Last updated: 2026-10-11
PSLE English is four papers, and they reward different things. Writing is a quarter of the grade, the comprehension and language paper is almost half, and oral is a fifth: a child who reads well but freezes in conversation leaves real marks behind.
We tutor primary English across the East, at home or online: Marine Parade and Katong, Bedok, Tampines and Pasir Ris.
The four PSLE English papers
The PSLE English Language examination is 200 marks across four papers (SEAB, PSLE English Language 0001):
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Writing | Situational writing (14) and continuous writing (36) | 50 | 25% | 1 h 10 min |
| 2. Language Use and Comprehension | 25 multiple-choice and 50 open-ended questions | 90 | 45% | 1 h 50 min |
| 3. Listening Comprehension | 20 multiple-choice questions | 20 | 10% | about 35 min |
| 4. Oral Communication | Reading aloud (15) and stimulus-based conversation (25) | 40 | 20% | about 10 min |
The continuous writing task asks for at least 150 words on a topic with three pictures, and the composition must be based on at least one of them (SEAB).
Where marks usually go missing
- Paper 2 open-ended answers that are correct in idea but copied straight from the passage, or answer a different question than the one asked
- Synthesis and transformation, where one wrong connector loses the whole item
- Composition that retells events without building to a point, so the content marks stay low
- Oral conversation, where a one-sentence answer cannot score well no matter how correct it is
Lessons work on whichever of these your child's school tests show.
What it costs
Published hourly rates for primary home tuition in 2026 run from about S$25 to S$40 with a part-time tutor, S$35 to S$60 with a full-time tutor and S$55 to S$90 with a current or former school teacher (FamilyTutor, SmileTutor, TutorCity). We confirm the rate for your child's level before the first lesson.
What a lesson looks like
- Composition planning: from three pictures to a story with a point, in ten minutes
- Comprehension answers in full, in your child's own words
- Grammar and vocabulary from the mistakes in their own school work
- Oral practice: reading aloud and a real conversation, not memorised lines
Guides for parents
- PSLE English Oral: Reading Aloud and the Conversation
- PSLE English Exam Format: the Four Papers and Their Marks
- Home Tuition Rates in Singapore 2026: Primary Levels
Where we teach english
At home in Marine Parade and Katong, Bedok, Tampines and Pasir Ris, or online.