Ace PSLE Math Questions with Proven Strategies

After many students were left distraught over the PSLE papers last week, parents have become increasing concerned about their mental health and wellbeing. It seems the PSLE math questions were too much for students, so much so that many of them came home dejected and teary-eyed. 

To hear more about the difficulty of the two PSLE math papers, theAsianparent reached out to local parents to gauge what their children are going through. 

Parents Concerned That PSLE 2021 Was Too Difficult, Particularly The Math Questions

Given how tough the PSLE math questions were, dad Mark Tan* shared that his son was tearing up and didn't even want to talk. His son only opened up about to say that the paper was "very hard." 

Another distressed dad tells theAsianparent, "I have totally given up on MOE and realised that I need to take matters into my own hands. The system and journey will only bring more stress, demoralization [and] depression to my kids."

"The test papers for math and science were totally ridiculous as if they are looking for Albert Einstein," he adds.

A mum who also noticed her child coming home dejected says, "Our kids are tagged or labelled through their grades. No joy in learning, no excitement. Just follow and do. They are conditioned how to answer questions in a certain style and formula."

"The kids go through emotional and mental abuse by our education system, these 2 days of exam papers has proven how the education system has failed to educate our kids," she added. 

One of the parents also hoped that MOE would limit the number of challenging questions they set. While she understands the challenging questions may be set to "sieve out" the brighter student, she hopes this would still be considered.

"They should take care of the mental health of the majority of the normal students. With so [many] difficult papers in [a] row, this will cause low morale (to the students)," the mum shares. 

Is The Entire Education System Too Hard On Our Kids?

In addition to the way PSLE papers affected their kids, parents also voiced their opinions about Singapore's education system. 

In response to pointing the biggest challenge the national exams has brought about, one parent tells us, "Our kids are not given [an] opportunity to develop critical thinking and strategic thinking in our education system."

Noel Rodrigues, another parent, added, "I strongly believe that PSLE, started in 1960 by then Education Minister, is ridiculously outdated and plausibly counterproductive. Singapore is the last remaining advanced economy to hold a competitive national examination at the tender age of 12."

"Malaysia has removed it early this year. South Korea has also abolished their version of PSLE. And in Nordic countries, touted as the best education system in the world as well as in reducing social inequalities, ranking 12-year-olds into specific educational path is downright criminal (they only start matriculation before higher education)," Mr Noel told theAsianparent. 

"Our education system has barely changed in 60 years. Essential subjects such as coding, financial management and lateral thinking aren't taught in local schools. Which, in effect, breeds a kid into an unequipped adult. In short, our education system needs to be turned inside out. It's not going to be pretty as many industries (such as tuition centres, examinations boards, teachers, etc) would be disrupted," he concluded.

With prolonged home-based learning, another concerned parent, Alvin Wang* said, "Their learning journey was disrupted massively and it has been a rollercoaster ride these two years, and to be thrown into a new scoring system is bad enough, then piled on with one of the toughest PSLE exam papers is just appalling."

Encouragement And Support Given To Students Who Are Broken Up About PSLE Exams

Despite his concern for his son, a local dad made sure to tell his son that he was proud of him "to have stood up to that paper no matter what." He reassured his son, "We live another day."

The Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board also recently spoke with The Straits Times and said, "All examinations have a range of questions with varying difficulty that cater to the wide range of abilities of our students."

"We would like to encourage all students to stay the course and be reassured that having done their best, there will be multiple pathways of success," they added in their response to ST. 

20 Common Types of PSLE Math Questions

In the world of primary education in Singapore, the PSLE (Primary School Leaving Examination) Math paper is known for its complexity and diversity. One of the key challenges students face in this examination is dealing with various types of questions.

Among these, the concept of "PSLE Math Questions" is prevalent and often forms a substantial part of the exam. In this article, we will delve into common types of PSLE Math questions and provide strategies for success.

1. Remainder Concept (Branching)

One of the fundamental concepts in PSLE Math is dealing with remainders, frequently found in Fractions and Percentage questions.

When confronted with the keyword "remainder," consider using the "Branching" or "Model Drawing" method. Let's illustrate this with an example:

John spent 3/5 of his money on books and 1/3 of the remainder on a wallet. If John had $16 left, how much did he have at first?

• Fraction of Money Left = 2/3 × 2/5 = 4/15
• 4 units = $16
• 15 units = $16 ÷ 4 × 15 = $60 (Answer)

2. Equal Fractions Concept

Another frequently tested concept involves equal fractions. To tackle such questions, make the numerators the same and compare the denominators. Let's explore this with an example:

There are 836 students in a school. 7/10 of the boys and 7/8 of the girls take the bus to school. The number of boys who do not take the bus is twice the number of girls who do not take the bus. How many girls do not take the bus?

• Step 1: Find the fractions of boys and girls who do not take the bus

  • Boys → 1 – 7/10 = 3/10
  • Girls → 1 – 7/8 = 1/8

• Step 2: Compare the boys and girls who do not take the bus

  • 3/10 of boys = 2 × 1/8 of girls (The number of boys who do not take the bus is twice the number of girls who do not take the bus)
  • 3/10 of boys = 1/4 of girls

• Step 3: Make the numerators the same

  • 1/4 = 3/12

• Step 4: Compare the denominators

  • Boys : Girls = 10 : 12 = 5 : 6

• Step 5: Find the total number of units and equate it to the total boys and girls

  • 5u + 6u = 11u
  • 11u = 836

• Step 6: Find 1 unit

  • 1u = 76

• Step 7: Find the total number of girls

  • 6u = 456 (Total girls)

• Step 8: Find the girls who do not take the bus

  • 1/8 × 456 = 57 girls (Answer)

3. More Than, Less Than, As Many As

In Whole Number or Fractions questions, the use of model drawing is highly effective when encountering terms like "more than," "less than," or "as many as." It simplifies comparisons.

4. Constant Part Concept

In Ratio questions, the Constant Part Concept is a common theme. Identifying the parts that remain constant and making them equal in both ratios is key. Here's an example:

Ali and Billy have money in the ratio of 5 : 6. After Billy spent $16, the ratio became 3 : 2. How much money does Billy have in the end?

• Step 1: Make the ratio for Ali the same

  • Before: A : B = 5 : 6 = 15 : 18
  • After: A : B = 3 : 2 = 15 : 10

• Step 2: Find the difference between Billy’s starting amount and ending amount

  • 18u – 10u = 8u

• Step 3: Find 1 unit

  • 8u = $16
  • 1u = $2

• Step 4: Find the amount for Billy in the end

  • 10u = $20 (Answer)

5. Constant Total Concept

When dealing with "Internal Transfer" questions, remember that the total remains the same. Apply this concept when encountering such PSLE Math questions. Here's an example:

Ali and Billy have money in the ratio of 5 : 4. After Ali gave Billy $20, they have an equal amount of money. How much money does Billy have in the end?

• Step 1: Make the total for Ali and Billy the same

  • Before: A : B : Total = 5 : 4 : 9 = 10 : 8 : 18
  • After: A : B : Total = 1 : 1 : 2 = 9 : 9 : 18

• Step 2: Find the difference between Ali’s starting amount and ending amount

  • 10u – 9u = 1u

• Step 3: Find 1 unit

  • 1 unit = $20

• Step 4: Find Billy’s amount in the end

  • 9 units = $180 (Answer)

6. Constant Difference Concept

When dealing with age-related questions, the age difference between two people remains the same. Here's an example:

The ages of Ali and Billy are in the ratio of 4 : 7. In 3 years’ time, their ages will be in the ratio of 3 : 5. How old is Billy now?

• Step 1: Make the difference for Ali and Billy the same

  • Before: A : B : Difference = 4 : 7 : 3 = 8 : 14 : 6
  • After: A : B : Difference = 3 : 5 : 2 = 9 : 15 : 6

• Step 2: Find the difference between Ali’s starting age and final age

  • 9u – 8u = 1u

• Step 3: Find 1 unit

  • 1 unit = 3 years

• Step 4: Find Billy’s age now

  • 14 units = 42 years old (Answer)

7. Everything Changed Concept (Units and Parts)

This is a more challenging type of PSLE Math question where both sides of the ratio change by different amounts. The "Units and Parts" method is recommended to solve these questions. Here's an example:

The ratio of Ali’s money to Billy’s money was 2 : 1. After Ali saved another $60 and Billy spent $150, the ratio became 4 : 1. How much money did Ali have at first?

• Step 1: Write down the starting ratio and apply the changes.

  • A : B = 2u : 1u + 60 : – 150
  • 2u + 60 : 1u – 150

• Step 2: Compare the final units with the final ratio.

  • A : B = 2u + 60 : 1u – 150 = 4 : 1

• Step 3: Cross-multiply the final units with the final ratio

  • 1 × (2u + 60) = 4 × (1u – 150)
  • 2u + 60 = 4u – 600

• Step 4: Solve for 1 unit

  • 4u – 2u = 600 + 60
  • 2u = $660 (Answer)

8. Part-Whole Concept

Understanding the relationship between the "part" and the "whole" is crucial in solving Part-Whole Concept questions. Here's an example:

Kelly spent 1/3 of her money on 5 pens and 11 erasers. The cost of each pen is 3 times the cost of each eraser. She bought some more pens with 3/4 of her remaining money. How many pens did she buy altogether?

• Step 1: Write down the ratio of the cost of pen : eraser

  • P : E = 3u : 1u

• Step 2: Find the fraction spent on the extra pens

  • 1 – 1/3 = 2/3 (Remainder)
  • 3/4 × 2/3 = 1/2 (Fraction spent on extra pens)

• Step 3: Find the total cost of 5 pens and 11 erasers

  • 5 × 3u + 11 × u = 26u (Total cost of 5 pens and 11 erasers)

• Step 4: Find the total amount of money in terms of units

  • 26u × 3 = 78u (Total amount of money)

• Step 5: Find the total cost of the extra pens

  • 1/2 × 78u = 39u (Total cost of extra pens)

• Step 6: Find the number of extra pens

  • 39u ÷ 3u = 13

• Step 7: Find the total number of pens

  • 13 + 5 = 18 pens (Answer)

9. Excess and Shortage Concept

Excess and Shortage questions often appear in PSLE Math exams and can be challenging. Let's tackle them with a method to ease the process:

Tom packed 5 balls into each bag and found that he had 8 balls left over. If he packed 7 balls into each bag, he would need another 4 more balls. a) How many bags did he have? b) How many balls did he have altogether?

• Step 1: Find the difference in the number of balls in each bag

  • 7 – 5 = 2

• Step 2: Find the total difference of the balls in the bags of 5 and bags of 8

  • 8 + 4 = 12

• Step 3: Find the total number of bags

  • 12 ÷ 2 = 6 bags (Answer for a)

• Step 5: Find the total number of balls

  • 6 × 5 + 8 = 38
  • Or
  • 6 × 7 – 4 = 38 balls (Answer for b)

10. Gap and Difference Concept

Questions involving gap and difference require you to find the difference and use it to solve the question:

Ali and John went on a trip together with the same amount of money. Ali spent $8 every day, and John spent $5 every day. Ali had $12 in the end while John had $24 in the end. How much did each person have at first?

• Step 1: Find the difference in the end

  • $24 – $12 = $12

• Step 2: Find the difference for each day

  • $8 – $5 = $3

• Step 3: Find the number of days

  • $12 ÷ $3 = 4

• Step 4: Find the money each of them had at first

  • 4 × $8 + $12 = $44
  • or 4 × $5 + $24 = $44 (Answer)

*Actual names of some parents have not been disclosed on request of anonymity.

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