How To Score Well for PSLE English Situational Writing & 2025 Changes

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How To Score Well for PSLE English Situational Writing

2025 Changes for English PSLE Situational Writing

The PSLE English Paper is divided into two sections, lasting 1 hour and 10 minutes in total: Situational Writing and Continuous Writing. Situational Writing accounts for 15 marks, while Continuous Writing contributes 40 marks to the overall score.

As you read our guide for PSLE situational writing in this article, you’ll find that achieving those 15 marks will be less challenging.

Let’s Breakdown the Component

1) Task Fulfilment

• A clear understanding of the Purpose, Audience, and Context (PAC) of the task. 
• The ability to adopt the correct tone (formal or informal) based on the intended audience. 
• Adherence to the appropriate tone and conventions as per the context.
• A clear statement of the purpose at the start of and a suitable conclusion at the end of the piece. 

Task Fulfilment  is worth a total of 6 marks.

2) Language and Organisation

This criterion contributes 9 out of the total 15 marks.

With a clearer understanding of the two scoring criteria for situational writing, let’s review the components breakdown in the infographic below.

Context & Content In Situational Writing

Determine the PAC:

• The Purpose of the Writing (P)
• The Audience to whom the writing is intended for (A)
• The Context they have to give (C) – formal writing or informal writing

Encourage your child to highlight or underline the PAC while reading the task box to keep track of the content they need to write.

Let’s examine and consider some instances from the Situation Writing section of the 2024 Prelim English Paper

• The Purpose of the writing (P): Permission to be excused to attend Adoption Drive 
• The Audience to whom the writing is intended for (A): The teacher, Mr. Tan
• The Context they have to give (C) – Formal tone: the tone of a student talking to a teacher.

Pay Attention to Formal and Informal Tone

Guidelines for Composing Formal Letters
(Examples include Applications or Requests to School Administration, often directed to Authority Figures such as the Principal, School Staff, or Unknown Recipients)

• Proper Salutation and Addressing: Use respectful titles or designations when addressing the recipient. Formal writing should maintain a polite tone, avoiding personal pronouns like “you” or “I.”
• Clarity and Structure: A formal letter should be well-organized and concise, with correct punctuation and grammar. Use complete sentences and refrain from using contractions.
• Use of Formal Vocabulary: Avoid informal language or slang to keep the tone professional and enhance the credibility of the message.

No Abbreviations or Emojis: Abbreviations and emojis are inappropriate for formal communication. Students should articulate emotions or ideas thoroughly through words, without relying on symbols or shortcuts.

Demonstrate Language and Organisation

The task typically provides the necessary information that should be included, regardless of the format of the situational writing.

Follow this step-by-step guide to excel in the language and organisation aspect of situational writing:

Step 1: Carefully examine the situational stimulus, which could be in the form of images, posters, or other visual stimulus

Thoroughly review the entire stimulus and make notes, particularly for images with minimal or no dialogue, to help you better understand the content.

Step 2: Familiarise yourself with the information provided in the task box and gather essential details

While going through the information in the task box, you will  come across crucial details, including:

• Who you are (at times) = provided name/use your name if it is not specified
• Audience – the person you are writing to = Dear Sir, Dear Ms, Dear Jocelyn, etc.
• Purpose – the purpose of your writing = Request, Invite, Appeal, Complain, Sharing Information

Make sure to highlight important information in the task box:

To keep your writing process smooth and uninterrupted, highlight relevant answers in the task box and/or stimulus, helping you maintain a steady flow as you write.

Start Your Writing Right!

Once you have a clear grasp of your PAC (Purpose, Audience, and the appropriate tone, whether formal or informal) and have numbered all your points, you’re ready to start writing!

Remember these essential guidelines:

• Address your audience correctly (capitalise properly and use “Sir/Madam” if the name is unknown).
• Use greetings only in formal writing.
• Avoid slang or informal language.
• Check off each of your numbered points to ensure all content is included.
• Clearly state your purpose at the start of the paragraph to demonstrate a strong understanding of the assignment.

Staying organised is crucial when tackling situational writing.

We suggest numbering the points from 1 to 6 to ensure you cover all the key content required to maximise your chances of scoring full marks for content.

To keep your writing process smooth and uninterrupted, highlight relevant answers in the task box and/or stimulus, helping you maintain a steady flow as you write.

Once you have a clear grasp of your PAC (Purpose, Audience, and the appropriate tone, whether formal or informal) and have numbered all your points, you’re ready to start writing!

Remember these essential guidelines:

• Address your audience correctly (capitalise properly and use “Sir/Madam” if the name is unknown).
• Use greetings only in formal writing.
• Avoid slang or informal language.
• Check off each of your numbered points to ensure all content is included.
• Clearly state your purpose at the start of the paragraph to demonstrate a strong understanding of the assignment.

Writing too long does not increase your marks!

Stick to the six required points and avoid adding extra details that could lead to grammatical errors and slow you down.

Once you’ve reached the appropriate length and covered all essential information, finish your writing with a proper sign-off rather than ending it abruptly.

After finishing your writing, take a moment to carefully review your response and check the following:

• Content: Ensure all key information is included, the tone matches the context, and the sign-off is appropriate.
• Language: Confirm accuracy and clarity in your language usage.

2025 Changes and Addition for PSLE English Situational Writing

For Paper 1, the Composition component will be reduced to 36 marks instead of 40, while Situational Writing will carry 14 marks, making the total score for Paper 1 50 marks instead of 55.

Where do these redistributed marks go? They will be added to the Oral component, which will be worth 40 marks instead of the current 30. This change makes the Oral component one of the most significant parts of the PSLE English Language paper. We will share more details about these changes in future posts, but for now, we will focus on the 2025 PSLE English Situational Writing updates.

SW remains one of the simplest components to excel in. At SLC, we encourage students to strive for full marks in this section. Why is it so straightforward? All required points can typically be found in the given text or image. Students simply need to identify the purpose of the email and ensure that all points are addressed.

With consistent practice, as emphasised at SLC, students can master the appropriate tone for both formal and informal SW. They can complete a flawless SW response in less than ten minutes during the exam, a critical skill for managing time effectively between Composition and SW in Paper 1.

However, with the addition of the critical thinking point, students must now address one aspect where the answer is not provided in the text or image. This requires them to formulate their own response.

Examples of Critical Thinking Points

• How the school can promote cleanliness in the canteen
• How the workshop can benefit your friend
• One way volunteering at the event can benefit your friend 

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