The Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) is a significant milestone for students in Singapore’s academic journey. It comprises several challenging components, which include the English Open-Ended Comprehension test. This test is particularly demanding as it requires students to deeply understand the text and analyze, infer, and articulate their responses effectively.

To achieve good results in this segment, you should remember the following five tips during the exam. These tips can help you to perform well and excel in this critical component of the PSLE.

Start by looking through the passage quickly to get a sense of its overall content. Skimming the passage will help you quickly identify which parts to focus on when answering specific questions. Take a similar approach to the questions themselves. Please review them before delving deeper into the passage. Ideally, both of these activities should take about 5 minutes.

Once you grasp the questions well, read through the passage a second time. This time, read actively, highlighting key sentences and taking notes as needed. This approach will help you better understand the material and answer questions more effectively.

When going through the passage the second time, we suggest you actively read and annotate it. Doing this will help you to find the answers to specific questions easily later. Use the question numbers as annotations and write your answers based on what you have marked. This approach will ensure a more thorough understanding of the passage.

One of the most essential tips to remember is to review your work thoroughly once you have completed it. Take the time to check for any punctuation, spelling, or grammar errors and correct them as needed. A simple mistake like forgetting to add a period at the end of a sentence may cost you a valuable mark or two.

Additionally, it is vital to present your answers in complete sentences rather than bullet points and that they are grammatically correct. These steps will help ensure your responses are of the highest quality possible.

Developing the ability to paraphrase is crucial. It’s important to avoid copying entire sentences when answering questions. By rephrasing the text using your own words, you demonstrate your understanding of the context and exhibit your language proficiency. However, ensuring that your paraphrased responses convey the same meaning as the original text is crucial.

For Paper 2, you will have 110 minutes to complete all the different sections. It is crucial to make sure you allocate enough time for each section so that you can finish the entire paper within the given timeframe.

While working through the questions, managing your time well is essential. If you encounter a difficult question, move on to the next one and plan to return to it later to save time. You should spend the appropriate amount of time on each question, which should be proportional to the number of marks it’s worth.

In addition, it’s crucial to set aside some time to go back and revisit any questions you skipped earlier and review all your answers at least once before submitting your paper.

The PSLE English Open-ended Comprehension section evaluates your ability to think critically and communicate effectively rather than regurgitate information.

Remain composed and employ the abovementioned strategies to approach the exam with assurance.

I wish you all the best of luck!

Other mini-articles in our PSLE Final Exam Tips miniseries:

• • Final PSLE English Exam Tips – Situational Writing
  • Final PSLE Maths Exam Tips – Word Problems
  • Final PSLE Science Exam Tips – Open-ended Questions
  • Final PSLE Chinese Exam Tips – Comprehension

Our English language programs at Elucidation Learning are built around this principle — students are sorted by ability into small classes. This creates an environment that best suits their individual needs.

Qualified local speakers teach lessons. They are trained, well-versed, and experienced in teaching the curriculum defined by the Ministry of Education for Singapore.

For a free assessment of your child’s work, make an appointment with Elucidation Learning. You can drop in at one of our centre locations and speak to us.

Alternatively, call us at +65.6464-0323 or Whatsapp us at +65.9738-8529. We can help your child work on their weaknesses this holiday and give them a head-start for the new school year!