What Is the PSLE AL Scoring System?
Since 2021, Singapore's Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE) uses an Achievement Level (AL) scoring system to grade student performance. This replaced the previous T-score (aggregate score) system that had been in use for decades. The AL system was introduced to reduce excessive competition and unhealthy stress over small score differences, and to better reflect what students actually know and can do.
The AL 1–8 Scale
Each PSLE subject is graded on a scale of AL 1 to AL 8, where AL 1 is the highest performance and AL 8 is the lowest passing grade. The bands correspond to percentage score ranges:
| AL Grade | Percentage Score |
|---|---|
| AL 1 | 90 and above |
| AL 2 | 85 – 89 |
| AL 3 | 80 – 84 |
| AL 4 | 75 – 79 |
| AL 5 | 65 – 74 |
| AL 6 | 45 – 64 |
| AL 7 | 20 – 44 |
| AL 8 | Below 20 |
Within each AL band, all students are treated equally — there is no distinction between a student who scores 90% and one who scores 97%. Both receive AL 1. This is a deliberate design to reduce the anxiety of chasing every mark.
How the PSLE Aggregate Is Calculated
Students sit four PSLE subjects:
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Science (or a permitted alternative)
- Mother Tongue Language (Chinese, Malay, Tamil, or approved non-Tamil Indian language)
The PSLE aggregate is the sum of the four individual AL grades. For example:
- English AL 2 + Maths AL 1 + Science AL 2 + Chinese AL 3 = Aggregate 8
The aggregate ranges from 4 (best possible — AL 1 in all four subjects) to 32 (AL 8 in all subjects).
A lower aggregate is better. This is the opposite of the old T-score system where a higher aggregate was better — something parents who went through the old system sometimes find counterintuitive.
Secondary School Stream Eligibility
The PSLE aggregate determines which secondary school posting stream a student is eligible for:
- Express stream: Aggregate typically 22 or below (varies by school and year)
- Normal (Academic) stream: Aggregate typically 23–25
- Normal (Technical) stream: Aggregate typically 26 and above
- Integrated Programme (IP) schools: The most competitive schools have their own cut-offs, typically requiring aggregates of 4–8 for the top schools (Raffles Institution, Hwa Chong, NYGH, etc.)
Note that cut-off points vary every year based on the cohort's performance. The figures above are indicative. Use SGSchool's PSLE Calculator to explore how different AL combinations translate into aggregate scores and stream eligibility.
Mother Tongue Grading: Standard vs Foundation
Students who take Foundation Mother Tongue Language (FMTL) receive a grade of AL 1–6 only (there is no AL 7 or AL 8 for FMTL). However, an asterisk (*) is appended to the grade to indicate it was achieved under the Foundation syllabus. Secondary schools take this into account for admission.
How Does This Compare to the Old T-Score System?
Under the old T-score system (used until 2020), each subject was scored on an absolute percentage scale that was then normalised against the national cohort's performance. This meant that a student's score depended not just on their own performance, but on how everyone else did — creating intense competition for every mark.
The AL system removes this relative comparison. Your child's AL grade is based purely on their own score against a fixed band. Two children who both score 88% both get AL 2, regardless of the cohort average.
Critics of the old system noted it incentivised "chasing marks" and created anxiety over 1–2 mark differences. The AL system was designed to address this by grouping scores into meaningful bands where small differences don't change the outcome.
Common Misconceptions
- "AL 1 means 100%" — False. AL 1 means 90% or above. A student can score 91% and receive AL 1.
- "A lower aggregate is worse" — False. Lower aggregate = better performance under the AL system.
- "The PSLE is less stressful now" — Partially true. While individual subject anxiety has reduced, competition for top secondary schools remains intense, as the best schools still have very low cut-off aggregates (4–8).
- "All students with the same aggregate go to the same school" — False. When aggregates are the same, secondary school posting uses tie-breaking factors including school preference order, citizenship status, and a computerised ballot.