PSLE Chinese Guide: Understanding the Achievement Level (AL) System

A PSLE Chinese Guide

The Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) marks a pivotal moment in a student's academic journey. Its significance lies not only in the assessment of a student's proficiency in various subjects but also in its impact on their educational path. The Ministry of Education (MOE) has introduced a transformative grading system known as the Achievement Level (AL) system in 2021 to replace the old T-score System, reshaping the way students' performance is evaluated.     In this comprehensive guide, we'll delve into the PSLE scoring system, the intricacies of the PSLE Chinese paper, and how it impacts secondary school admission. 

The Basics of the PSLE AL Scoring System

Achievement Levels, numbered from AL1 (the highest) to AL8 (the lowest), are used in place of the traditional numerical scores in the PSLE AL system. To calculate your child’s PSLE score, the sum of the respective ALs for each subject—English, Mother Tongue, Mathematics, and Science — are used to determine the PSLE score.

With only 29 different possible scores, this revolutionary system represents a shift towards a more holistic approach to assessment with more schools having more of the same cut-off points, aligning with MOE's goal to emphasize holistic education. 

The Importance of Chinese in your child's PSLE Scores

The AL PSLE scoring system places an equal emphasise on each subject in the PSLE. This shift will mean that students will have to focus on scoring well across all four subjects, including their mother tongue. This places a more direct importance of the Chinese language towards your child’s final PSLE score. 

Understanding the PSLE Chinese Scoring System

Understanding the weightages given to the various parts of the Chinese paper is essential to conquering the PSLE Chinese subject. A balanced approach between four key factors is necessary to achieve a high overall PSLE Chinese score because the exam is a comprehensive assessment of a student's Chinese language skills. By understanding how the marks are distributed through the various components according to SEAB, we can develop a strategy to better approach the test to achieve your desired grades.

PSLE Chinese Comprehension Paper

The Comprehension Paper, also known as Paper 2, is the most important with a maximum score of 90 points, which accounts for 45% of the overall weightage. The paper 2 evaluates your child’s vocabulary, grammer and overall proficiency in Chinese, with both MCQs and open-ended question types, and the dreaded Chinese comprehension being a major component. We will recommend giving more attention to this component in terms of comprehension skillsets due to its high overall weightage. 

PSLE Chinese Oral

Following which, the Chinese oral is the second highest weightage with a maximum score of 50 points, accounting for 25% of the overall weightage. Your child will take the oral examination first, as the first part of the PSLE exam. In the exam, your child will also be expected to read a paragraph in Chinese, watch a video, and have a dialogue with their examiner based on the information in the video during this Chinese oral exam. Given enough practice of speaking Chinese in your child’s day-to-day life and environment, the Chinese oral component can be a scoring point as well. 

PSLE Chinese Composition Writing Paper 

This is closely followed by the Composition Writing (Paper 1), with a maximum score of 40 points, at 20% of the weightage. Paper 1 consists of a composition whereby your child can decide whether to compose a composition based on a set of provided outlines or a set of provided photographs. This is also the only component that dictionaries can be used in the PSLE examination.

PSLE Chinese Listening Comprehension

Lastly, the Chinese listening comprehension is the smallest component with a maximum score of 20 points, at 10% of the weightage. However, this is also the simplest part to score, and one should aim to get Chinese passages to answer certain multiple-choice questions (MCQs) based on these passages.     The four main component adds up to a total of 200 marks, which will then be converted to 100% to determine our child’s Chinese AL score. 

With this information, you can now develop a strategy for your child to achieve their desired PSLE Chinese grades! Find Out How LingoAce Can Help

Higher Chinese Language (HCL) for admission to SAP schools

If your child qualifies and has a particular aptitude in the Chinese language to learn at a higher level, taking Higher Chinese language (HCL) is an option that offers unique advantages for your child. Understanding how HCL is graded and more importantly, how it impacts your child's educational journey is crucial. Most primary schools allow students to take the course at primary 5 with a minimum 70-mark grade.  

Students who have at least a pass in HCL and has a PSLE Chinese AL Score of ≤ 14 will be eligible for posting advantage to SAP secondary schools, making it an attractive option. Nevertheless, students with better PSLE Chinese scores will still be given priority, so only take Higher Chinese if you are confident in balancing the performance of the four main PSLE subjects. 

Source: MOE 

Understanding the PSLE Higher Chinese Grading System

Unlike PSLE Chinese, HCL focuses more on Chinese vocabulary and grammar at a more advanced level. As such, students taking HCL only have to do 2 components – Composition writing and the written comprehension paper. The total marks for the higher Chinese paper will also be 100 instead of 200. 

2023 PSLE dates you need to know for Higher Chinese and Chinese papers

To help with your planning, here are the latest PSLE key dates to note. Mark your calendars for these crucial dates to plan a study schedule for your child and offer the best support for them!

Preparing for Success

Early preparation is advised because the PSLE is crucial in determining your child's educational future. Critical elements of this preparation include an understanding of the complexities of the AL system, the weightages of various components in the PSLE Chinese Examination, and the importance of topics like Higher Chinese in admittance to SAP schools should that be your targeted secondary school. 

Nevertheless, our goal here at LingoAce is to tap into learners' imagination and creativity to make learning fun. Through our expertly design gamified curriculum, experienced and certified teachers, as well as a personalised learning plan for every child’s unique needs, LingoAce aims to allow your child to master of various topics through the emphasis of actual learning and understanding.

If you are looking to help your child succeed in the PSLE Chinese exam, please visit our website or contact us for a free trial class! We offer a variety of programs and services to help students of all levels to improve their Chinese language skills.

For our avid blog readers, simply visit our page, sign up for a free trial and receive additional 2 free lessons after purchasing a package with us!  Find Out More!