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SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Education (MOE) did not “forcefully fit” the PSLE scores of elementary school students on a bell curve, a spokesperson said on Monday (December 7).
The percentage of students “assessed as fit to progress” from elementary school to high school has remained the same for the past five years, from 2016 to 2020, at 98.4%.
READ: PSLE Results: 98.4% of Students Advance to High School
The percentage of those who entered the Express stream in this same period has remained between 66.2% and 66.6%, while those who entered Normal (Academic) remained between 20.6% and 21.4%.
Approximately between 10.6% and 11.2% of the students went to the Normal (Technical) stream.
The number of students who have taken the PSLE in the last five years is between 38,800 and 40,300.
Source: MOE / SEAB
CURVE RATING WITHOUT HOOD: MOE
In response to the CNA’s inquiries about consistent results in recent years, the Ministry of Education spokesperson said that the bell curve rating is not used in any of the national exams.
“In the current PSLE T-score system, the T-score uses a statistical method to represent how well a student has done relative to their peers. T-scores are not forced into a bell curve, ”the spokesperson said.
The aggregated T-score indicates how well a student has performed on average in all four subjects relative to their cohort, according to the SEAB website. It is used to determine priority for admission to high schools and eligibility for different high school pathways.
Beginning next year, PSLE scores will be calculated using achievement level bands and students will receive 1 to 8 for each of their four subjects, with their final score made up of the sum of these achievement levels.
READ: New PSLE scoring system: The Ministry of Education publishes a range of indicative cut-off points for different types of secondary schools
The A, O, N (A) and N (T) -level tests are referenced to standards, where the grades awarded reflect a candidate’s “own level of subject matter” based on an absolute set of standards, the spokesperson, adding that this is regardless of the students’ performance compared to their peers.
The new achievement level band system for PSLE will also be referenced to standards.
“Statistically, the test scores of a large population of candidates tend to fall into a normal distribution or bell curve,” the spokesperson added.
“This is not surprising, as there will be a natural variation in the level of mastery of any subject among a large group of students.
“However, this does not mean that we have forcibly adjusted students’ test scores on a bell curve.”
Assignments are prepared with a “balanced ratio” of basic, average and challenging questions, and this ratio remains the same every year to “maintain the general standard of exams,” the spokesperson explained.
But the distribution of grades is not “predetermined” by a bell curve.
“If more candidates show better quality work, a higher percentage of them will get better grades.”
READ: Comment: Children taking PSLE next year may have a very different experience
BALANCE OF QUESTIONS E
The Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) has processes in place to ensure that general standards for national exams are maintained over the years, the spokesperson said.
This responsibility falls on a panel of experienced school teachers, curriculum specialists from the Ministry of Education, and evaluation specialists from SEAB.
The MOE spokesman said the panel “adheres to a test plan” to ensure that the exams are aligned with the objectives of the curriculum and that “results and learning standards are maintained year after year.
There is also an “appropriate balance” of easy, average and more challenging questions on the tests, the spokesperson said.
LISTEN: PSLE Results: Three Working Adults Face Their Shock and Other Shocking Revelations Years Later
“To maintain comparable standards every year and to ensure that all candidates receive a fair and valid evaluation, the score takes into consideration … factors such as the overall difficulty of the job and the overall quality of the candidates’ work for that exam year .
“The percentages of students progressing to each grade in high school are based on the actual performance of the cohort.”
