Every year, thousands of young students in Singapore go through the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), a pivotal moment in their academic journey. It’s a time of stress and anticipation for students and their parents. One crucial aspect of PSLE that parents need to understand is the T-score.
One common misconception among parents is that the PSLE aggregate score is out of 300. The PSLE aggregate score is not a simple sum of marks. Instead, it’s derived from the T-scores of the four subjects: English, Mathematics, Science, and Mother Tongue. To understand this better, let’s look at how the T-score is calculated.
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How Is the T-score Calculated Now?
The Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) employs a specific formula to calculate the T-score for each subject. This formula considers the student’s raw score, the cohort’s average raw score, and the standard deviation (SD). The standard deviation measures the spread of results from the cohort’s average. A lower SD and cohort average lead to a higher T-score for a subject.
For example, if a student’s raw score in a subject is 50, the cohort’s average is 60, and the SD is 20, the T-score for that subject would be calculated as:
T-score = 50 + 10 * (60 – 60) / 20 = 50
The T-score for all four subjects is calculated similarly. So, even if students score full marks in all subjects, their PSLE aggregate score will be less than 300. It depends on the cohort’s average and the SD for that year.
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Cannot Be Compared Between Cohorts
The unique nature of the T-score calculation makes it difficult to compare scores between different cohorts of students. Even if two students have the same raw scores in each subject, their PSLE aggregate scores can vary significantly based on the cohort’s average and the SD specific to their cohort.
The T-score in PSLE is a complex calculation that involves various factors, such as raw scores, cohort averages, and standard deviations. Parents need to understand this system to manage expectations and support their children effectively during the PSLE journey. The T-score is not out of 300 and cannot be directly compared between different years or cohorts. Armed with this knowledge, parents can better navigate the PSLE process and provide the guidance and support their children need to succeed.
