PSLE is the first national examination a student goes through in Singapore. Hence, it is the most stressful time for both students and parents, as it determines whether students can advance to the next phase of their educational journey and to which stream they will be allocated.
PSLE consists of four subjects: English, Mother tongue (Chinese, Japanese, Tamil, etc.), Math, and Science. Many may argue that Science is considered one of the most challenging and complex subjects to prepare for as it is theory-based and contains many concepts and implications. Students who are into Science find it very fascinating, while others complain about its complexity.
Now the question arises of how one can ace their Science PSLE with flying colours. You should first know the pattern, syllabus, and exam format to accomplish that. This article will discuss all the relevant things you need to know about the Science PSLE.
Format of Science PSLE
The science section in PSLE consists of two parts, booklet A and booklet B. The total duration to complete the entire Science paper is 1 hour and 45 minutes. The full marks for the Science section are 100. Booklet A consist of 28 multiple-choice questions (four option will be provided, out of which only one is the correct answer), each carrying two marks. The weightage of booklet A is 56%. Whereas the weightage of booklet B is 44%, this part includes 12 to 13 open-ended questions, each carrying up to 2 to 5 marks. This part is a mixture of short and long questions.
Syllabus of Science PSLE
Students should demonstrate knowledge and understanding of scientific facts, principles, and concepts, as there are no certain boundaries between the themes. Various topics are shared among the themes, so they cannot be visualized as segregated blocks of knowledge. Topics are divided into life science and physical Science. There are 5 common themes: diversity, systems, cycle, interaction, and energy.
Diversity
This part includes the variation of materials and living things.
Systems
This part includes different systems, e.g., the plant transport system, the circulatory system, the respiratory system, the digestive system, plants and their parts, and the electric system.
Cycles
This part consists of the life cycle of plants, reproduction in plants and animals, matter and change of states.
Interactions
Interactions include ecosystem, living together, magnets and their characteristics, and forces.
Energy
Different kinds of energies have their forms and uses, such as food energy, light energy, heat energy, kinetic and mechanical energy, temperature, etc.
Science PSLE is not a piece of cake; the questions can be tricky and time-consuming if one is not well-versed in the relevant concepts and topics. Therefore, before attempting this exam, you should be mentally prepared and know how to manage your time under pressure, as it is the most important key to passing your PSLE exam. This is why Science tuition comes in handy for PSLE students. Tuition centres provide students with question-answering techniques and practice papers to ensure answers are well-elaborated and they can cope within the given time frame.
This was the overview of the Science PSLE syllabus and format; we hope this article will turn out helpful for you.