PSLE

1
PSLE T-Score Explained
2
OUTLINE

• PSLE is a placement exam
• What is the PSLE Aggregate SCORE?
• Why is T-Score used?
• Definition Calculation of T-Score
• Questions about T-Score

3
PSLE - a placement exam

• Need to reflect the relative achievement level of
  pupils within their peers.
• Places pupils into different courses according to
  their academic ability
• Enables posting to secondary schools by merit and
  as far as possible into a school of their choice.

4
What is PSLE Aggregate Score?
It is a sum of scores.
5
The PSLE Aggregate Score

• incorporates performance of pupils in all 4
  subjects
• allows pupils to be ranked fairly

6
Can raw scores be used?
7
Why Not?

• Different subjects have different levels of
  difficulty
• So are the spread of marks from the average mark,
  i.e. the standard deviation (spread standard
  deviation)

8
MEASURE OF S P R E A D
Narrow
Wide
9
H U R R A Y !
I scored 85 in both English and Mother Tongue !
DOLLY
10
Dolly scores 85 in both EL and MT

• Her performance in MT is very close to that of
  other pupils

11
A need for standardisation of the raw scores
12
T-Score
EL
MT
T-Score converts average mark of each subject to
a common score of 50 points. It also converts
other marks taking into consideration the extent
to which they differ from the average and the
size of spread of the marks around the average
13
What is T-Score?

• It gives the relative position of a pupils
  performance as compared to the performance of all
  the other pupils in that subject

• The raw mark obtained in the exam only shows how
  good the pupil is in that subject, not how good
  he is as compared to others

14
How is T-Score calculated for each subject?
Y)
-
(X


10


50


T
Z
where X pupils mark for the
subject Y average mark (mean) scored by all
pupils Z spread of marks around the
average mark
(standard deviation)
15
Example

• Pupils mark (X) in exam 50.0
• Average mark (Y) scored by all pupils
  68.0
• Spread of marks (Z) around the
• average mark (Y) 14.0

(50 - 68.0)
T 50 10
14.0
37.14
16
How is the Aggregate Score calculated?
By adding the T-Scores of the 4 subjects
17
Example
Subject
Total
Mark
T-Score
EL1
200
105
34
CL2
200
152
51
Maths
100
67
53
Science
100
58
47
Aggregate
185
18
Finally, all pupils are ranked according to
their Aggregate Scores
19
T-SCORES GRADES Is it possible for a pupil
with 3A and 1A to be ranked lower than another
pupil who has only 1A and 3As?
Yes, it is possible
20
Agg T-Score 246 249
21
P5 ASSESSMENT
22
SCORING ?As

• Set a specific goal (Target Setting)
• Positive Mindset
• Strategize to achieve that goal
• Learn from mistakes
• Change strategy until target is achieved

23
Key Events(P5)
24
Key Events(P6)
25
P6 YH/AH Form Teachers
26
Thank you.....
27
Welcome Meet-the-Parents Session 2007
28
2007 P6 CA1 Level overall results
29
English

• In general, pupils are weak in
• Vocabulary
• Grammar
• Comprehension Cloze
• Comprehension Open-Ended

30
English

• Comprehension open-ended
• Pupils level of comprehension is weak.
• Students know where an answer can be found but do
  not know how to manipulate to answer question. If
  a why-question is asked, they give an answer that
  is more suited for a how-question.
• Questions are not read thoroughly and therefore
  misinterpreted.
• Not answering the question in the tense required.

31
English

• Inadequate vocabulary limits their comprehension.
• Pupils do not know how to pick out contextual
  clues to help them understand the text.

32
English General Points

• Expose pupils to a variety of reading materials
  of different genres.
• Reading will definitely help pupils understand
  language better in order to pick out clues for
  vocabulary cloze.
• Have to minimise careless mistakes e.g.
  synthesisomitting a word, spelling errors result
  in deduction of marks.
• In the editing section, pupils lose marks because
  they lack spelling skills and grammatical
  knowledge.

33
English General Points

• Compositions
• If student is skilled in writing, they have to
  learn to develop the story further. Add in
  details, use good phrases in the correct way, in
  the correct tense.
• If student does not make grammatical errors in
  composition, it does not mean that the
  composition is good. Depends on content, details
  and use of vocabulary.

34
English General Points

• Compositions
• Writing practices include different genres
  journals, reflections, formal letter writing,
  e-mails, etc, not just narrative writing. All
  these are covered in our writing package.
• Sharing of good compositions (to improve writing
  skills).

35
English School Programme

• Structured Reading Programme
• Little Red Dot (compulsory)
• Focused Worksheets e.g. Comprehension Worksheets
• Grammar is taught using Primary English (more
  focused)
• Writing package includes a variety of genres

36
Chinese Higher Chinese

• 1. Comprehension Section
• Answers incomplete despite numerous reminders
• Students provide only a one-liner as answer
  without any elaboration
• Students are unable to apply the words or phrases
  they have previously learned when they answer the
  open-ended questions in the comprehension
  passages. Mainly because students have merely
  memorised words but not understood their meanings.

37
Chinese Higher Chinese

• 2. MCQ Section
• Careless, did not check work before submission
• 3. Oral? high mark weightage
• Frequent use of Singlish? need wide reading and
  home support.
• 4. Composition
• Need to read more storybooks.

38
Chinese Higher Chinese

• Ensure that the girls go through the paper again
  and revise what has been taught in Term 1 during
  the holidays.
• Build up on their vocabulary.
• Parents can also help to ensure the girls in
  completing their daily school work and hand in on
  time so that the teacher can assess the students
  and provide all the necessary help when required.

39
Chinese Higher Chinese

• Listening to the Chinese news on Channel 8 at
  6.30 p.m. would enable students to understand
  compre passage better
• To read good compos written by peers and
  storybooks.
• Speak the language!

40
Mathematics

• 1. Lacking in retentionskills taught in previous
  years not reinforced
• need to revise consistently (go thru worked
  examples in Coursebook, Skills WS, Topical
  Review, Weekly Word Problems, or any other
  questions given by the teacher, and work out the
  steps all over again
• 2. Weak in computation skills (weak in
  multiplication tables, basic algorithm)
• 3. Lacking in application skills as students
  cannot relate once a question involves more than
  one concept. For e.g. percentage with ratio

41
Mathematics

• 4. Time management
• spent too much time on Section A B which are
  generally knowledge-based questions
• time wasted on erasing working
• 5. Misreading questions resulted in carelessness
• 6. Lack exposure to different questioning as well
  as problem-solving techniques
• 7. Lack resilience do not even want to write
  any steps

42
Mathematics

• 8. Not answering in the specified unit of
  measurement (e. question asked for metres, but
  pupils answered in centimetres)
• 9. Cannot remember basic properties where
  geometry is concerned
• application skills are lacking, particularly when
  it is a composite figure which consists more
  than one geometric figure
• 10. Did not show all relevant steps (particularly
  in word problems)
• 11. Lack logical reasoning skills (unable to
  verify the reasonableness of the solution)

43
Science

• The focus of CA1 was on P5 Science topics,
  therefore a need to revise P3-P5 Science topics
  regularly.
• Do not know how to draw parallel circuit and the
  advantages of it.
• During the March Holidays, students can do more
  MCQ questions. They have to understand why a
  particular option is accepted or not.

44
Science

• Pupils did not answer the questions specifically,
  for e.g., on the question asking for the physical
  characteristics of the seeds of the fruit that
  will cause it to grow near the parent plants--
• Many pupils wrote on the characteristics of the
  other fruit instead.
• Many also mentioned the seeds as being light
  which is not a physical characteristic observable
  from the picture.
• Do not know what is hair-like structure.

45
School Diary

• Parents to get information from the school diary
  (eg. CA/SA dates, school rules, calendar of
  events etc.)
• Make use of diary as a channel to communicate
  with parents.
• Highlight rules

46
THANK YOU