Last minute PSLE Science tips to

ace your exam

What will be assessed
Knowledge and content
Revise the following concepts (Ive intentionally reorganised the topics differently from the MOE
syllabus to give a different big picture perspective of the content):
Adaptations and classification
Characteristics of living things and classification
Broad groups of living things (plants, animals,fungi, bacteria)
Adaptations to: obtaining food, cope with physical factors, escape predators, reproduce (eg.
Camel, flowers)
Energy electrical, gravitational potential, kinetic,chemical, light, sound, heat
Energy is: required to make things work or move,required for living things
Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only converted from one form to another
Electrical circuit, electrical conductors /insulators, batteries, wire, bulb, switch
Light shadow, objects seen because they reflect light
Heat sources, conductivity, temperature, flows from hotter to colder
Forces
Define force as push or pull
Effects of a force
Various types of forces magnetic,gravitational, elastic spring, frictional
Magnetic north / south, compass, stroke method,
Gravitational all objects on earth experience gravity. Gravity depends on mass.
Biological systems
Plant respiration (stomata)
plant transport system (food / water, leaf stem,root)
Human respiratory system
Human circulatory system
Human digestive system
Compare respiration in animals and plants
Compare transport systems in plants and animals
Parts of a plant cell
Life cycles and reproduction
Different life cycles of plants and animals
The ways plants reproduce (spores/ seeds /cuttings)
Characteristics of organism are passed from parents to offspring
Sexual reproduction in plants pollination,fertilisation, seed dispersal
Sexual reproduction in humans
Matter
Properties of solids, liquids, gases
Properties of materials hardness, flexibility,ability to float, heat and electrical conductivity
Water melting , freezing, evaporation,condensation, melting point / boiling point, water
cycle
Air mixture of nitrogen, carbon dioxide,oxygen, water vapour
Environment
How environment affects survival of organism(food, other organisms, temperature, light)
Energy pathway from Sun to various organisms(producers, consumers, decomposers)
Food chain / food web
Organism vs population vs community
Deforestation, global warming, pollution
Skills and processes
These skills will be tested: observing, comparing,classifying, using apparatus, communicating,
inferring, predicting, analysing,generating possibilities, evaluating, formulating hypothesis,
problem solving,decision-making, and investigative skills.
Refer to the following chart to help:

Attitudes and ethics
Finally, as with any self-respecting education system, the paper will also test your attitude
towards science and the environment, and your knowledge of your ethical responsibility as a
person. Here are some that can be assessed:
Objectivity: show that you can use data and information to validate or invalidate
observations about a particular experiment.
Concern: show concern for plants, animals, and the environment. Eg. Animals as pets, or
water as a limited resource, or deforestation as a contributing factor to global warming, or
for conserving energy.
Examination tips
Manage your time
You have 1hr 45mins for the Science paper. 60% of the marks are in the MCQ and 40% in the
open-ended section. This means you have roughly 1min per mark (2 mins per question on the
MCQ).
Remember the MCQ has 60% of the marks, and that each question is worth 2% of your total
score. So be very careful with each question and try your best not to make any mistakes.
You may not need to spend a whole hour on the MCQ this is fine as well, as the MCQ is
usually easier than the open-ended questions. Just make sure that youve been careful with
the MCQ section, and move on to the open-ended questions.
Aim to leave at least 10-15 minutes at the end to check the whole paper thoroughly.
Some questions are easy do these calmly and carefully but quickly and move on, so that
you will have time for the harder questions.
If youre stuck on a question, leave it first.Come back to question after you finish the whole
paper.
Look through the paper quickly and make sure youve answered all the questions. Check the
MCQ to make sure youve shaded the correct answer
Dont leave any question unanswered. If its an MCQ you can guess the best answer and
your odds of getting it correct may be more than 50%. If its a open-ended question you may
get awarded partial marks.
MCQ tips
Circle / take note of the keywords (eg. all,false, true, only, none)
Read the question carefully. Take note of, for example, extension vs length of spring.
Whether the experiment is carried out in the dark.
Some questions are of the following format: which of the following is false? Remember
you need to pick the one that is false,not true. Use the method you prefer. Typically I like to
write a F for false statements and T for true statements.
Some questions have multiple statements and the question asks which is correct? and
gives you a choice of P, Q, R, P onlyetc. You may not know for certain if Q is true or
false, but if you are sure Ris definitely false, you can cross it out and eliminate that answer.
When checking, check that youve shaded the correct answer. Work from another angle to
make sure that your answer is correct. Look at the other options to make sure youve
selected the most appropriate one.
Open ended
Read the question carefully and take note of the keywords. Answer the question directly. See
the chart above.
Some questions are broken into parts a) and b). Usually,part a) helps you to come to an
answer in part b). Sometimes part a) asks for an observation and part b) for the explanation.
Dont explain it in part a).
When asked to compare, remember to state the different properties of BOTH the two objects
youre comparing. For example, state the difference between gases and liquids you will
need to say gases are while liquids are..
For 1 mark question, the answer required is brief and direct. Usually there is only one or two
items / keywords.
For 2 mark questions, you will be required to give a longer, detailed answer. If the question
is identify and explain why,1 mark is for the identification and 1 mark for the
explanation.
For 3 mark questions, look at the space given. If there are only a few lines, its probably a
more factual recall type of question and you dont need much explanation. If its longer,
break down the answer for the examiner so that it is clear and marks can be easily given for
each statement or keyword. Dont write in long sentences the examiner may assume its
only one point.
Remember, dont leave any question blank! You may get awarded partial marks if you hit
some keywords and concepts even if you may not understand it completely. Some questions
are really testing your ability to infer and think rather than your knowledge.
Other tips
Stay calm and have a positive and focused mind.The best way to approach the questions is
with a clear, open mind, and being calm will reduce errors and improve recollection. Dont
worry about your past grades, or how well youre going to do for this paper or the
subsequent one. Now isnt the time to be thinking of other things. Just work through the
exam, one question at a time. Worrying about another question wont help you with the
current one!
Sleep early. There is no point doing last minute revisions. Even if you havent finished your
revisions, it is more productive to sleep early than to revise till 1 or 2am into the night.
Eat your usual breakfast. Dont try anything funny. You dont want to be struggling with a
stomach-ache.


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Exam Answering Tips
MCQ

- Highlight keywords (eg. incorrect, experiment in the dark, extension vs length of spring)
- Eliminate (cross out) the wrong options
- Some questions have multiple statements and the question asks which is correct?
eg. if you are sure R is definitely false, you can cross it out and eliminate that answer.
- When checking, tally the shaded OAS oval with your choice written on the question paper.
- When checking, cover your choices on the question paper. Look at the options again to make sure
you have selected the most appropriate one.

Open ended

- Read the question carefully and highlight the keywords.
- Answer the question directly. If question ask about Object A, answer directly "Object A is ..."
- Some questions have parts (a) and (b). If part (a) asks for an observation and part (b) for the
explanation, dont explain it in part (a).
- Comparing: remember to state the different properties of BOTH objects in comparison.
eg. state the difference between gases and liquids answer : gases are while liquids are..
- 1 mark question, the answer required is brief and direct. Usually there is only 1 or 2 point.
- 2 mark questions, the answer required is longer and more detailed.
eg. Q is identify and explain why - 1 mark is for the identification and 1 mark for the
explanation.
eg. Listing steps of experiment - half mark per step
- Dont ever leave any question blank! You may get awarded partial marks if you hit some keywords
and concepts even if you may not understand it completely.

Other tips

- Be positive - dont worry about your past grades
- Sleep early. There is no point doing last minute revisions.
- Eat your usual breakfast. Dont try anything funny. You dont want to be struggling with a
stomachache.
- Pack your bag with all the stationery you need the night before.

Last minute tips for PSLE Maths
Revision tips
Revise the following concepts they are critical:
Fractions, ratios and percentages
Geometry area and circumference of circle, breaking down a composite figure into circle,
square, triangle, volume of cube and cuboid. Find unknown angles in squares, rectangles,
parallelograms, rhombus, trapezium and triangles.
Speed
Algebra representing an unknown with a letter, simplification of algebraic expressions and
evaluation of expressions by substitution.
Examination tips
Manage your time
You have 50 minutes for Paper 1 and it consists of 40% of the total score. Spend about 1min per
mark. Paper 2 is 1hr 40mins long and it has 60% of the total score. You have about 1.5minutes
per mark so for four mark questions you can expect to spend 6 minutes. You have more time in
Paper 2 than in Paper 1, but the questions are typically tougher and youre expected to show your
working.
Some questions are easy do these calmly and carefully but quickly and move on, so that you
will have time for the harder questions.
If youre stuck on a question, leave it first. Come back to question after you finish the whole
paper.
If youre sharp on time, you should have about 10mins left. Go back to the questions youve left
unsolved and attempt them. If youre able to solve them in 3-4 minutes, go ahead. If youre not,
leave them again and check.
Look through the paper quickly and make sure youve answered all the questions. Make sure
there is no calculation mistakes and careless errors. Once youre satisfied, go back and spend the
rest of the time on the unsolved questions.
Dont leave any question unanswered. If its an MCQ you can guess the best answer and your
odds of getting it correct may be more than 50%. If its a structured question you may get
awarded marks for working even if the answer is wrong.
MCQ tips
Typically youll be able to solve for the exact answer. If you dont see the answer in the choices
you must have made a mistake. Go through the question again to make sure youve understood it,
and attempt it again. Dont bother with the other choices.
Sometimes, however, youre asked to estimate, or to guess. In these cases, the choices can help
you. For example, if youre asked to estimate the height of a door, the choices are : 1m, 2m, 10m,
20m. You can eliminate 1m (too short) 10m and 20m (too tall).
Problem sums
For difficult problem sums, attempt a model diagram even if youre completely
stuck. Sometimes after youve attempted to draw you get an understanding of the problem will
be able to solve it.
Some questions are broken into parts a) and b). Solve them in this order. The answer in part a)
may help you for part b). Sometimes, however, a) and b) may be completely different dont let
that confuse you.
Remember units! Some questions specify which units you must use, some dont. If they dont,
use any unit you want, but dont leave it out. Some questions ask for you to leave the answer in
terms of pi, some asks for you to use pi as 3.14 or 22/7. Follow the instructions!
Even if the question is very difficult, dont leave it blank. Remember that you may get awarded
marks for working.
Other tips
Stay calm and have a positive and focused mind. The best way to approach the questions is with a
clear, open mind, and being calm will reduce errors. Dont worry about your past grades, or how
well youre going to do for this paper or the subsequent one. Now isnt the time to be thinking of
other things. Just work through the exam, one question at a time. Do your calculations carefully
but quickly. If youre stuck, dont let that bother you. Leave it aside and focus on the next one.
Worrying about another problem wont help you solve the current one!
Sleep early. There is no point doing last minute revisions. Even if you havent finished your
revisions, it is more productive to sleep early than to revise till 1 or 2am into the night. Especially
for maths, you want to tackle the paper with a fresh mind. Sleep an hour earlier than you
normally sleep at. Maybe drink a glass of milk before you sleep to help you rest better.
Eat your usual breakfast. Dont try anything funny. You dont want to be struggling with a
stomach-ache.