Understanding PSLE English Oral 2025 Changes

By WR!TERS@WORK

WRITERS AT WORK knows all too well that preparation is key to success, especially when it comes to major milestones like the PSLE. As parents of Primary 5 and 6 students, you’re likely aware that the Ministry of Education (MOE) has announced significant changes to the PSLE English Oral examination starting in 2025. These updates aim to enhance students’ communication skills and better reflect real-world English usage. In this blog, we’ll break down these changes and offer tips on how you can support your child in preparing for this crucial exam.

What’s Changing?

The key shift in the PSLE English Oral examination for 2025 lies in the Stimulus-Based Conversation (SBC) and Reading Aloud segments. With both the components having an additional 5 marks added to each, bringing the total weighting in marks for English Paper 4 from 15% to 20%. Under the revision, students will need to read aloud a text to suit the purpose, audience and context of a given scenario. As for the SBC, traditional posters will be replaced by photographs featuring real people in various situations, with a topic that is not linked to Reading Aloud as compared to previously. These adjustments are designed to deepen students’ engagement and ability to express themselves confidently.

1. Broader Range of Stimuli

The SBC will now incorporate a wider variety of visual prompts, including posters, social media posts, and infographics, reflecting the types of materials students encounter in everyday life. This change aims to challenge students to interpret and respond to different forms of information more critically.

2. Increased Focus on Real-Life Applications

The new SBC prompts will emphasise real-life contexts and social issues, encouraging students to share their thoughts and personal experiences more authentically. Topics might range from environmental awareness to the impact of technology, allowing students to demonstrate a deeper understanding of the world around them.

3. Greater Emphasis on Opinion Sharing

Students will be encouraged to express their opinions and ideas clearly, rather than simply describing the visual stimulus. They will need to explain their perspectives, relate them to their own experiences, and provide justifications for their views. This shift fosters critical thinking and verbal articulation skills, which are vital for success not only in exams but also in life.

What Does This Mean for Your Child?

With these changes, students must be equipped with a broader skill set. It’s no longer enough to merely describe what they see in a picture; they must now analyse, reflect, and connect with the subject matter in a meaningful way. This requires greater preparation in areas such as:

• Critical Thinking: Encouraging your child to think beyond surface-level observations and engage with real-world issues.
• Personal Expression: Helping your child articulate their thoughts confidently and coherently, using examples from their own experiences.
• Conversational Flow: Supporting them in developing the ability to have a natural and engaging conversation, rather than giving rehearsed responses.

How WRITERS AT WORK Can Help

WRITERS AT WORK is a Singapore English tuition centre offering lessons for primary and secondary school students. We are fully aligned with the latest PSLE changes, and our curriculum is designed to ensure that students are well-prepared for these new challenges. Our approach focuses on:

• Interactive Learning: We use real-life stimuli, such as posters and infographics, to simulate the new SBC component, helping students get comfortable with a variety of visual prompts.
• Critical Discussion: We create opportunities for students to practise expressing their thoughts on current affairs and everyday scenarios, honing their ability to offer opinions and reasoning in a clear, confident manner.
• Personalized Feedback: Each student receives individual guidance to improve their conversational fluency, critical thinking, and ability to express personal experiences with clarity.

 Tips for Parents

You can also play a big role in your child’s preparation for the new PSLE Oral exam. Here are some practical steps you can take at home:

• Encourage Daily Conversations: Engage your child in discussions about current events, asking for their opinions and thoughts. This will help them practise sharing their ideas with clarity and depth.
• Use a Variety of Visuals: Show your child different types of visual prompts—such as advertisements, posters, or even social media posts—and ask them to interpret the content and share what they think about it.
• Practise Active Listening: Good communication is a two-way street. Encourage your child to listen carefully to questions and respond thoughtfully, a skill that will be invaluable during the SBC component.

The changes to the PSLE 2025 English Oral exam reflect a modern shift towards more meaningful, real-world communication. WRITERS AT WORK is a tuition centre offering some of the best English enrichment courses for Primary 1 – 6 and Secondary 1 – 4 school students in our 8 branches across Singapore! WRITERS AT WORK is committed to preparing your child not only for the exam but also for the future by developing critical thinking and conversational skills. Together, we can help your child build the confidence and ability needed to excel in this new exam format and beyond.

Attain Stellar Results with WRITERS AT WORK!

English is a compulsory subject which all students must undertake. However, mastering the English language is not something which happens overnight – it takes consistent practice and effort to learn the nuances of the language. Students must read more and practice writing to gradually improve. Cramming for a language subject nearer to the exams is an impossible feat. After all, Rome was not built in a day! Attaining such a skill will have positive implications for not only your child’s education in school, but also employment prospects in future.

At WRITERS AT WORK, we are committed to providing the smoothest learning experience for your child sitting for their English exams. With our carefully curated methods of teaching your child how to write well, your child will learn how to present their thoughts and arguments in a coherent and concise manner. WRITERS AT WORK reinforces your child’s language skills and provides a strong foundation for their academic success, keeping up with all aspects of their progress both inside and outside of the classroom to nurture them holistically. For more information about how WRITERS AT WORK makes a difference, feel free to explore our website, watch our YouTube videos and catch us LIVE on TikTok!

If you are interested in our primary English tuition and secondary English tuition in Singapore, WRITERS AT WORK has expanded to 9 convenient locations. To find the nearest location that suits your needs, please explore our options. If you have any inquiries regarding our range of programs or class schedules, please feel free to contact WRITERS AT WORK!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

1. Which Tuition Centre Is Good for English?

WRITERS AT WORK is an excellent option to help your child prepare for their English Language classes at school at any level. WRITERS AT WORK teaches students how to write compositions which are the basic building blocks for all communication, whether it be in school or outside in the workplace.

2. Why Is It Important to Attend English Enrichment Classes?

Students will be able to develop important skills such as critical thinking which will serve them well in all areas of life. Students will learn how to incorporate critical thinking and analysis skills when they read comprehension passages and plan their ideas and arguments out for essays.

3. Is It Worth Getting an English Tutor?

If your child needs help in school, it could be worth considering getting an English tutor as English is a compulsory subject at school. English is used in all areas of life and learning how to read critically and write essays are highly important skills which should be learned early.

4. Why Do Students Have Poor Writing Skills?

Students often have poor writing skills as they do not have the knowledge of good exam habits to practise. For example, many students often do not plan their essays, which lead to a poor writing habit of rambling, going off on irrelevant tangents, and forgetting to list all good arguments.