By BrightStartSG Editorial
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The PSLE score is the sum of Achievement Levels (AL1–AL8) across 4 subjects — lower is better, ranging from 4 (best) to 32 (weakest). This score places students into one of 3 Posting Groups for secondary school, which replaced the old Express/N(A)/N(T) streams from the 2024 cohort onward.
Each subject is graded against fixed performance benchmarks — not ranked against classmates. AL1 is the best band, AL8 the weakest:
| Achievement Level | Percentage score |
|---|---|
| AL1 | ≥ 90% |
| AL2 | 85 – 89% |
| AL3 | 80 – 84% |
| AL4 | 75 – 79% |
| AL5 | 65 – 74% |
| AL6 | 45 – 64% |
| AL7 | 20 – 44% |
| AL8 | < 20% |
Source: MOE PSLE scoring system. Bands are intentionally narrower at the top since scores cluster there, and wider lower down.
The PSLE Score is simply the sum of the AL for each of the 4 subjects — English Language, Mathematics, Science and Mother Tongue Language. For example, a student scoring AL3 (English), AL2 (Mother Tongue), AL1 (Maths) and AL2 (Science) has a PSLE Score of 8. The lowest possible score is 4, the highest (weakest) is 32.
Foundation-level subjects (a lighter-load option for students who need it) are graded AL A–C instead. For scoring purposes:
| Foundation AL | Counts as Standard AL |
|---|---|
| A | AL6 |
| B | AL7 |
| C | AL8 |
Cross-check your estimate with MOE's official PSLE Score Calculator and the latest school cut-off points.
Pick the Achievement Level for each subject to estimate the PSLE score and Posting Group. Foundation grades (AL A–C) count as AL6–8.
Lower is better: 4 is the best possible score. Popular schools’ cut-off points cluster around 4–8.
Estimate only — cross-check with MOE’s official PSLE Score Calculator and each school’s latest cut-off points.
Prefer a full-page version? Open the PSLE AL score calculator.
No. The T-score aggregate used before 2021 was abolished, and MOE publishes no official T-score-to-AL conversion. T-scores ranked a student relative to the cohort, while AL scores use fixed achievement bands, so a direct conversion would be misleading.
From the 2024 S1 cohort, MOE replaced Express / Normal(Academic) / Normal(Technical) streams with Posting Groups 1, 2, 3, mapped from the same score ranges. Posting Group determines initial admission and the starting subject level (G1/G2/G3) for most subjects — students then have flexibility to move up or down per subject as they progress, based on their strengths.
| PSLE Score | Posting Group | Starting level (most subjects) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 – 20 | 3 | G3 (most subjects) |
| 21 – 22 | 2 or 3 | G2 or G3 |
| 23 – 24 | 2 | G2 |
| 25 | 1 or 2 | G1 or G2 |
| 26 – 30 (with AL7 or better in English and Maths) | 1 | G1 |
Source: MOE Full Subject-Based Banding. Mixed form classes mean students from different Posting Groups learn together, not in separate streamed classes.
The Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) is the national exam Singapore students sit at the end of Primary 6, typically age 12. The result determines Secondary 1 (S1) posting — which secondary school and starting subject level a student is admitted to.
Each of the 4 PSLE subjects (English, Mathematics, Science, Mother Tongue) is graded on an Achievement Level from AL1 (best) to AL8 (weakest), based on the student's own performance against fixed benchmarks — not ranked against other students. The PSLE Score is the sum of the 4 ALs, so it ranges from 4 (best possible) to 32 (weakest possible). Lower is better.
AL1 requires 90% or above; AL8 is below 20%. The bands are deliberately uneven — narrower at the top (where scores cluster more tightly) and wider lower down — so students aren't over-differentiated by small mark differences.
From the 2024 Secondary 1 cohort, MOE replaced the Express / Normal(Academic) / Normal(Technical) streams with three Posting Groups (1, 2, 3), mapped from the same score ranges. Posting Groups only determine initial admission and starting subject levels — students can move between subject levels (G1/G2/G3) at each subject individually as they progress, based on performance.
Foundation subjects (a lighter-load option for students who need it) are graded AL A to AL C instead of AL1–8. For PSLE Score purposes, Foundation AL A/B/C map to Standard AL 6/7/8 respectively — so Foundation grades count toward the same 4–32 total.
No — the PSLE is specific to MOE-registered schools (government, government-aided and SAP schools). International schools use their own assessments. If your child moves from an international school into the government system via the AEIS, they take the AEIS test instead, not the PSLE, for that transition.
Lower is better: 4 is the best possible PSLE AL score, and competitive schools often have cut-off points around 4–8. There is no single good score for every child because admission depends on each school’s latest cut-off point, choice order and tie-breakers.
No official conversion exists. The pre-2021 T-score ranked a student relative to the cohort, while the current AL score uses fixed achievement bands, so the same raw marks cannot be reliably translated between the two systems.
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