The PSLE Oral exam consists of two sections – Reading aloud and Stimulus-based conversation. In this post, we will share some tips on how to score in both sections.
PSLE Oral exam section 1 – Reading Aloud (RA)
For this segment, students are graded on fluency, pronunciation, and expression.
How to score for the PSLE Oral exam
(a) Read smoothly
- Do not stutter while reading the passage. To the marker, the hesitation means a lack of fluency on the student’s part. As such, marks will be deducted.
- If you do not know how to read a word, there are two things that you can do. You either try to read it phonetically and move on or skip over the word altogether.
- If you make a mistake, correct it smoothly and continue.
- You should never be stuck at a part of the passage, struggling and not moving on.
- Another common mistake is to do speed reading of the passage. Learn the art of pausing – a short pause for a comma and a longer pause for a full stop. The key to reading is a comfortable pace.
(b) Pronounce words clearly
- For clear pronounciation, speak loudly and clearly. For this part, students who are usually on the quieter side will have to raise their volume. In this way, they will sound clearer and not seem like they are mumbling.
- A more common issue is for students to read with volume but pronounce words unclearly. Usually, this is due to lazy reading. This means they are not moving their mouths and jaws sufficiently. This results in a rather unclear version of the word. To overcome this problem, students need to practise fully engaging their mouths and jaws to clearly pronounce the words.
(c) Use expression
- A very common mistake for students is to read with no or little expression.
- To overcome this problem, you either identify and emphasize the important words in the passage. Else, you emphasize the end of the each sentence to vary the pitch of your reading and create expression.
- For each given passage, there are often paragraphs which should be read with a different emotion.
PSLE Oral exam section 2 – Stimulus-Based Conversation (SBC)
Use the OREO strategy to answer each question.
How to give strong answers
Step 1: O for Opinion – Give a clear stand
Always start with a direct answer – Do you agree or not agree with the question? Yes or no? Sometimes, students think the answer should be a yes and no as they only agree to an extent. It is easier for most students to make a clear stand. If they are not sure of the
Step 2: R for Reason – Give a reason for your opinion
Give 1–2 strong reasons.
Use: because / this helps to / as a result.
Step 3: E for Elaboration – Support your opinion with a personal example
This is the most important part of your answer. Imagine this as telling a story as opposed to writing a story for the writing exam.
There are two ways to answer this section :
- Using your real experience – something that you encountered or experienced and helps to support your answer
- Using your made up experience
Some students think it is fine to skip over this section if they have nothing to say. It is not. Most of the marks for each question rest on the answer for this section so marks will be deducted if students do not answer this section.
Step 4: O for Opinion – Restate your opinion
End your answer by repeating your opinion in (1) and provide a suitable conclusion to your answer. This means clearly telling the marker your final opinion after considering all the information.
For example – In conclusion, I think that we should not be engrossed in our devices when we are together as a family. This is because it is important to spend quality time together for family bonding.
Find out more about our Primary 5 English and Writing class which includes customised 1-1 oral practise sessions.
