Your Quick Guide to PSLE Math

Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), the first important national-level examination. At the end of six years in primary school, every Singaporean student sits for this national exam.  The results determine the stream a student will pursue at the Secondary school level. 

At twelve years old, this will be the first national exam a child will sit for. As parents, you would be supporting them and helping them to achieve their best. Even so, PSLE is still daunting for both students and parents, especially when it comes to the Mathematics examination. It is a very important subject which is of great use beyond the classroom, and is essential to everyday life. 

As such, this guide aims to help students and parents understand the expectations of the PSLE Math exam. The syllabus was designed to teach students critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills in order to meet the challenges of the real world. 

Why is Mathematics Important?

With an increasing dependence on technology globally, anyone seeking a lucrative career can start by looking into the STEM industries. And at the core of STEM is maths and science; topics that students start learning from a primary school level.

Apart from job opportunities, Mathematics is essential to excel and gain mental discipline. Problem-solving in Mathematics develops cognition and logical reasoning skills over time. 

Through regular practice, students build familiarity with different topics in Mathematics. This not only increases their confidence level which eventually helps them to feel comfortable while appearing for their PSLE Math examination, it also helps instil discipline and develop grit in tackling challenging maths questions or problems in the future. With a stronger foundation in PSLE Math, students are better equipped in facing life’s challenges in the long run.

Understanding the PSLE P6 Mathematics Syllabus

What are the Learning Objectives?

The aim of primary Mathematics is to create opportunities for students to pursue Maths in higher studies. It is a foundation to help students to prepare for their Secondary school Physics and Mathematics subjects. 

So what are the foundation topics to master for the PSLE Maths examinations? They include 1) Number & Algebra; 2) Geometry & Measurement and, 3) Statistics. 

PSLE Mathematics focuses on teaching the students to grow with essential skills, concepts, attitudes, metacognition and processes in daily functions. With the improvement in technology, students must be thorough with the basic Maths concepts to make split-second decisions to utilise the technology better.

Based on these topics, PSLE Maths assesses the student’s problem-solving skills and critical thinking ability. They learn how to recall the mathematical formulae, concepts, facts, and rules to perform the computations. Students need to understand, reason out, analyse and interpret the information with the appropriate strategy. 

They will learn how to apply these critical thinking skills to various types of questions. They are exposed to multiple-choice, short-answer, and long-answer questions in the PSLE Maths examination. The full examination also tests their endurance to think on their feet for an extended period of time. 

How to Revise & Plan for PSLE Mathematics?

There are a wide range of sub-topics in the primary maths syllabus. A student needs to plan early to have ample time to revise the topics and become thoroughly familiar with the concepts before sitting for the exam. Ample preparation reduces the fear of the exam. 

Maths is a conceptual subject with heavy application. It helps students understand and gain a special lifelong ability to apply the learnt theories in real life.

Having a tutor would help to keep students focused on a study plan. This helps to keep them accountable to a schedule. Apart from that, a tutor would also be helpful in guiding them for challenging questions such as non-routine and cross-topics types.

How to Improve Analysis & Work on Mistakes?

Errors are very common in Maths. A small mistake in the working would lead to a wrong final answer, and affect the overall score. Therefore, students must be careful in their analysis to reduce their mistakes. Some common mistakes include:

• Technical mistakes due to wrong calculations. 
• Conceptual mistakes due to an incomplete understanding of Maths ideas and concepts. 
• Procedural mistakes due to not having the know-how to solve a sum stepwise.

With a math tutor, they can provide ample guidance to what common mistakes to take note of and improve a student’s capabilities in the topic. A tutor could help them work on their weaker topics as well.

Key Takeaway

Practice makes a student perfect! In order to excel in PSLE Maths, students who are consistent in their practice gain a strong foundation to grasp the entire subject properly. 

It is a long process where learning is just as important as the learning outcome. 

Join us at TCA - PSLE Critical Thinking Maths Programme

Terry Chew ACademy (TCA) has the best tutors and resources to prepare your child with a solid foundation in Maths. In time, your child would be able to  correlate and apply them to real-life scenarios effortlessly. Our experienced teachers work hard to equip students with math skills to help them get a head start in life. 

Here at TCA, we offer:

• Small class sizes
• Developing Critical Thinking in Mathematical Problem-Solving which is an important part of MOE’s 21st Century Core Competencies; this trains the students to face increasingly tricky and complex cross-topic problems, as well as new problems found in examinations.
• Simple yet powerful tools to help students solve problem sums with greater speed and accuracy. 
• Problem-solving strategies and tools that simplify complicated problems and make them less prone to careless mistakes. 
• Exam Simulations and Peak Performance Trainings to help them be less nervous as well as to perform well during the stressful exam situation.

At Terry Chew Academy, we offer programs from Primary 4 through Secondary 4. Our lessons are updated with the latest school Maths syllabus to ensure ample practice and reinforcement of concepts. TCA mathematics tutors are knowledgeable about the latest school Maths syllabus to help your child and boost their confidence in mathematics. Looking for help in your child’s school mathematics? Come meet the team at Terry Chew Academy to find out how we can help.