PSLE is stressful, but are the alternatives any better?

Hong Kong, South Korea and Singapore's own Direct School Admission show that each pathway for sorting students carries its own inequities and tensions.

- Jason Tan

Now is an apt time for review and reflection, with the passing of the annual Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) cycle and a lull before the 2026 edition.

The PSLE has long attracted criticism for its outsized influence on children, families and schools. Despite repeated Ministry of Education (MOE) reforms, including changes to the scoring system in 2021, the exam remains a lightning rod, with calls for it to be abolished altogether.

Much of the pushback stems from the exam's perceived distortions on the primary school curriculum. Critics say that the exam signals to teachers, pupils and parents the relative importance of exams at the expense of other parts of the official curriculum, hindering broader efforts at holistic student development.

Local media commentary has also carried warnings that anxiety triggered by "killer questions" can leave lasting scars persisting into adolescence and adulthood. Families describe how PSLE preparation upends home life and strains parent-child ties, while the tutoring industry's devotion to exam coaching raises questions of equity.

The PSLE attracts far more public attention than other major national exams such as the General Certificate of Education Normal, Ordinary and Advanced levels, even though these other exams also perform similar functions.

Yet even its critics recognise the PSLE's central role. The exam certifies learning at the end of primary school, enforces curricular consistency and sets educational standards across mainstream schools. A standardised exam sorts pupils into different secondary school pathways in a manner seen as objective and meritocratic. It also provides clear targets that shape teaching and learning, even if this comes at the cost of breadth.

Underlying the debate is a pivotal question: If we accept the need to sort students, must it occur at age 12, and must it hinge on a single high-stakes exam?

ALTERNATIVES OFFER A MIXED BAG