# PSLE English Format: Writing, Comprehension, Listening, Oral | Coastline Tutors

> The PSLE English Language format from SEAB: Writing 25%, Language Use and Comprehension 45%, Listening 10%, Oral 20%, with marks, timing and the 150-word composition rule.

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# PSLE English Exam Format: the Four Papers and Their Marks

Updated 2026-10-11 · by Coastline Tutors 

 Short answer: PSLE English is 200 marks over four papers: Writing (50 marks, 25%, 1 h 10 min), Language Use and Comprehension (90 marks, 45%, 1 h 50 min), Listening Comprehension (20 marks, 10%, about 35 min) and Oral Communication (40 marks, 20%, about 10 min). 
[Coastline Tutors](/) writes these guides from SEAB and MOE documents and published Singapore figures; each claim links to where it comes from. 

## The four papers

PSLE English Language (0001), implemented from the 2025 examination ([SEAB](https://isomer-user-content.by.gov.sg/334/6c4dc7cf-bf0b-4d79-9005-1b1f7fa68cc9/0001_y26_sy.pdf)): 

 Paper Components Marks Weighting Time 
 1. Writing Situational writing 14, continuous writing 36 50 25% 1 h 10 min 
 2. Language Use and Comprehension Grammar, vocabulary, cloze, editing, synthesis, comprehension 90 45% 1 h 50 min 
 3. Listening Comprehension 20 multiple-choice questions 20 10% about 35 min 
 4. Oral Communication Reading aloud 15, stimulus-based conversation 25 40 20% about 10 min 

## Paper 1: Writing

- Situational writing: a short functional piece (a letter, email or report, for example) to suit the purpose, audience and context of a given situation.

- Continuous writing: a composition of at least 150 words on a given topic. Three pictures are provided, offering different angles; the composition must be based on at least one of them.

## Paper 2: Language Use and Comprehension

 25 multiple-choice and 50 open-ended questions , testing language in context and comprehension of written and multimodal texts at the literal, inferential and evaluative levels. At 45 percent, this paper alone outweighs Writing and Oral together. 

## Paper 3: Listening Comprehension

 20 multiple-choice questions on a variety of audio texts. Graphic representations are used for the first seven items, each text is read twice, and candidates get time to read the questions before the first reading. 

## Paper 4: Oral Communication

Two parts that are not linked by theme: reading aloud a text to suit a given situation, and a conversation with the examiners on a topic based on a photo stimulus. About 10 minutes: 5 minutes of preparation and about 5 of examination. See the [PSLE English oral guide](/guide/psle-english-oral-guide/). 

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## More questions

 How many words for the PSLE English composition? + 
At least 150 words, based on at least one of three pictures given on the topic. What is situational writing? + 
A short functional piece such as a letter, email or report, written to suit the purpose, audience and context given. It is worth 14 marks. [Related tuitionPrimary English TuitionComposition, comprehension, grammar and oral, taught against the four PSLE English papers so every lesson moves a mark that counts.](/primary-english-tuition/) 

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- Primary 1 Registration: the Phases, Explained for Parents 

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