Understanding PLSE & What The Scores Mean In Singapore

WHY CHANGE THE SCORING SYSTEM

While the old, T-score system reflected how well students have done relative to their peers, the new Achievement Levels (AL) system reflects how well students have done relative to learning objectives of the curriculum, allowing them to focus on their own learning and pursue their interests. MOE is therefore shifting the focus from achieving academic results through peer competition to discovering and developing strengths and interests.

HOW IS THE SCORING DIFFERENT?

First, the new scoring system has broader scoring bands – PSLE T-score used a formula to indicate how well a student did compared to their peers. With the new PSLE, students receive an achievement level for every subject (AL1 to AL8) that encompasses a range of marks. The final PSLE Score is the sum of ALs (with the highest score being 4 – AL1 for each subject).

HOW DO SCORING AND POSTING WORK?

While there had been over 200 possible T-scores, there are only 29 possible PSLE Scores, meaning they are less differentiated. In turn, this means that more schools will have the same cut-off point, and students will be able to choose between more schools. If two students have the same PSLE Score, the tie-breakers are citizenship, choice order or, if the first two are again the same, computerized balloting.

Now that we covered the basics, you can find more information from MOE here!