2019 PSLE Discussions and Strategies (Children born in 2007)

[sembgal]

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/e ... e-in-store


On one popular education forum, parents even discuss starting PSLE \"training\" for children from as early as Primary 3. :rotflmao:

Sounds familiar huh?!

I have noticed a big jump from P2 academic work to P3 academic work. Most parents and students only wake up after Term 1 when their children are in P5. I have asked around from students to parents and even teachers that the academic work from P4 to P5 is a super big jump. Without building the foundation well, the structure starts to shake at P5. With so much changes to the new PSLE English syllabus 2015, new PSLE Science syllabus 2017, new PSLE Chinese syllabus 2017 and new Math PSLE syllabus 2018, tell me, aren't you all aware of the new changes to the exam format? Take Science for example, there will be 28 MCQ questions instead of 30 MCQ questions. More structured questions in Booklet B Science. For Chinese, the students are tested on at least 2 MCQ questions on the Chinese meaning of the vocabulary phase and this is a new component. Our children now need to know the full Chinese meaning of the phrase or words and not only just understand the English meanings of the Chinese words and that's it. There is a section of 4 marks awarded to writing a note in Chinese. Not to mention, the new oral Chinese component where the child has to watch a video and comment on it.

With so much changes, will you wait till your children are in P5 to start worrying? Many parents I know lamented how could their children marks drop so much in P5 as compared to P4. Well, the foundation is not there. Children not reading enough English books or Chinese books, magazines or newspaper.

[FantasyLandDreams]

Hi sembgal

Thanks for sharing the above. Can I check with you, for maths syllabus 2018, what are the changes? I have not heard anything on Maths yet. Thanks.

[sembgal]

FantasyLandDreams:

Hi sembgal

Thanks for sharing the above. Can I check with you, for maths syllabus 2018, what are the changes? I have not heard anything on Maths yet. Thanks.

Hi, just to clarify on the Revised Examination Format (PSLE Science) affecting children born 2005 and children born after 2005. Children born in 2005 will be the first batch of students to take the new revised Science exam.

The revised exam format in Science Booklet A (MCQ), there will only be 28 MCQ questions instead of 30 MCQ questions. Each question is 2 marks. Total marks: 56 or 56%

The revised exam format in Science Booklet B (Open-Ended) questions, there will be 12 to 13 questions. Each question will be awarded 2 to 5 marks. Total marks: 44 or 44%

If you compare the revised exam format with the existing format, you see that more marks are awarded to Booklet B now.

What is existing Science format?
Booklet A - 30 MCQ questions, each question is 2 marks. Total is 60 marks / 60%
Booklet B - 14 Open-ended questions, each question is awarded 2 to 4 marks. Total is 40 marks / 40%

I'm sharing based on the Standard Science exam format. Foundation Science is another format which I will not be discussing here.


As for Maths, I do not have the details yet.

For 2017 PSLE format for MTL (Standard Mother Tongue), here is the breakdown.
Paper 1 - Composition (40 marks) / Weighting (20%)
Paper 2 - Language Use & Comprehension (90 marks) / Weighting (45%)
Paper 3 - Oral (50 marks) / Weighting (25%)
Paper 3 - Listening Comprehension (20 marks) / Weighting (10%)
Total: 200 marks / Weighting (100%)


2017 PSLE Format for MTL (Higher Mother Tongue)
Paper 1 - Composition (40 marks) / Weighting (40%)
Paper 2 - Language Use & Comprehension (60 marks) / Weighting (60%)
Total: 100 marks / Weighting (100%)

Something to take note is for Oral - Standard Mother Tongue, reading is 20 marks and NEW (Video Conversation) is 30 marks.

[phtthp]

sembgal:

Hi, just to clarify on the Revised Examination Format (PSLE Science) affecting children born 2005 and children born after 2005.
Children born in 2005 will be the first batch of students to take the new revised Science exam.

The revised exam format in Science Booklet A (MCQ), there will only be 28 MCQ questions instead of 30 MCQ questions. Each question is 2 marks. Total marks: 56 or 56%

The revised exam format in Science Booklet B (Open-Ended) questions, there will be 12 to 13 questions. Each question will be awarded 2 to 5 marks. Total marks: 44 or 44%

If you compare the revised exam format with the existing format, you see that more marks are awarded to Booklet B now.

What is existing Science format ?
Booklet A - 30 MCQ questions, each question is 2 marks. Total is 60 marks / 60%
Booklet B - 14 Open-ended questions, each question is awarded 2 to 4 marks. Total is 40 marks / 40%

I'm sharing based on the Standard Science exam format.
(Foundation Science is another format which I will not be discussing here.)


As for Maths, I do not have the details yet.
...

hi sembgal,

Thank you very much, for alert update to 2019 Sep/Oct Psle examination format. Much appreciated
(PSLE is 3 more years, from today)


closer to forthcoming SA1 (May 2016, in 4 weeks' time, which we more concerned with, let's clear the 1st Science hurdle, first) :
is our 2016 P3 Science exam format, similar to or different from 2019 PSLE Standard Science exam format ?

P3 SA1 Section B (OE)
how many OE qn (P3 Science) ?

how to answer OE qn ? :?

OE : Open-ended

[sembgal]

phtthp:

sembgal:

Hi, just to clarify on the Revised Examination Format (PSLE Science) affecting children born 2005 and children born after 2005.
Children born in 2005 will be the first batch of students to take the new revised Science exam.

The revised exam format in Science Booklet A (MCQ), there will only be 28 MCQ questions instead of 30 MCQ questions. Each question is 2 marks. Total marks: 56 or 56%

The revised exam format in Science Booklet B (Open-Ended) questions, there will be 12 to 13 questions. Each question will be awarded 2 to 5 marks. Total marks: 44 or 44%

If you compare the revised exam format with the existing format, you see that more marks are awarded to Booklet B now.

What is existing Science format ?
Booklet A - 30 MCQ questions, each question is 2 marks. Total is 60 marks / 60%
Booklet B - 14 Open-ended questions, each question is awarded 2 to 4 marks. Total is 40 marks / 40%

I'm sharing based on the Standard Science exam format.
(Foundation Science is another format which I will not be discussing here.)


As for Maths, I do not have the details yet.
...

hi sembgal,

Thank you very much, for alert update to 2019 Sep/Oct Psle examination format. Much appreciated
(PSLE is 3 more years, from today)


closer to forthcoming SA1 (May 2016, in 4 weeks' time, which we more concerned with, let's clear the 1st Science hurdle, first) :
is our 2016 P3 Science exam format, similar to or different from 2019 PSLE Standard Science exam format ?

P3 SA1 Section B (OE)
how many OE qn (P3 Science) ?

how to answer OE qn ? :?

OE : Open-ended

Hi phtthp: you have to check with your dd's P3 Science teacher regarding her SA1 exam Science paper format. Our girls are in different school. I can't answer this for you. Sorry.

[sean wife]

Just wondering, how much time do your p3 spend on revising and doing work each day? P1-P2 was quite a breezy period as the work was rather easy… Never had to really plan a schedule or spend much time on tingxie or spelling. Come P3, with the addition of science and higher expectation of Compo, zuowen, I am getting worried how we should plan our time more efficiently. Especially for working parents we only have that 2-3 hours with more than one child, to cover all the elements effectively. I try to stop everything by 8.30pm so that they can be in bed by 9pm…only weekend seems to have a bit more time…can’t imagine when p5/p6 comes.

[mugen]

I think it depends on the child and the amount of work from school. Ds used to get a lot of homework in P1 and p2 and I only worked on his weak areas during school holiday. I also usually do a couple of journal writing with him during school holidays since P1.


Now in P3, the Chinese teacher does not give as much work and I have to send him for zuowen class and revise CL with him for about 30 min on most days. It may be textbook, assessment books, or vocab building. He is fairly independent for the other three subjects and I have left him mainly to his own devices for them. On days when he is "too free", I will give him some English grammar to do. Unless he specifically tells me he is struggling with a topic, I will generally wait for after exam results to come back to see what needs to be done.

He still has a lot of time to do origami, leisure reading or play outdoors.

[phtthp]

sembgal:

you have to check with your dd's P3 Science teacher regarding her SA1 exam Science paper format. Our girls are in different school. I can't answer this for you. Sorry.

why aren't P3 SA1 exam Science format the same across the board for all primary schools, in terms of the number of Science Questions set, under Section A (MCQ) and Section B (Open ended) ?
Why do exam format differ, across different schools, so confusing ?

we all know that each school set different questions under Section A and B, as such the standard of each school varies for Science.
(some schools set difficult, tough qns, while other schools set easier qns)

But, in terms of the Number of qns set (P3 exam format) under each Section, shouldn't they be standardized, across all schools ? :?

after all, regardless of which primary school pupil comes from, come 2019 Sep/Oct PSLE, every student going to sit for the same, exact identical PSLE paper !
so, might as well standardize the exam format of SA1 and SA2 papers, from P3 to P6

btw, sometimes, certain popular Secondary schools also ask for P4 SA2 results, not just ask for P5 and P6 only.
As such, one can say that the PSLE prep years start from P4 SA2 onwards.

[sembgal]

phtthp:

sembgal:

you have to check with your dd's P3 Science teacher regarding her SA1 exam Science paper format. Our girls are in different school. I can't answer this for you. Sorry.

why aren't P3 SA1 exam Science format the same across the board for all primary schools, in terms of the number of Science Questions set, under Section A (MCQ) and Section B (Open ended) ?
Why do exam format differ, across different schools, so confusing ?

we all know that each school set different questions under Section A and B, as such the standard of each school varies for Science.
(some schools set difficult, tough qns, while other schools set easier qns)

But, in terms of the Number of qns set (P3 exam format) under each Section, shouldn't they be standardized, across all schools ? :?

after all, regardless of which primary school pupil comes from, come 2019 PSLE, every student going to sit for the same, exact identical PSLE paper !
so, might as well standardize the exam format of SA1 and SA2 papers, from P3 to P6

Some schools do not set CA1 or CA2 Science papers anymore. They set only SA1 and SA2 papers. Eg: CHIJ St Nicholas Girls, Raffles Girls' Primary, do not conduct CA1 assessment.

In such cases, it is difficult for primary schools to standardize their papers.

[sembgal]

mugen:

I think it depends on the child and the amount of work from school. Ds used to get a lot of homework in P1 and p2 and I only worked on his weak areas during school holiday. I also usually do a couple of journal writing with him during school holidays since P1.


Now in P3, the Chinese teacher does not give as much work and I have to send him for zuowen class and revise CL with him for about 30 min on most days. It may be textbook, assessment books, or vocab building. He is fairly independent for the other three subjects and I have left him mainly to his own devices for them. On days when he is \"too free\", I will give him some English grammar to do. Unless he specifically tells me he is struggling with a topic, I will generally wait for after exam results to come back to see what needs to be done.

He still has a lot of time to do origami, leisure reading or play outdoors.

I wish I can say my child does not get so much Chinese homework. P1 and P2 very little Chinese homework, unless you count learning Chinese spelling as homework. This year in P3, there is increased in the load of Chinese homework. It is good that the teacher made the students do homework for Composition correction, oral preparation, Chinese worksheet and Chinese workbook. Sometimes there is 知识画报 homework.

In fact, learnlogy, ezhishi, mconline has plentiful of e-resources, we have to find time to explore these online resources.

9pm to 6am is the realistic bedtime that I am working towards achieving.
8pm to 6am is my ideal bedtime for my child that is so difficult to implement.
10.30pm to 6am is the actual bedtime that my child can fall asleep.

How many hours of sleep does your child gets on each weekday on average?