PSLE Math Guide for Parents
What PSLE Math Paper 1 looks like now
Paper 1 is 50 marks in 1 hour 10 minutes, with no calculator (it used to be 45 marks in 1 hour). The number of multiple-choice questions was cut, and short-answer questions took their place.
| Section | Questions | Type | Marks each | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Booklet A | 10 | Multiple choice | 1 | 10 |
| Booklet A | 8 | Short answer | 2 | 16 |
| Booklet B | 12 | Short answer | 2 | 24 |
| Paper 1 | 30 | 50 |
Two things to notice. First, every multiple-choice question is now worth just 1 mark, so a lucky guess is worth less than before. Second, there are 20 short-answer questions, and every one of them is worth 2 marks.
The change that catches students out
In the 2026 format, a 2-mark short-answer question is not all-or-nothing. Here is how the marks are given:
| What your child does | Marks |
|---|---|
| Correct answer | 2 |
| Wrong answer, but correct method is shown | 1 |
| Wrong answer, no working shown | 0 |
That middle row is the important one. If your child makes a careless slip but the working shows the right method, they still bank 1 of the 2 marks. If they solved it in their head and wrote only the final answer, a slip scores nothing.
Are the two groups of short-answer questions different?
No. The 8 short-answer questions in Booklet A and the 12 in Booklet B are the same kind of question, marked by the same rule. The only difference is which booklet they sit in, which is just how the paper is printed and handled. Your child should treat every short-answer question the same way: show a quick method, then write the answer.
What we drill at LevelUp
- One line of working, always. On every 2-mark short-answer, write the key step before the answer, even if it could be done mentally. It is the cheapest mark on the paper to protect.
- Circle the final answer. Make it easy for the marker to find, and check the unit, since the required unit is given in the question.
- Slow down on the last few questions. Booklet B tends to hold the tougher short-answers, and that is exactly where a shown method saves a mark when the numbers get awkward.
- Practise it under time. Writing a quick working line without losing speed is a habit, built through timed practice and second attempts, not something a child does naturally in the exam.