How is the PSLE AL score calculated?

Your child's PSLE Score is the sum of the four subject Achievement Levels (AL). Each subject (English, Mother Tongue, Mathematics, Science) is graded AL1 to AL8 from its raw mark, and the four ALs are added together to give a total from 4 (best) to 32. There is no longer a T-score or aggregate ranking.

Step by step

1. Get each subject's raw markEach of the four PSLE subjects is marked out of 100.
2. Convert each mark to an Achievement LevelA mark of 90–100 is AL1, 85–89 is AL2, 80–84 is AL3, 75–79 is AL4, 65–74 is AL5, 45–64 is AL6, 20–44 is AL7, and below 20 is AL8.
3. Add the four Achievement LevelsSum the AL for all four subjects. The lowest (best) possible PSLE Score is 4 (four AL1s) and the highest is 32.
4. Read the indicative Posting GroupA lower total opens more secondary school options. Use the PSLE Score to look up indicative school cut-off ranges.

Why the AL system replaced the T-score

From 2021, the PSLE moved from the T-score aggregate to Achievement Levels. The T-score ranked every child against the cohort; the AL system instead reflects how well a child has done against fixed standards, so two children with the same marks get the same AL regardless of how others performed.

Related questions

Is a higher or lower PSLE score better?

Lower is better. The best possible PSLE Score is 4 (an AL1 in all four subjects).

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