.seab.gov.sg/publicCommunications/mediaReplies/CorrectionFluidUse_Reply_27022009.pdf

Anybody has an updated one?

[janet88]

Cancel mistakes neatly…try to avoid using correction tape as much as possible.


When answer scripts are pressed/stacked on each other for a month before marking, correction tape to cover mistakes can easily stick to paper on top and reveal what should not. So, canceling wrong answer is safer.

[clay569]

I read the old thread on advice against using correction tape last year. But one of DS's teachers this year actually insists on correction tape.... So I'm :scratchhead:

[icy_mama]

my dd said her ft says no correction tape. need to cancel out neatly. dd’s school had a PSLE briefing in school about this, hence she’s sure it is so.


reason being some bad quality correction tapes may flake off and revealing wrong answer.

[janet88]

icy_mama:

my dd said her ft says no correction tape. need to cancel out neatly.


reason being some bad quality correction tapes may flake off and revealing wrong answer.

That's the scary part...revealing what should not be. Cancel wrong answer neatly...safer in my opinion...especially with that kind of tension. Be safe.

[kiasuparentsirock]

For Chinese, is the comprehension open ended normally harder for HCL or CL? :?

[Cloudybay]

kiasuparentsirock:

For Chinese, is the comprehension open ended normally harder for HCL or CL? :?

I should think it's tougher for HCL.