2020 PSLE Discussions and Strategies(for those born in 2008)

[phtthp]

P1 mummy\" post_id=\"1997463\" time=\"1601816058\" user_id=\"68074:[quote=\"P1 mummy\" post_id=1997463 time=1601816058 user_id=68074]

Astudentwhoanswersquestions\" post_id=\"1997287\" time=\"1601686725\" user_id=\"188683:

Sounds like you lost that A* already. Easy paper could be as high as 99 or full marks for A*. As they need to limit the A* awarded. No room for carelessness.

This year (2020),
if the Maths paper is easy

- won't be 91, can get A*

- but also won't be 99 so high, then can get A*

Total, how many marks did student \"astudentwhoanswersqn\" lose ?

He lost 4+2, equal 6 marks.
Means his Raw score is 94, upon 100

After adjustment with rest of the cohort (several thousands of Psle students), is possible that he can still get an A* for Maths

[tutormum]

phtthp\" post_id=\"1997464\" time=\"1601816377\" user_id=\"35251:

tutormum\" post_id=\"1997462\" time=\"1601815965\" user_id=\"12573:

[quote=Fastblade post_id=1997301 time=1601691783 user_id=188704]It is definitely not 91, cos they started with Star so the pattern must follow accordingly, and not like the tuition. So it is not 91

I agree cos it's not fair for the students as the question is rather ambiguous to begin with. There is no mentioning that the tape can be cut from different points and it would be assumed that the starting point of the tape is what is shown in the diagram i.e. from S S H...... Answer would be 89 and 90, setting those students who were able to deduce 89 as another possible answer apart. That's how they differentiate the A and A* students.

Yes, agree with Fastblade and tutormom.

In fact, during PSLE Maths tense exam atmosphere, if student can think of 89, apart from 90, is very, very good already.

However, this being a 2 mark question, may not separate A from an A * student,
unless it is a heavy weighted 5 marks question,

because
2 marks difference, is too small, in that

If you write down 90 one answer, get 1 mark.

If write down 89 and 90, get 2 marks (full marks)[/quote]No lah, I was just using this question as an example on how questions are set to differentiate the students. During DS3's time, I was told that at least there were a few students in his school who managed to get the correct answer to a very difficult question while in some schools, none of the students got it correct. DS3 was very sure that he had lost at least 8 marks for his Maths papers but in the end still got that A*. There is a bell curve and it depends on the overall performance of other students besides your own.

[Tookies]

phtthp\" post_id=\"1997468\" time=\"1601817729\" user_id=\"35251:

P1 mummy\" post_id=\"1997463\" time=\"1601816058\" user_id=\"68074:[quote=\"P1 mummy\" post_id=1997463 time=1601816058 user_id=68074]

This year (2020),
if the Maths paper is easy

- won't be 91, can get A*

- but also won't be 99 so high, then can get A*

Total, how many marks did student \"astudentwhoanswersqn\" lose ?

He lost 4+2, equal 6 marks.
Means his Raw score is 94, upon 100

After adjustment with rest of the cohort (several thousands of Psle students), is possible that he can still get an A* for Maths

So do you mean the grade for each subject is already banded based on T score calculated for that subject? I had the impression that it was based on raw score.

[phtthp]

Assuming that "asastudentwhoanswersqn" original Psle Maths Raw score is indeed 94 marks (upon 100), since he claimed that he lost Total (4 +2), lost 6 marks


94 marks is his Raw score.

1) under new AL Psle system, he will get AL 1 banding for Maths,

since his original Raw score at 94 marks already exceeded 90.
AL system function, based on Raw score.


2) But under Tscore,

after adjustment,
taking into account several thousands of PSLE students’ Maths scores,

his new final adjusted score could end up lower than 94, after being adjusted downwards, assuming a lot of P6 students also did very well for Mathematics, this year.

Hence, he may or may not score an A* for Maths afterall, After adjustment.

How to set apart, differentiate Maths A * students from normal A students ?

- carelessness vs. students who are cautious, checked thoroughly before submit papers to invigilators


- inside Paper 2,
those "heavy weighted " questions that carried 5 marks each.

- inside Paper 1,
accumulation of a few tricky questions set here and there.
E.g.
This 90 vs. (89 and 90) answers

[Haro]

Just curious as I will also have kids under the AL system.


For “asastudentwhoanswerqn”, even if he doesn’t get an A*, he’ll still have a very decent T score for Math. For those under the AL sys, in an easy paper, won’t we end up with a lot of kids getting AL1? That’s not a bad thing at all, but how will they be admitted to Sec school (with no DSA). By balloting?

Let’s see for MT and Sci, don’t think it’s practical to have easy papers for all subjects even though I wish so. Any idea which papers were relatively tougher and easier last year?

Btw in DS school, not everyone thought that Math was easy. There were quite a number who couldn’t finish the paper.

[phtthp]

Not every year, set a relatively easier paper, comparatively.


This year, because of covid that created lots of uncertainty, disruption along the way since March and stress, so they removed some heavy topics out of Maths Psle Test scope, hence become relatively lighter.

For AL system, if there are a lot of students thrown into common pool eg. AL 7 or AL 8 banding, then computer balloting arise, and based on their luck, to spread them all out into various good "diversified" Secondary schools, prevent students from conglomerate, end up always in that one or two good highly popular schools category

[LittleFren123]

Tomorrow Science paper…last paper for those not taking Higher Mother Tongue.

Hopefully Science paper won’t be so tough.

[hanhui]

My gal called from school public phone, said the compo topic was something about 2 gals helping a woman who dropped her monies (not sure if I heard correctly as she was in a rush) … & she said most of her classmates had no time to complete or check the compo. They just managed to finished on the dot.

[Haro]

hanhui\" post_id=\"1997490\" time=\"1601862599\" user_id=\"47197:

My gal called from school public phone, said the compo topic was something about 2 gals helping a woman who dropped her monies (not sure if I heard correctly as she was in a rush) .. & she said most of her classmates had no time to complete or check the compo. They just managed to finished on the dot.

O no... hope Paper 2 will be easier.

[LittleFren123]

hanhui\" post_id=\"1997490\" time=\"1601862599\" user_id=\"47197:

My gal called from school public phone, said the compo topic was something about 2 gals helping a woman who dropped her monies (not sure if I heard correctly as she was in a rush) .. & she said most of her classmates had no time to complete or check the compo. They just managed to finished on the dot.

Oh then it's close to 2018 paper , also something to do with drop wallet etc.