PSLE Scoring System Explained: AL Bands and the PSLE Score

Updated 2026-10-11 · by Coastline Tutors

Coastline Tutors writes these guides from SEAB and MOE documents and published Singapore figures; each claim links to where it comes from.

The eight Achievement Levels

Since 2021, each PSLE subject is graded in one of eight Achievement Levels (ALs) by its percentage score (MOE):

MOE explains the uneven widths: it expects slightly less than half the cohort to score AL1 to AL4 in Standard subjects, so the upper bands are narrower, while finer distinctions lower down would go against its aim of reducing fine differentiation between students (MOE).

From four ALs to one PSLE Score

The PSLE Score is the sum of the four subject scores, from 4 to 32, with 4 the best possible (SEAB, MOE). MOE’s own worked example: English AL3, Mother Tongue AL2, Mathematics AL1 and Science AL2 give a PSLE Score of 8.

Foundation subjects

A child taking a subject at Foundation level is graded AL A (75 to 100), AL B (30 to 74) or AL C (below 30), which count as Standard AL 6, 7 and 8 for the PSLE Score (MOE).

Higher Mother Tongue

Higher Chinese, Higher Malay and Higher Tamil keep their own grades: Distinction 80 to 100, Merit 65 to 79, Pass 50 to 64, Ungraded below 50 (MOE).

What it means for revision

Because the top bands are five marks wide, a child near a boundary gains a whole point from a few marks. A child on 83 in maths is two marks from AL2; a child on 66 is one mark from AL6. Working out where each subject sits is a better use of the last months than revising everything equally. The PSLE score calculator shows the marks to the next band for each subject.

Cut-off points for secondary schools move from year to year: MOE says fluctuations of plus or minus 1 are typical and 2 or 3 possible (MOE).