2017 PSLE Discussions and Strategies

[love1001]

Although my elder one is only P4, I am surprised that she told me how dreadful PSLE is going to be. She recently came to realize that that PSLE is very very tough. Apparently, she and her friends saw a few P6 girls crying last Thur. Likewise, she also kept asking why need to have so many tests and exams, why teachers like to give low marks for oral and compo etc… sometimes all these "why" questions are not easy to answer. Likewise, I do not understand the whole intend and agenda of MOE. I thought over the past few years, there were some changes to the PSLE questions and past few years PSLE were more manageable. Why the sudden swing again??! Is there really a need to demoralize and penalize our 11-12 years old in such manner. To me, it is simply implying that our schools are not teaching and preparing the kids well enough to conquer this high stake exam. On one hand, you are encouraging schools to reduce the exam stress (and my kids’ school is indeed doing the bare minimum now). On the other hand, you are setting tricky and ambiguous papers to kill the morale of these children, testing them beyond what was taught. Totally contradicting!

[xuanfam]

:goodpost:

Twinkle Belle:

My daughter just completed her PSLE. She is not a slacker and has been a consistent worker all this while. After she had completed her science paper yesterday, she came out feeling shaken because the paper was difficult. There were many answers which she was unsure of. She spent a lot of time mulling over the options in the MCQ section. In short, it was a nerve-wrecking experience for her.


There were other pupils who could not complete the paper. Her classmates, mostly above average performers, commented that it was a 'hard' paper.

I felt for my dd and her friends and all the pupils who sat the PSLE this year. Having completed 6 years of primary education, they sat for a National Examination and came out feeling unsure of themselves. The papers in the various subjects were tricky and mind-boggling this year. It was a confidence-rattling experience. There is no 'feel-good' factor that resulted from reaping what they have sown - hours, days, weeks and months of sheer hard work and practice. I feel for them because they ended up questioning why they couldn't confidently tackle the paper despite the sheer amount of hard work invested into the exam preparation. While this may be a gross generalisation, I feel that many pupils emerged from the exam halls feeling that they had been cornered during the exam and booby traps implanted everywhere to 'catch them failing'. Take the Chinese Listening Comprehension for example. The problematic turn-taking conversation question is one such example of a trap to catch the pupils 'not listening'.

Yes, of course, at the end of it, we know that if a particular paper was pitched at a difficult level, it would undergo some moderation but I am more concerned about the insidious messaging in the whole exam system. By setting such challenging PSLE papers, it will reinforce the belief that PSLE is difficult. Nobody needs to debunk the myth that PSLE is challenging any more. And so the vicious cycle begins where teachers, parents and pupils embark on this paper chase - tuition, supplementary classes, setting tear-spilling and nail-biting prelim papers to fully prepare the pupils/children to battle the PSLE monster.

Of course, we can all console ourselves that if the PSLE was difficult, we can teach our children about resilience, about being prepared for the unexpected challenges in life BUT my point is, should this culminating final examination erode the pupils of their self-esteem and make them feel that they could not apply what they had learnt in school in answering the questions? Are such difficult papers necessary? Do we really need to break their spirit to see them grow?

Thanks for hearing me out...

[janet88]

it’s heartbreaking to read Twinkle Belle’s post. i feel sad for her daughter and the p6s who had to go through a stressful period facing this high-stakes exam.


results for tough papers will be moderated but somehow, the confidence of the students will be shaken when they leave the exam hall.

having said this, PSLE is over. no point mulling over it for the next 1 month plus. the kids have done their best and they should put this aside or else they will get into depression thinking about it. the worse is over. be positive for the kids. after these 9 months plus of intensive drilling, it’s really time to put everything aside and enjoy thoroughly…because they truly deserve a good break.

[phtthp]

What Janet said is True.


2017 PSLE batch students had done their very best !

Now is time for them to relax, enjoy life, play to their maximum, before 2018 Secondary 1 school life begin a new chapter in their life.


Who are the ones next, going to be concerned with PSLE ?
Will be those born in 2006 / 2007 … (next two batches)

[janet88]

phtthp:

What Janet said is True.


2017 PSLE batch students had done their very best !

Now is time for them to relax, enjoy life, play to their maximum, before 2018 Secondary 1 school life begin a new chapter in their life.

hey P6s, you have COMPLETED primary school education :rahrah: it's the end of the chapter. ENJOY yourselves because you deserve it. what is done is done. from now onwards, it's P-L-A-Y time. 2moro is children's day and a true holiday to mark the end of your P6.

[nesame]

ShevW:

xn_mummy:

:xedfingers:

hmm..
maybe the breakdown of question make them easier to gain mark ?

but my child's sc teacher (HOD of Science) told us for 1 mark question its either zero or 1 mark no 1/2 mark given so if breakdown of question have alot of 1 marks then it is worst... :scared:

My DD told me there are a lot of 1m questions. Like almost 3/4 of it is 1m. It will be very difficult to score now since they do not allocate 1/2m. So will be either 0 or 1. If write too little not state what they want, no mark. If write extra, also no mark.

[ShevW]

nesame:

ShevW:

[quote=\"xn_mummy\"]:xedfingers:

hmm..
maybe the breakdown of question make them easier to gain mark ?

but my child's sc teacher (HOD of Science) told us for 1 mark question its either zero or 1 mark no 1/2 mark given so if breakdown of question have alot of 1 marks then it is worst... :scared:

My DD told me there are a lot of 1m questions. Like almost 3/4 of it is 1m. It will be very difficult to score now since they do not allocate 1/2m. So will be either 0 or 1. If write too little not state what they want, no mark. If write extra, also no mark. [/quote]yes that's my worry too, which is why I felt very upset when I heard there's alot of sub questions this year.

[Estéema]

Twinkle Belle:

My daughter just completed her PSLE. She is not a slacker and has been a consistent worker all this while. After she had completed her science paper yesterday, she came out feeling shaken because the paper was difficult. There were many answers which she was unsure of. She spent a lot of time mulling over the options in the MCQ section. In short, it was a nerve-wrecking experience for her.


There were other pupils who could not complete the paper. Her classmates, mostly above average performers, commented that it was a 'hard' paper.

I felt for my dd and her friends and all the pupils who sat the PSLE this year. Having completed 6 years of primary education, they sat for a National Examination and came out feeling unsure of themselves. The papers in the various subjects were tricky and mind-boggling this year. It was a confidence-rattling experience. There is no 'feel-good' factor that resulted from reaping what they have sown - hours, days, weeks and months of sheer hard work and practice. I feel for them because they ended up questioning why they couldn't confidently tackle the paper despite the sheer amount of hard work invested into the exam preparation. While this may be a gross generalisation, I feel that many pupils emerged from the exam halls feeling that they had been cornered during the exam and booby traps implanted everywhere to 'catch them failing'. Take the Chinese Listening Comprehension for example. The problematic turn-taking conversation question is one such example of a trap to catch the pupils 'not listening'.

Yes, of course, at the end of it, we know that if a particular paper was pitched at a difficult level, it would undergo some moderation but I am more concerned about the insidious messaging in the whole exam system. By setting such challenging PSLE papers, it will reinforce the belief that PSLE is difficult. Nobody needs to debunk the myth that PSLE is challenging any more. And so the vicious cycle begins where teachers, parents and pupils embark on this paper chase - tuition, supplementary classes, setting tear-spilling and nail-biting prelim papers to fully prepare the pupils/children to battle the PSLE monster.

Of course, we can all console ourselves that if the PSLE was difficult, we can teach our children about resilience, about being prepared for the unexpected challenges in life BUT my point is, should this culminating final examination erode the pupils of their self-esteem and make them feel that they could not apply what they had learnt in school in answering the questions? Are such difficult papers necessary? Do we really need to break their spirit to see them grow?

Thanks for hearing me out...

Hey Twinkle belle,

It's been a dizzy past weeks! Had abit of time at airport & was thinking of your DD. It's heart wrenching reading what u've related.

May I request if u can give her 2/3 extra hugs or much more fr aunty here. Tell her you're proud of her going through this major milestone. She had done her best & I've seen her consistent excellent work. Tell her ppl look at her overall performance and exams doesn't say everything abt who she is. She did her best & don't look back. Tell her she can start doing her favourite things. Only parents can help hold their child up & help them hold their esteem up. Don't outsource this responsibility to others, they can't do a better job then you can!

There'll be at least 3 months for her to R&R. Cook her her fav food, teach her baking or do some Universal Studio fun with playmates, etc. My DC started going into kitchen, learnt piano fr scratch fr one KSP piano teacher mum here, bake & do fondant cakes & even chocolate fridget. So much to do to help our child fr fixated at the past PSLE. Don't let her dwell (means we adults also stop talking abt PSLE or whatever happen to qn #, etc) & kids pick up fast fr is to let go!

Que Sera Sera! Live life to the fullest without PSLE dragging us back.

Will be praying for all P6 kids to overcome after PSLE, to move on with growing to next stage of their lives - tweens. More impt then PSLE, they'll be searching for their identities & comparing notes with peers on all things - clothes. shoes, hair styles, type of pine cream to use, etc.

We must be there for them as pillar of strength. Have fun mummy & kids!

[fable]

I tell my son that the PSLE is not a measure of his intelligence, and doing well or badly does not change the person that he is. The PSLE doesn’t test kindness, thoughtfulness, or empathy. It does not measure how happy he is or how much grit he has. I want him to take the exams knowing he has done what he can to prepare for the papers, and the marks will be what they are. If he doesn’t get the score he expects despite doing his best, then there is nothing to regret, and we are proud of his effort.


We are lucky coz he has a DSA offer to the school he wants to go to. So in a sense the PSLE matters less. But the pressure to do well is still very much there. I don’t think pressure in itself is a bad thing, but if its so much as to be debilitating, then we need to do our part to provide some perspective, yah?

[myteapot]

Before the start of the PSLE, I was very curious to see how MOE will set the papers this year. No doubt, it turned out to be a tough PSLE year. I will like to share my thoughts on why this could be so. Come year 2021, the PSLE scoring is based on achievement levels which in turn is based on raw marks. The ALs will be summed together for a total score for secondary school posting. There will no longer be a T-score which is moderated across the cohort. Hence, the papers must be pitched at the right level of difficulty to get that desired mix of ALs, otherwise there will be a lot of balloting to secondary schools which is not desirable. Could it be that these few years leading to 2021 could be the experiment years to get that “right level of difficulty”, and this year, being the first year post announcement, is pitched more challenging?

\t
For my DS, yes, the papers turned out to be challenging for him, especially Science, which is his strongest subject. In all the school or practice Science papers he worked on, he is always able to do most of the questions. But with this PSLE paper, he told me that there were a few questions he does not know the answer. Naturally, he was disappointed as this was the subject he was hoping to score in. Naturally, he was unsure if he could meet his own PSLE score target. But he accepted that it was a tough paper, decided not to talk about it and moved on. For now, he is so happy that the PSLE is over, and is not looking back at all. To him and to us, he has done his best. Preparing for PSLE was a long journey and a lot of consistent hard work, practice and determination went into it. Even though this final paper test may not bring that out, there is still a lot of knowledge gained by our DC in the process, which they will carry with them into secondary life.

For those yet to sit for the PSLE, please do not feel discouraged by the PSLE. It may be frightening as it is the one exam that will determine your next 4/6 years, but approach it with the right mindset and it will be less daunting.