PSLE AL Scores Explained: The Basics, and What the 2026 Format Change Means for Your Child’s Target
If you are a PSLE parent, the AL score is the number that decides which secondary schools your child can enter. This post covers three things: how the AL system works, how the 2026 Math and Science format changed, and the raw-mark targets we set at LevelUp so your child always practises with a clear goal.
How the AL system works
Every PSLE subject is marked out of 100. That raw mark is converted into an Achievement Level from 1 to 8, using fixed bands:
| Achievement Level | Raw mark |
|---|---|
| AL1 | 90 to 100 |
| AL2 | 85 to 89 |
| AL3 | 80 to 84 |
| AL4 | 75 to 79 |
| AL5 | 65 to 74 |
| AL6 | 45 to 64 |
| AL7 | 20 to 44 |
| AL8 | below 20 |
Your child gets one AL for each of the four subjects. Add the four together and you get the PSLE Score, which ranges from 4 (four AL1s) to 30. Lower is better.
This score is what schools use for Secondary 1 posting. When two students with the same score compete for the last place in a school, posting is decided by citizenship first, then the order the student ranked that school, then computerised balloting.
The important part: the AL bands did not change for 2026
The Math and Science paper formats changed for the 2026 PSLE, but the way marks convert into ALs did not. Each subject is still out of 100, and 90 is still AL1. What changed is how those 100 marks are spread across the questions.
What changed in 2026: Math
Total marks stay at 100 across two papers, but the split moved.
Paper 1 — no calculator, 1 hour 10 minutes, 50 marks (up from 45)
| Questions | Booklet | Type | Marks each | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 to Q10 | A | Multiple choice | 1 | 10 |
| Q11 to Q18 | A | Short answer | 2 | 16 |
| Q19 to Q30 | B | Short answer | 2 | 24 |
| Total | 50 |
Paper 2 — calculator allowed, 1 hour 20 minutes, 50 marks (down from 55)
| Questions | Type | Marks each | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 to Q5 | Short answer | 2 | 10 |
| Q6 to Q15 | Structured / long answer | 3, 4 or 5 | 40 |
| Total | 50 |
Paper 1 now carries more weight and has more 2-mark multi-step questions, so careless slips cost more. The calculator is still only in Paper 2.
What changed in 2026: Science
Total stays at 100 marks in 1 hour 45 minutes, but more of it now sits in the multiple choice booklet.
| Booklet | Type | Questions | Marks each | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Multiple choice | Q1 to Q30 | 2 | 60 |
| B | Open-ended (structured) | About 10 to 11 questions | 2 to 5 (variable) | 40 |
Booklet A rose from 56 to 60 marks and now includes linked multiple choice questions that share one scenario. Booklet B dropped to 40 marks. The message for students: the MCQ booklet is worth more now, so careful reading and accuracy there matter more than before.
Our expected scores: old format vs 2026
At LevelUp we set a raw-mark target for every student so practice has a clear goal. We kept the same standard as before, which means holding near-90% on the reliable sections and accepting fewer marks on the harder ones. Here is how that translates to the new format.
Math (target for AL3 and above)
| Paper | Old target | 2026 target |
|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 40 / 45 (89%) | 44 / 50 (88%) |
| Paper 2 | 40 / 55 (73%) | 36 / 50 (72%) |
| Total | 80 / 100 | 80 / 100 |
Rule of thumb stays the same: lock down every 1-mark and 2-mark question in Paper 1 first. It is the cheapest, most reliable way to build the base.
Science (target for AL3 and above)
| Booklet | Old target | 2026 target |
|---|---|---|
| Booklet A (MCQ) | 50 / 56 (89%) | 54 / 60 (90%) |
| Booklet B (open-ended) | 30 / 44 (68%) | 26 / 40 (65%) |
| Total | 80 / 100 | 80 / 100 |
Booklet A now carries 60 of the 100 marks, so MCQ accuracy is where the grade is won or lost. Every careless MCQ slip is worth 2 marks.
What this means for your child
Nothing about good preparation changes. The AL bands are the same, so the goal is still to convert knowledge into marks under time pressure. What the 2026 format rewards even more is accuracy on the shorter questions, because Math Paper 1’s 2-mark items and Science Booklet A now decide a larger share of the grade. Timed practice, marking against the scheme, and redoing wrong questions until they are automatic is still the method that works.