The PSLE Maths paper, broken down

Paper 1: 50 marks, no calculator

Paper 1 runs about 1 hour 10 minutes, and no calculator is allowed. It comes in two booklets.

• Booklet A is multiple choice. Four options per question, one correct. These test core concepts and skills quickly.
• Booklet B is short answer. Your child writes the answer in the space given. Some questions are one mark, some are two.

Because there is no calculator, Paper 1 rewards solid mental arithmetic and accuracy. From 2026 it carries more multiple-choice questions and fewer of the one-mark short-answer questions than in earlier years.

Paper 2: 50 marks, calculator allowed

Paper 2 runs about 1 hour 20 minutes, and an approved calculator is allowed. These are the longer, structured questions, the problem sums, often in two or more parts and worth more marks each. This is where the multi-step thinking lives, and where working has to be shown.

The calculator must be on the SEAB-approved list, with no graphing or programmable functions. Use the one your child has practised with all year, not a new one bought the week before, so the buttons are second nature.

The change worth knowing: the papers now weigh the same

For years, Paper 2 was the heavier half. From 2026 the two papers carry equal weight, 50 marks each. Paper 1 is no longer a warm-up to rush through so you can save energy for Paper 2. It deserves the same preparation time. A child who treats Paper 1 casually is leaving half the exam on the table.

How marks are awarded, and why working matters

This is the part that quietly costs or saves marks.

Multiple-choice questions are right or wrong, one mark each. But on a two-mark short-answer question, a correct answer earns both marks, while a wrong answer with correct working still earns one.

Here is what that means in practice. Picture a two-mark question where your child sets it up correctly, does the right steps, then slips on the final multiplication and writes the wrong number. With the working shown, the marker can see the method was right and awards one mark. With only the wrong final number and no working, the same mistake earns zero. One mark of difference on one question, then multiply that across a whole paper. Showing working is not about neat presentation. It is marks in the bank.

A short preparation checklist

• Give Paper 1 equal time. Equal weight means equal practice. Drill mental accuracy and speed without a calculator.
• Show working on every short-answer question, so method marks are never left on the table.
• Practise to the clock. Each paper has its own time limit, and pacing is its own skill. A child who knows the rhythm does not panic when the clock is in view.
• Make the calculator second nature for Paper 2, without letting it replace the number sense Paper 1 demands.
• Check what is actually on the paper. The topics changed for 2026; our guide on the syllabus changes covers what moved.

Once your child knows the shape of the morning, two papers, one with a calculator and one without, equal weight, marks for method, the exam stops being a mystery and becomes a plan.