PSLE – four dreaded letters that all Singaporeans are only too familiar with. This is how the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) defines it:
“The Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) is an annual national examination that is taken by candidates at the end of their final year of primary school education, in Singapore.”
Nothing scary about it, right? And yet this is THE exam that strikes fear and worry in many (most?) parents’ hearts. Even those who claim not to be academically driven would have worried about it at some point in their lives if they were truly honest about it.
Why?
Because it is THE exam that sorts our school-aged children into supposedly better career paths at the tender age of 12 because apparently, the school one ends up in after PSLE is really important. And that would set the child up for success or not.
PSLE and Homeschoolers
Contrary to popular belief, homeschoolers are NOT exempt from PSLE. In fact, it is one of the MAIN criteria we have to fulfil if we want to homeschool, amongst increasingly numerous criteria these days. And as homeschoolers, we cannot just pass it like public-schooled children. Instead, it is stated in the MOE webpage on exemptions that we also need to:
- Meet the 33rd percentile PSLE aggregate score of students who take the 4 subjects at standard level in national primary schools in that same year.
In other words, we cannot just pass it but need to attain a grade that qualifies us to enter the Express Stream in secondary schools even if we do not wish to enrol our child in secondary school. This, however, will change in 2024.
*For more on the different streams available in our secondary schools,
read MOE’s webpage or get the overview from Wikipedia.
Our PSLE Experience
As always, I am merely sharing our experience, actually MY experience. It is descriptive, not prescriptive, as my son who attended his first class on Philosophy learnt in his lecture recently.
I write here to document our experience because my memory isn’t as great as it used to be. And this documentation may help or encourage someone out there. If nothing else, re-reading my old posts reminds ME to look to the One who has called us to this homeschooling path, many, many years ago.
I have written about our PSLE experience almost after each one and I cover different aspects of it. I have also written about the options post-PSLE and the choice of Abeka for our homeschool. There is also a FAQ post on all things PSLE that I have been asked over and over.
Clear It Once and For All
Since the children have decided that they want to continue homeschooling past PSLE, the stress on us is very much lessened compared to those who are aiming to enter a school of their choice. BUT, because of the benchmark, it is still stressful. Sure, we could just ignore it. And if they do not clear it, just re-sit the exams. But in our family, we prefer to try our best to clear it once and for all if possible. If possible because I know that not every child can clear it the first time – for whatever reason. But that is our goal.
And so, we will try our best, put in the effort and resources necessary and commit to clear it so that we can move on to the next chapter of our homeschooling journey. I am also mindful of the impact on their self-esteem should they not clear the benchmark, even though they have not failed the PSLE. So I do my part, the child does her part and then we just trust God.
What I Have Learnt
Here is a compilation of 8 posts I have written on PSLE over the years. May they encourage you as you go through it with your child.
PSLE Preparations – My motto for our homeschooling journey has always been, “Slow and steady wins the race”. Work done consistently and regularly is better than huge chunks of work done sporadically. I share the resources we used for our very first PSLE in this post.
PSLE Again – Just because one child does well, everyone assumes that all the children will too. But every child is different. Just because they have the same teacher (me!) it is no guarantee that all of them will have similar results. But God is faithful, always.
PSLE Round 3 – As mentioned above, homeschoolers need to not only pass this national exam but clear the benchmark set by MOE or we will have to re-sit the entire exam. Here, I explore the options available if the child does not clear the benchmark.
PSLE Round 5 and Other Homeschooling Matters – In this post, I share how we prepare for the oral exams and how the homeschool community come together to help our children get ready for PSLE with our own homeschool prelims.
PSLE Reflections – I wrote this post after graduating our 5th child from PSLE in 2017. I share 3 things that I feel have helped us in our journey.
What’s Next After PSLE for Our Family – Most people assume that our children will take O Levels as private candidates after PSLE. Or we would send them into the school system. We chose neither and explain why in this post.
Post PSLE Homeschooling FAQs – Post PSLE, there is no longer any Law that dictates our choice and mode of education. This can be exciting or scary. I share the options available and the pitfalls to pay attention to, especially if you have boys who need to serve in NS.
Choosing Our High School/Secondary School Curriculum – We have chosen to use Abeka Academy’s Homeschool Program instead of The Potter School or iGCSE or the Advancement Placement way. Why? I address them all in this post.
All Things PSLE
I hope that by putting all the PSLE posts into one big post is helpful. Let me know if you have more questions that I can help with. And in case you are wondering, NO, no matter how many times I had gone through this, it doesn’t get easier or less stressful at all. I seem to have to keep re-learning to trust God and stop taking things into my own hands. Sad but true. May you be a faster learner than me.
Related Posts
Considering Homeschooling?
Homeschooling Will Not Save Your Child
Why Do We Homeschool?