The Science paper for the Primary School Leaving Exam or PSLE Science is considered one of the most challenging, if not the most challenging, of this annual exam taken by students to be able to move on to secondary school.
With a focus on high-order thinking skills, traditional strategies like memorization alone won’t do the trick anymore.
We’ve collated some of the tips that can help a PSLE taker ace the Science paper:
When studying for science topics, ask the hows and whys.
In 2014, the Ministry of Education (MOE) started to implement a different approach to learning Science. Students are expected to have a deeper understanding of scientific principles. To reinforce this, the questions in the Science papers have transformed.
For a student to be able to correctly answer some of the rather tricky questions in the science paper, a student should have been able to understand the concept behind science topics. And while it’s the schools’ responsibility to ensure that students do understand what is being taught, it’s not always achieved in that way.
So, a student preparing for the PSLE should ask for the hows and whys for all topics being reviewed for. A PSLE Science tuition center or agency would be well-equipped with the strategies to ensure that the student can confidently answer the Science papers.
Take practice exams
A great strategy to make sure a student is confident in taking the PSLE Science exam is to take practice exams in the same format of the actual exams. Being familiar with how the exams work would help a student have the right expectations when taking the real exam.
With taking practice exams, there’s also an opportunity to identify potential challenges that a student may have, and it can be addressed early on. This is especially true when dealing with the “tricky” open-ended questions that the science papers have been made quite infamous for.
It also doesn’t end with just taking the practice exam and checking it after to see the results. It’s about going through the practice exams and discussing the topics in-depth to be able to foster a deeper understanding of the principles, just the way the MOE wants it.
Aside from that, it’s also a good way to practice meeting the time allotted for the exam: 1 hour and 45 minutes. It’s a good idea to take practice exams with the same time limit to see how well the exam-taker can do. Naturally, the student will feel pressured in taking the exam within this timeframe but after a couple of practice exams, this would be second nature to him, and he should be able to adjust.
Have the right attitude towards the exam
What sets aside a student who has what it takes to ace the PSLE from the rest is having the right attitude towards it. Time management is just one of the things a taker of the PLSE should carry with him to have a chance in acing the exam.
A student should also be diligent in reading the instructions and questions to make sure that he understands the questions in order to answer them right as well. Many times, exam takers misread questions, and this causes them to lose marks.
A student who’s well-prepared, confident, and is careful in taking the PSLE has what it takes to ace it. So while preparing for it, make sure to cover these values too.
The PSLE Science paper has a reputation of being one of the most challenging exams students can take. With the right preparation, a student taking the Science exam has a good chance of acing it. Parents who want to make sure that their child is ready to take on the PSLE can work with tutors, especially a PSLE Science tuition center or agency that can give proper guidance for PSLE takers.